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Den arge
Den arge är en hoppfull bok om en svår vardag. Budskapet till barn som upplever detsamma som Boj är: Du är inte ensam. Det är inte ditt fel. Du måste säga ifrån till någon som du litar på. Det behöver inte vara som det är.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2003
145 people want to read
About the author
Gro Dahle
96 books54 followersGro Dahle (born 15 May 1962) is a Norwegian poet and writer.
She was born in Oslo, and is a daughter of Øystein Dahle. She made her literary début in 1987 with Audiens (Audience), a collection of poetry. Since then Dahle has written over 30 books in different genres, among them a series of picture books for children in collaboration with her husband, Norwegian illustrator Svein Nyhus.
Gro Dahle has received several national awards for her work. In 1999 she was the official festival poet at the Bergen International Festival. In 2002 she won the Brage Prize for literature for Snill (Nice), a picture book for children, and in 2003 the Best Children’s Book Prize from the Norwegian Ministry of Culture for Sinna Mann (Angry Man), a book about a boy witnessing domestic violence.
Dahle is a stylistically naïve, imaginative and burlesque writer often focusing on psychological problems and relations. She lives and works on the island Tjøme. Dahle also gives lectures in creative writing in Norway and Sweden.
She was born in Oslo, and is a daughter of Øystein Dahle. She made her literary début in 1987 with Audiens (Audience), a collection of poetry. Since then Dahle has written over 30 books in different genres, among them a series of picture books for children in collaboration with her husband, Norwegian illustrator Svein Nyhus.
Gro Dahle has received several national awards for her work. In 1999 she was the official festival poet at the Bergen International Festival. In 2002 she won the Brage Prize for literature for Snill (Nice), a picture book for children, and in 2003 the Best Children’s Book Prize from the Norwegian Ministry of Culture for Sinna Mann (Angry Man), a book about a boy witnessing domestic violence.
Dahle is a stylistically naïve, imaginative and burlesque writer often focusing on psychological problems and relations. She lives and works on the island Tjøme. Dahle also gives lectures in creative writing in Norway and Sweden.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
March 18, 2019
We need more books about this topic. But this one was so odd. There are many elements which lead me to believe it's for very small children...but it's much too long and metaphorical and abstract for most of them. But it's not really one of those sneaky "really meant for adults" picture books, either. It's so hard to categorize. There's missed opportunity here.
March 28, 2019
Wow. Heartbreaking, harrowing, the poetry of the text and rich emotional shorthand of the illustrations offer much to discover and discuss. And though I'm not at all knowledgeable about bibliotherapy or families coping with abuse, there seems to be something here with which to connect at any stage in a child's experience of an abusive situation.
August 28, 2020
I am just all over the place on this book.
The subject matter is very important. But I found this book to be very scary. It made me sad and apprehensive.
There is such a specific target audience for this book. Stick with the target audience.
The subject matter is very important. But I found this book to be very scary. It made me sad and apprehensive.
There is such a specific target audience for this book. Stick with the target audience.
March 26, 2015
I do appreciate the fact that Sinna Man presents dysfunctional family relationship, which children are sometimes forced to live in. Initially, I was stunned at the very violent storyline showing Daddy’s uncontrollable tantrum and the boy’s fear and confusion. The illustrations perfectly depict their emotions: Daddy’s figure is growing enormously big in comparison to Mommy or the boy, he seems to be on fire owing to the use of red, orange, and yellow coloring. Daddy is always presented in the center of each page, and in consequence he is the center of the readers’ attention as well. On the other hand, the boy’s facial expression is the same at each picture: he is emotionless, with pursed lips and sad eyes. He is relatively tiny in comparison with his parents, and always depicted in the bottom half of the picture, which makes him even more threatened and constrained. Only when the boy leaves home and meets with a dog is he given more attention, and the size of characters and the background seem usual. What I appreciate the most is the fact that the book has happy-ending, or at least gives readers a ray of hope that the violent attacks of Daddy are not going to happen again.
May 21, 2019
Excellent depiction of domestic abuse from a child's perspective. Recommend use for adults and therapists with affected child where appropriate.
December 21, 2019
Dette var egentlig en ganske trist barnebok som belyser et viktig og vanskelig tema. Illustrasjonene var også veldig fine.
Jeg må likevel kritisere at forfatteren skiller mellom «pappa» og «sinnamann». Boken fremstiller det slik at pappa ikke kan stå ansvarlig for sinnamanns handlinger. Jeg syns forfatteren burde få frem at det er pappa som er ansvarlig for sinnamanns oppførsel. Det finnes ingen unnskyldning for å oppføre seg så dårlig.
Jeg må likevel kritisere at forfatteren skiller mellom «pappa» og «sinnamann». Boken fremstiller det slik at pappa ikke kan stå ansvarlig for sinnamanns handlinger. Jeg syns forfatteren burde få frem at det er pappa som er ansvarlig for sinnamanns oppførsel. Det finnes ingen unnskyldning for å oppføre seg så dårlig.
March 14, 2019
This book is important. Family Violence is a very, very difficult topic to approach. This story has a fairy tale-esque quality and explains a violent situation through a child's perspective. It is empowering and approachable.
March 19, 2019
This one was very challenging for me. It's obviously powerful and well-written. I felt like this book really captured what it feels like to be in this situation but would not really feel comfortable giving it to a kid. Might be good for a child that is in this situation and already experiencing trauma, but I would worry about some random kid finding it on a shelf and reading it because I found it to be really frightening. I don't feel that it's written to a kid's level. Really well done, but feels more for an adult sorting out this stuff than for a kid.
January 12, 2026
Baba na zajęciach nam to przeczytała, straszny patos. Jeszcze mamy to teraz interpretować. Już bym wolał szukać drugiego dna w muminkach. Obrazki w książce ładne, sama książka chyba też, ale nie czytajcie jej swoim studentom.
Edit: I nie bijcie dzieci
Edit: I nie bijcie dzieci
December 14, 2023
Ważna książka
June 16, 2019
A powerful depiction of domestic abuse and how that trauma affects relationships, mental health, trust, self preservation, and asking for help. While this was raw and heartbreaking, especially depicted in the illustrations, the end was the opposite...vague, easily wrapped up, and not an honest depiction of rehabilitation. The text was also extremely long. Would be perfect to use with kids experiencing domestic abuse situations and sorting through trauma with a therapist.
September 1, 2015
Gro Dahles och Svein Nyhus bilderbok Den arge är en (ganska brutal) saga om våld inom familjen. Det handlar om lille Boj, Mamma och Pappa, och hur Pappa ibland förvandlas till Den arge, monstruöst skildrad av Nyhus.
Detta är antagligen en bok som behövs för att hjälpa barn som befinner sig i dessa situationer att hantera sin tillvaro, men det är inget jag spontant känner att jag vill utsätta mitt eget barn för i nuläget. Trots ett lyckligt slut (som trots allt inte känns påklistrat) så är det ändå en ganska otäck bok, både text- och bildmässigt.
Som vuxen måste jag dock tillstå att jag uppskattar boken. Dahles text är drivande och sagostrukturen har approprierats väl. Nyhus bildspråk påminner mig även till viss del om Dave McKeans (och den senare är i någon mån en av mina husgudar).
Detta är antagligen en bok som behövs för att hjälpa barn som befinner sig i dessa situationer att hantera sin tillvaro, men det är inget jag spontant känner att jag vill utsätta mitt eget barn för i nuläget. Trots ett lyckligt slut (som trots allt inte känns påklistrat) så är det ändå en ganska otäck bok, både text- och bildmässigt.
Som vuxen måste jag dock tillstå att jag uppskattar boken. Dahles text är drivande och sagostrukturen har approprierats väl. Nyhus bildspråk påminner mig även till viss del om Dave McKeans (och den senare är i någon mån en av mina husgudar).
March 12, 2019
A powerful story about a dad who gets angry and hurts the ones he loves. Told from he perspective of his young son who doesn't understand what is happening only that he needs to be quiet and good so as not to trigger the angryman. The ending is postive but a little confusing about what really happens to the dad.
September 21, 2015
Fantastisk tematisert av Gro Dahle og Svein Nyhus. Det er kjempeviktig å ha hjelpemidler som dette til å snakke med barn om vold og sinneproblematikk hos foreldre. <3
July 25, 2020
Läst till 1LI100 Barn och ungdomslitteratur, 30 högskolepoäng
August 19, 2024
I had heard this book recommended in a book about children’s books—and am so happy that I finally got a chance to read it. It was originally published in Norway and was semi-recently translated into English. It is about a small boy whose dad gets very angry sometimes and how that cycle of stress and violence and apologies tends to go.
A few things that I loved: the fact that there is a book about domestic violence. There might be others out there—but this is the first one that I have encountered. And domestic violence is sadly pretty common and so I think it is incredibly important to have children’s’ books available as a resource. I also really enjoyed how the father got bigger and bigger throughout the story when he got angry and then shrank down again to a normal size afterwards. I feel like the book also depicted the boy’s hyper awareness of his father’s moods really accurately. And I really appreciated the discussion of “Angryman” coming out as someone distinct from the father and seeming to take him over and possess him…and then crawling back down into the basement again after the father’s outburst. To me that seemed like a great way to conceptualize someone that you know who loses control of themselves and acts in a terrible way but then comes back to themselves again afterwards. Norway still had a king—so I also really enjoyed when the little boy character wrote to the king for help and with a question, and then the king appears at his house to help out. It is a bit fantastical and very little kid logic—“Oh—well I’ll just write to the king!”. I also appreciated that the father goes to a place to get rehabilitated at the end and to learn skills to help him manage his anger and be able to be a trustworthy parent again. It was a hopeful ending and showed a path forward for the family. I’ve sat in a lot of rooms where we talk about the importance of safe adults in a child’s life, so I appreciated the mention of the friendly neighbor and her dog. The boy thinks about the dog when he is stressed and overwhelmed by his father’s anger. And petting the dog gives him the courage to tell his story and write his letter. Really cool to see a significant, non-related adult show up in the story.
My two very small bones to pick are that the boy’s name is quite hard for English speakers to pronounce. It is “Boj”—which is not at all a typical or easily-pronounced name. I imagine that this book is probably intended to be read aloud by adults to children, so a challenging-to-pronounce name is an added barrier. As others have mentioned, this is quite a word-y book. I really loved the text and thought that it was helpful…just very wordy. I was trying to figure out which age is the intended age for this book and I’m not really sure. The text seems like maybe for a 7-year old. And the illustrations are more simple and more what I would expect for a younger audience. Maybe it is intended for an adult to modify the story that they are telling based on the child’s age.
A few things that I loved: the fact that there is a book about domestic violence. There might be others out there—but this is the first one that I have encountered. And domestic violence is sadly pretty common and so I think it is incredibly important to have children’s’ books available as a resource. I also really enjoyed how the father got bigger and bigger throughout the story when he got angry and then shrank down again to a normal size afterwards. I feel like the book also depicted the boy’s hyper awareness of his father’s moods really accurately. And I really appreciated the discussion of “Angryman” coming out as someone distinct from the father and seeming to take him over and possess him…and then crawling back down into the basement again after the father’s outburst. To me that seemed like a great way to conceptualize someone that you know who loses control of themselves and acts in a terrible way but then comes back to themselves again afterwards. Norway still had a king—so I also really enjoyed when the little boy character wrote to the king for help and with a question, and then the king appears at his house to help out. It is a bit fantastical and very little kid logic—“Oh—well I’ll just write to the king!”. I also appreciated that the father goes to a place to get rehabilitated at the end and to learn skills to help him manage his anger and be able to be a trustworthy parent again. It was a hopeful ending and showed a path forward for the family. I’ve sat in a lot of rooms where we talk about the importance of safe adults in a child’s life, so I appreciated the mention of the friendly neighbor and her dog. The boy thinks about the dog when he is stressed and overwhelmed by his father’s anger. And petting the dog gives him the courage to tell his story and write his letter. Really cool to see a significant, non-related adult show up in the story.
My two very small bones to pick are that the boy’s name is quite hard for English speakers to pronounce. It is “Boj”—which is not at all a typical or easily-pronounced name. I imagine that this book is probably intended to be read aloud by adults to children, so a challenging-to-pronounce name is an added barrier. As others have mentioned, this is quite a word-y book. I really loved the text and thought that it was helpful…just very wordy. I was trying to figure out which age is the intended age for this book and I’m not really sure. The text seems like maybe for a 7-year old. And the illustrations are more simple and more what I would expect for a younger audience. Maybe it is intended for an adult to modify the story that they are telling based on the child’s age.
February 9, 2022
"Mama takes Boj out with her into the hallway. Angryman follows. Mama takes Boj upstairs with her. Angryman follows. Mama takes Boj with her into the bedroom. Angryman follows."
I gave in and cried at this point.
My five year old reassured me, "It's a kid's book. It will have a happy ending."
I felt conflicted when first reading this book. My son wanted to read it - even after seeing a center page. I hardly wanted to look at the amazing illustrations, because they are so intense. That, however, is the point. One commenter I see said they were worried it would be too frightening for a regular child - well, they can always choose to put the book down. Kids in abusive situations don't get that choice.
This book in part seems 'weird' because it is translated from Norwegian.
The heft of this book is undeniable, and absolutely wonderful. I'm honestly considering buying a copy, because it feels as if someone has taken this immense weight from inside myself, and put it into a book. A place to see clearly: Did you have abuse in your life? Yes. Was it terrifying? Yes. Was it all encompassing? Yes. Do they act chaotic, then demand you enable them and tend their emotional wounds? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes to all the situations you STILL don't feel confident about. Yes.
Does my five year old feel the same way? I don't know. He didn't say anything. But he did choose the book. He did insist on reading it even after gleaming the illustrations. He was taken by the entire story.
This book feels uncomfortable because it is extremely direct, and that is also what made it feel so powerful to me. This book felt like, "The writer and illustrator GET it." "It is undeniable that someone else GETS it." (We know many suffer through abuse, but we always feel alone and misunderstood)
I felt there was a great weight in sharing with children that Boj is constantly wondering, "Did I do something wrong?" I remember catching my son saying that once when he was 2 or 3. I'm sure my son's wondered it more times than he has said it.
One piece that feels lost in translation is the reference to the "King". I could have appreciated a clearer call-to-action for who older children can reach out to.
The ending is also lost in translation. Daddy goes somewhere where he gets help. Since this is Norway, that could be a mental institution or prison. However, within Canada or America, the prison system is extremely unlikely to help Daddy work through his problems. A romp in the grass is out of the question.
I do admire the effort the author put in to verbalizing the healing process though. It's an astonishingly simple and clear depiction - Daddy needs to go down, down, into that dark cellar, and talk with Angryman. The angry, the old, the sad parts of Daddy - he needs to be willing to get to know and truly understand all of them.
I gave in and cried at this point.
My five year old reassured me, "It's a kid's book. It will have a happy ending."
I felt conflicted when first reading this book. My son wanted to read it - even after seeing a center page. I hardly wanted to look at the amazing illustrations, because they are so intense. That, however, is the point. One commenter I see said they were worried it would be too frightening for a regular child - well, they can always choose to put the book down. Kids in abusive situations don't get that choice.
This book in part seems 'weird' because it is translated from Norwegian.
The heft of this book is undeniable, and absolutely wonderful. I'm honestly considering buying a copy, because it feels as if someone has taken this immense weight from inside myself, and put it into a book. A place to see clearly: Did you have abuse in your life? Yes. Was it terrifying? Yes. Was it all encompassing? Yes. Do they act chaotic, then demand you enable them and tend their emotional wounds? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes to all the situations you STILL don't feel confident about. Yes.
Does my five year old feel the same way? I don't know. He didn't say anything. But he did choose the book. He did insist on reading it even after gleaming the illustrations. He was taken by the entire story.
This book feels uncomfortable because it is extremely direct, and that is also what made it feel so powerful to me. This book felt like, "The writer and illustrator GET it." "It is undeniable that someone else GETS it." (We know many suffer through abuse, but we always feel alone and misunderstood)
I felt there was a great weight in sharing with children that Boj is constantly wondering, "Did I do something wrong?" I remember catching my son saying that once when he was 2 or 3. I'm sure my son's wondered it more times than he has said it.
One piece that feels lost in translation is the reference to the "King". I could have appreciated a clearer call-to-action for who older children can reach out to.
The ending is also lost in translation. Daddy goes somewhere where he gets help. Since this is Norway, that could be a mental institution or prison. However, within Canada or America, the prison system is extremely unlikely to help Daddy work through his problems. A romp in the grass is out of the question.
I do admire the effort the author put in to verbalizing the healing process though. It's an astonishingly simple and clear depiction - Daddy needs to go down, down, into that dark cellar, and talk with Angryman. The angry, the old, the sad parts of Daddy - he needs to be willing to get to know and truly understand all of them.
January 7, 2020
A very poetic and symbolic look at family violence. It'd be great for use in a therapist's office, but may be a bit esoteric for younger readers. An important topic, of which there is a dearth of books, but it's audience is perhaps a bit older than I had expected. It could even be appreciated by adults who grew up in an abusive household.
"Angryman" lives inside of the father of the family. He lives in a basement deep inside the father. The mother and child can see him coming when father "curtains" his eyes and his tone of voice changes. The mother and son are walking on eggshells the whole time, waiting and being quiet so that Angryman might not surface. But when he does, Daddy flies into a rage and the son tries to hide away. There is a "storm" in the hallway where the father and mother handle "Angryman". Finally, the boy leaves. Finding the courage to talk about the situation is too difficult. He can barely muster the courage to write about it. But he does seek help from a neighbor and Daddy is taken away (by a King, who suddenly appears in the story) to find ways to handle Angryman.
"Angryman" lives inside of the father of the family. He lives in a basement deep inside the father. The mother and child can see him coming when father "curtains" his eyes and his tone of voice changes. The mother and son are walking on eggshells the whole time, waiting and being quiet so that Angryman might not surface. But when he does, Daddy flies into a rage and the son tries to hide away. There is a "storm" in the hallway where the father and mother handle "Angryman". Finally, the boy leaves. Finding the courage to talk about the situation is too difficult. He can barely muster the courage to write about it. But he does seek help from a neighbor and Daddy is taken away (by a King, who suddenly appears in the story) to find ways to handle Angryman.
April 26, 2021
Ga ngerti lah bagus banget bukunya.
Cerita tentang domestic violence dari kacamata anak-anak. Dapet banget suasana dark yg intense tapi juga dapet keriaan khas anak-anak.
Delivery nya poetic, repetitive... bikin makin deg-degan dan strong sekali.
Ilustrasinya yamponnn cakeeepp bangeeet. Warnanya padat dan mayestik gitu ambiance nya.
Topiknya menarik dan belum pernah liat buku anak indonesia yg ngomongin tentang mental illness, gender equality, domestic violence. Pesannya banyak banget. That children should never attempt to solve adult's problem. That children think differently: they think the world revolve around them so they will think it's their faults if parents fight. That children should know all gender is equal. And we as adults should not think that "everything happens behind the door stay behind the door". If it involves violence, we should attempt to help.
I love it so much that I did an oral storytelling, adapted from this book, with some Indonesia adjustment.
Obviously, I'm in love.
Cerita tentang domestic violence dari kacamata anak-anak. Dapet banget suasana dark yg intense tapi juga dapet keriaan khas anak-anak.
Delivery nya poetic, repetitive... bikin makin deg-degan dan strong sekali.
Ilustrasinya yamponnn cakeeepp bangeeet. Warnanya padat dan mayestik gitu ambiance nya.
Topiknya menarik dan belum pernah liat buku anak indonesia yg ngomongin tentang mental illness, gender equality, domestic violence. Pesannya banyak banget. That children should never attempt to solve adult's problem. That children think differently: they think the world revolve around them so they will think it's their faults if parents fight. That children should know all gender is equal. And we as adults should not think that "everything happens behind the door stay behind the door". If it involves violence, we should attempt to help.
I love it so much that I did an oral storytelling, adapted from this book, with some Indonesia adjustment.
Obviously, I'm in love.
January 3, 2024
Jeg har alltid vært fascinert av Gro Dahle’s veldig rett-på og billedlige beskrivelser - uten å rote bort alvoret i tematikken i bøkene sine.
Dette er en så sinnsykt fæl og vond bok - men dermed også en utrolig viktig bok.
Jeg var utrolig heldig og fikk bli med på et foredrag/seminar med Gro for mange år siden, hvor bl.a. Denne boken ble tatt opp.
Rundt den tiden boken ble utgitt, var det enda utrolig stigmatisert å prate om vold i hjemmet - både i utdanningssektoren og i personlige liv. Jeg husker ikke sånn helt hva utgivelsen av denne boken oppnådde men; den spilte en viktig rolle i å sette i gang en diskusjon om temaet til tross for kritikken og støyten den fikk - og da må jeg bare si; for en utrolig tøff og viktig ting å skape av Gro Dahle.
Det finnes så mange delikate, fine måter å skriverier om vold og mishandling, men jeg kjenner at realiteten av det bare er stygt. Og det er nettopp det jeg elsker denne boken for; den er så fryktelig, fryktelig stygg. Og så vakkert skrevet i samme slengen.
Utrolig viktig bok, alle burde lese.
Dette er en så sinnsykt fæl og vond bok - men dermed også en utrolig viktig bok.
Jeg var utrolig heldig og fikk bli med på et foredrag/seminar med Gro for mange år siden, hvor bl.a. Denne boken ble tatt opp.
Rundt den tiden boken ble utgitt, var det enda utrolig stigmatisert å prate om vold i hjemmet - både i utdanningssektoren og i personlige liv. Jeg husker ikke sånn helt hva utgivelsen av denne boken oppnådde men; den spilte en viktig rolle i å sette i gang en diskusjon om temaet til tross for kritikken og støyten den fikk - og da må jeg bare si; for en utrolig tøff og viktig ting å skape av Gro Dahle.
Det finnes så mange delikate, fine måter å skriverier om vold og mishandling, men jeg kjenner at realiteten av det bare er stygt. Og det er nettopp det jeg elsker denne boken for; den er så fryktelig, fryktelig stygg. Og så vakkert skrevet i samme slengen.
Utrolig viktig bok, alle burde lese.
January 3, 2020
“Is Daddy angry? Everything is so delicate. The whole living room is made of glass. Everything is swaying.”
When Daddy is happy, Boj can relax, though he still listens carefully for any changes. Boj and his mother try to stay quiet and still when Daddy is quiet and still. But even though things are quiet, Daddy changes and Boj can hear the changes in Daddy’s breathing and in the heavy footsteps and slamming doors. “Oh dear Daddy, don’t let Angryman out.”
When Angryman comes, there is nothing that can stop him. “Because a door is not a door. A wall is not a wall. And Mama is not Mama.” Then, when Angryman disappears, Daddy promises to never be angry again. But he has said that before. And Mama takes care of Daddy and Boj must keep this a secret.
What will happen if Boj lets the secret out? Finally, Boj writes a letter because he can no longer hold the feelings in. And Daddy receives the help he needs. There is an Angryman in Daddy’s past, as well.
Wow.
When Daddy is happy, Boj can relax, though he still listens carefully for any changes. Boj and his mother try to stay quiet and still when Daddy is quiet and still. But even though things are quiet, Daddy changes and Boj can hear the changes in Daddy’s breathing and in the heavy footsteps and slamming doors. “Oh dear Daddy, don’t let Angryman out.”
When Angryman comes, there is nothing that can stop him. “Because a door is not a door. A wall is not a wall. And Mama is not Mama.” Then, when Angryman disappears, Daddy promises to never be angry again. But he has said that before. And Mama takes care of Daddy and Boj must keep this a secret.
What will happen if Boj lets the secret out? Finally, Boj writes a letter because he can no longer hold the feelings in. And Daddy receives the help he needs. There is an Angryman in Daddy’s past, as well.
Wow.
January 18, 2024
Whoa. Randomly picked this one off the library shelf and read it to the 5yo. At first, I was terrified to read about domestic violence with them. 5yo had me read it 2x on the first night (unheard of) and then specifically asked for it on a future night. They had a million questions and admitted the book made them scared.
The text is quite lengthy, but I'd read parts of it and summarize or ask questions. It was amazing how much discussion arose because of this book. I explained that some houses other kids live in are like this and hurt people sometimes hurt other people. I'm sure most went over their head since they have never seen violence in person, but I still think it was worthwhile. 5yo was riveted by the physical changes of angryman. We talked it being from the boy's perspective. As an adult, it was worth reading with them to get my mind working on future questions and discussions.
The text is quite lengthy, but I'd read parts of it and summarize or ask questions. It was amazing how much discussion arose because of this book. I explained that some houses other kids live in are like this and hurt people sometimes hurt other people. I'm sure most went over their head since they have never seen violence in person, but I still think it was worthwhile. 5yo was riveted by the physical changes of angryman. We talked it being from the boy's perspective. As an adult, it was worth reading with them to get my mind working on future questions and discussions.
November 22, 2021
This book is very, very heartbreaking. A realistic fiction book which won an OIB award, this story tells a reality that many children unfortunately face: abuse can come from those that we are closest with. Boj's father used to be happy and loving, but one day he turns dark, angry, and starts to become abusive towards his family as "Angryman". This picture book illustrates the fear and pain that the young boy faces in the presence of his father through growing and angry pictures. While a difficult read, it is also more than important to introduce to students, especially because many children face abuse at the hands of caregivers, and this book sends the message that abuse is not the fault of the victim, and there is always help to be found.
June 18, 2021
I think this book is a bit confused - it's written like a picture book, but there are so many words I doubt it would be a read-along type book. And I don't know if older elementary students would find the appeal.
But in terms of content, I think it really nails how it feels to be a child and to feel so confused by a very sad, violent situation. The illustrations are a bit grotesque at times, but matches the mood felt by Boj.
I also wonder if maybe this book doesn't really translate well into English, and maybe that's why it didn't necessarily hit home as much as I wanted to. But I still think it's a book that deals with an important topic.
But in terms of content, I think it really nails how it feels to be a child and to feel so confused by a very sad, violent situation. The illustrations are a bit grotesque at times, but matches the mood felt by Boj.
I also wonder if maybe this book doesn't really translate well into English, and maybe that's why it didn't necessarily hit home as much as I wanted to. But I still think it's a book that deals with an important topic.
March 1, 2022
While I think this book touches on many important topics- family/domestic violence, anger issues, anxiety, fear- I feel like it is too wordy and too heavy at times for children. As an adult reading this, I felt HAUNTED and SCARED, both by the words and especially the illustrations. I think the illustrations do a good job of depicting the Angryman and his aggression and violence. I also believe the words do a good job at showing Boj's anxiety as he deals with his abusive father. However, I just feel overall that this book is a little to dark for the audience it was written for.
December 1, 2022
I am not sure how I feel about this book. There does need to be more books about domestic violence but I think this was a little to intense for the age group I think they were going for. I do like that the dad does end up getting treated and still being apart of the child’s life, which doesn’t always happen but this book to me was a little scary when I think about a young child reading this. But then again this could relate to them as being in that situation is traumatizing. So I am undecided if I would include this in my classroom library.
October 23, 2025
Star rating: *****
Date: 2005
Award: Outstanding International Book
Genre: Fiction
This book follows the story of a young boy who is struggling to deal with his father's angry outbursts. This book can teach students that it's okay to reach out for help, and may help them feel not alone. I thought this book was really deep, and possibly too much for a younger student, unless the teacher helps them analyze it (ask them what they think is happening, how does the boy handle it, etc.). It was sad, but I liked it and think it could definitely help some students feel seen.
Date: 2005
Award: Outstanding International Book
Genre: Fiction
This book follows the story of a young boy who is struggling to deal with his father's angry outbursts. This book can teach students that it's okay to reach out for help, and may help them feel not alone. I thought this book was really deep, and possibly too much for a younger student, unless the teacher helps them analyze it (ask them what they think is happening, how does the boy handle it, etc.). It was sad, but I liked it and think it could definitely help some students feel seen.
January 28, 2017
Aldersmessig er jeg jo ikke i nærheten av målgruppa, men tross sin litt banale og ganske særegne form, eller kanskje nettopp på grunn av den, traff denne historien meg med full styrke. DET er også gjort en utrolig god jobb med å la lydeffektene i lydboka bygge opp under historien.
Jeg håper den kan formidle et viktig budskap til voksne om å se barn som sliter, og skape gjenkjennelse blant de barna som trenger å vite det finnes flere som har det som dem.
Jeg håper den kan formidle et viktig budskap til voksne om å se barn som sliter, og skape gjenkjennelse blant de barna som trenger å vite det finnes flere som har det som dem.
August 20, 2019
«Det brenner i gangen. Sinna mann brenner i gangen. Mamma blafrer i flammene. Lille mamma blir så liten. Unnskyld, unnskyld, lille mamma. Sinna mann er større enn huset, større enn fjellet, større enn alt. Sinna mann brenner. Rødt og rødt og rødt og svart».
En fantastisk liten bok om sinte pappaer som skaper frykt, skyld og uforutsigbare omgivelser. Jeg likte spesielt godt beskrivelsene av hvordan pappa skal få hjelp til å ikke være så sinna mer.
En fantastisk liten bok om sinte pappaer som skaper frykt, skyld og uforutsigbare omgivelser. Jeg likte spesielt godt beskrivelsene av hvordan pappa skal få hjelp til å ikke være så sinna mer.
May 11, 2020
This book frighted me a lot while reading it because it deals with a very serious topic about abuse. Many children do not know how to deal with abuse or how to tell someone that they are being abused by their parents. This book felt more like a book for older readers then younger ones even though its target audience is k-3. Even the illustrations are super frightening to view with Angryman being so large and menacing when angry and his facial expressions turning black was scary.
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