Max's Box: Letting Go of Negative Feelings

by Brian Wray, Shiloh Penfield (Illustrations)

Max's parents give him a very special a tiny, magical box that will hold everything, from his toys to his feelings. Max learns, however, that feelings can't be put away as easily as toys. Each negative emotion he feels—anger, embarrassment, sadness, loneliness—gets added to the box, which grows and grows. Eventually it is so large that it keeps him from doing what he loves, like riding his bike and climbing trees. With some help from his friends and family, Max is able to turn the box into something beautiful and let it go. A parents' guide explains how well-intentioned adults often encourage children, especially young boys, to ignore and “put away” their feelings instead of learning to fully live with them. This simple but powerful story not only teaches children how to “control” their emotions but discourages suppressing them, the illustrations becoming more colorful and vibrant as Max moves out from his box’s shadow.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Emotion

32 pages, Hardcover

Published September 28, 2019

Reviews

[Toni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the basic premise of the story: children need to learn how to deal with their emotions, although it is easier said than done. Max's parents give him a magical box where he can put anything including his toys and his feelings. Unsurprisingly, the box keeps getting heavier and heavier, until it is too cumbersome to carry around. Eventually, Max comes up with an idea how to make the box lighter and he does it with the help of his friends and his parents. I really enjoyed the way the stark artwork of the first part of the book becomes lighter and rainbow-like at the end.
The book has a little afterword for parents and caregivers explaining that it is important to allow children recognise and express emotions, instead of suppressing them. It also lists a few ways in which adults can help little ones manage their feelings.
When I first read this book, I was a bit perplexed about why both physical objects and feelings went into Max’s box. Not only that, but also it was just his negative feelings. Of course, children find it difficult to understand what their emotions are and why they have them, they can easily get overwhelmed by the physical reaction that is a part of any strong emotion. Still, I believe you should talk to your child about their positive feelings too, which also need to be expressed and acknowledged.
Overall, the book is original and deals with an important topic in an interesting way.
Thank you to NetGalley and Schiffer Publishing Ltd for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

[La Coccinelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is just plain confusing. I get what the author is trying to do here (I think), but the writing fails the message.

Max's parents give him a box and tell him that everything will go inside it. All his toys. Everything. Max eventually learns that his emotions go into the box, too. The problem is, whenever something gets put into the box, the box grows. Soon, Max can't do anything anymore because he's weighed down by this giant, heavy box that he has to take everywhere.

The confusing part for me is because his parents tell him that everything goes in the box... and yet, it appears to be only the negative emotions that get stored and weigh him down. So maybe the author could've said that only negative stuff goes in the box... but then, that doesn't explain why all his toys are in there. (Everything is in there, remember?) So I'm really struggling to understand this part of the story.

I'm also struggling to understand why only Max appears to have one of these boxes. It makes his parents seem kind of cruel and abusive, giving him this box without letting him know how to use it so that it doesn't end up being a ball and chain that he has to drag around. (It's even worse because his father eventually tells him it's okay to let his feelings go once they've done their job. Gee, thanks, Dad! Could you not have pointed that out before the box got too big to even be hauled around by the family car?)

There are a number of grammatical issues in the text, and the illustrations feel really uneven to me. (The first one of his parents kind of took me by surprise. His dad's eyes are simply vertical lines, while his mom's eyes are fully detailed round orbs, complete with eyelashes!) I like the way Max is the only bit of colour for most of the book (his shirt is blue), until the last few pages when more colour creeps in as everyone helps him lighten his load of feelings.

I'm afraid I can't really recommend this one, though. It's supposedly aimed at helping kids deal with their emotions, because emotions can be confusing. Well, this book is confusing. I'm still wondering why Max is the only one who has one of these boxes, why it only holds negative emotions and toys, and why his parents gave it to him without warning him about the consequences of stuffing his negative emotions in a box. That seems like a pretty twisted mind game.

Thank you to NetGalley and Schiffer Kids for providing a digital ARC.

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can't overthink this sweet children's book if you want it to work, because you will end up with some pretty big questions. The main character is Max, a little boy whose parents give him a box that he can put things in. It's magic and grows big enough to hold everything he puts into it, and he starts putting his emotions into it. Then it's too big and heavy to drag around so he misses out on things, which makes him sadder and the box heavier. Finally a boy is kind to him and he gets an idea of drawing a balloon on his box, which makes it colorful and lighter. Others draw happy balloons on it and it eventually rises up and floats away and the world turns colorful.

Yep, there are some really big questions here, like why other kids don't have a box they're lugging around, and why objects go into it and emotions, and why his parents didn't give him any helpful advice about this bizarre box. All that said, kids may enjoy the message of letting our bad feelings go and they may simply enjoy the story. After all, you can't overthink stories like Harold and the Purple Crayon, either.

A section at the end talks about helping children with their emotions, which I appreciated. I'd recommend this as a library read, especially for younger kids.

My rating system:
1 = hated it
2 = it was okay
3 = liked it
4 = really liked it
5 = love it, plan to purchase, and/or would buy it again if it was lost

I read a temporary digital ARC of the book for the purpose of review.

[Ren ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ IsBuriedInBooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Max’s Box written by Brian Wray didn’t quite hit the mark for me. Rather than explaining feelings and how to work through them, I felt that box metaphor and the balloons convoluted precisely the message they were aiming to clarify. The artwork by Shiloh Penfield is cute. I do like the concept and the idea is decent, but the end result didn’t deliver.

Thanks to NetGalley and Schiffer Publishing for the opportunity to read this book. My review is honest and unbiased. #NetGalley #MaxsBox @SchifferPublishing @Schifferbooks

[Stefanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't really buy into the idea that certain emotions are good or bad or positive or negative. These so-called "negative" emotions often lead us to deeper truths about ourselves or situations that we're in. I think the earlier we teach children that it's normal and healthy to feel all our feelings, to sit with them, to ride them out, rather than "letting them go," the better off we are as a society.

This book was a tad confusing (as many have already stated), but I think it could work with the right grownup to help talk through it. I thought the most helpful part was the note about emotions in the back for parents/caregivers.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Max’s Box by Brian Wray, illustrated by Shiloh Penfield. PICTURE BOOK. Schiffer Publishing, 2019. $17. 9780764358043

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

One day Max’s parents give him a little box for him to keep all of his things in. Not just his ball and his truck, but his feelings, too. With each addition the box gets larger – until Max can’t even move. Then one day in the park Max sees a ladybug on his box and draws a string to pretend it is a balloon. Then others ask if they can draw balloons, and the box gets lighter until Max has to untie it and let it go. And his father whispers to him to let those feelings go.

I feel like there is the idea of a great book in here, but this is not that great book. The parents gave Max the box and told him to keep stuff in it – without telling him that he can also take things out of the box and let them go. It feels like the parents were the problem in the first place. I think kids will still like reading about holding onto and letting go of feelings, but it is just an okay treatment of the topic.

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book that I had to read and then think about for a little bit. I liked the illustrations and the fact that they were mostly black, white, and grey. The only exception, in the beginning, Max’s jacket which was blue. As it progressed a few more colors were added to help emphasize parts of the story.

One reason I kept thinking about the story was to work through the fact that Max started by putting material things in the box. His favorite ball, pirate ship, and a stuffed dog. But then when Max fell he put his hurt in the Box. When he was frustrated he put his anger in the Box. I had some trouble working through the material things and emotions being tucked away in the same Box.

But after reading and considering it for a while, I decided on several things.

First, toys might only be demonstrating that the box could grow and toys are simple to toss in. His parents gave no instructions regarding the box so that he could learn by experience. He needed to discover that emotions could be dealt with by tucking them away in the box, too. But by tucking them away, they became burdensome to lug around.

Secondly, is it possible that the box given to him by both parents represented his heart? Toys can be dear to your heart, but there might be a time to move on. Emotions can be held tightly, but some are better released.

Thirdly, according to the publisher’s description, toys only represent easy things to slip in the box and hold on to.

And lastly, don’t attempt to overthink things. If it concerns a child who is listening to the book, ask what they think it means to mix toys and emotions. It can be a wonderful opportunity to think . . . outside the box!

When someone asked Max how he was feeling, he began to look at things differently. And each child who drew on the box brought about a happy feeling, thus lifting the negative from the box.

So, can it be a bit confusing? Yes. I think it can.

But I also think the merits of this book far outweigh any concerns. The story offers a wonderful conversation starter, no matter what the questions.

Added Note
There is helpful information at the back of the book. The guidelines offer some thoughts for adults such as

Research shows that boys are prone to releasing feelings in physical outbursts.
Information is then supplied with ways to help deal with outbursts.

My thanks to Schiffer Press for giving me a copy of this book to review and offer my honest thoughts.

What Concerned Me
As I noted above, I was concerned that Max put both physical things and emotions in the box.

What I Liked Most
This book offers so much. I can see it being used in classrooms or one on one. The discussion topics are unlimited.

more reviews at https://pickagoodbook.com

[Sharon Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Max's Box: Letting Go of Negative Feelings was written by Brian Wray and illustrated by Shiloh Penfield. It is currently scheduled for release on September 28 2019. Max's parents give him a very special gift: a tiny, magical box that will hold everything, from his toys to his feelings. Max learns, however, that feelings can't be put away as easily as toys. Each negative emotion he feels—anger, embarrassment, sadness, loneliness—gets added to the box, which grows and grows. Eventually it is so large that it keeps him from doing what he loves, like riding his bike and climbing trees. With some help from his friends and family, Max is able to turn the box into something beautiful and let it go. A parents' guide explains how well-intentioned adults often encourage children, especially young boys, to ignore and “put away” their feelings instead of learning to fully live with them. This simple but powerful story not only teaches children how to “control” their emotions but discourages suppressing them, the illustrations becoming more colorful and vibrant as Max moves out from his box’s shadow.

Max's Box: Letting Go of Negative Feelings is a book about emotions and how to deal with the negative feelings that can grow and linger if not dealt with. I like that there is a parent's guide, because just reading a story and talking about this subject and reading a book once is not enough. Sometimes we parents need to help children process and express their emotions, including negative ones, so that they can be let go and move on. I thought the image of the box growing larger and getting heavier with each upsetting emotion is very accessible to young children and I think they will be able to recognize how that feels in their own life. I loved the turning point when an act of kindness and some good emotions lead to the release of all the emotional baggage Max had been carrying around. I think the simplicity and subtle colors of the illustrations further the understanding and make the book that much more enjoyable to read.

Max's Box: Letting Go of Negative Feelings is a wonderful book for young children and their caregivers to explore alone and together. I could see it also being useful in schools and day cares to help the youngest students on the path to emotional life skills.

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Using an almost metaphorical example...which isn't one at all... this tale takes a new twist on emotions and how kids can deal with them.

Max gets a box from his parents, one that he can put all sorts of things in. And even better, it grows bigger to fit anything he could possibly want to put inside. Then, he tries something different. When a situations makes him feel bad, he stuffs this emotion into the box. Soon, he stuffs every negative emotion inside, and the box grows bigger and bigger. At one point, the box is so big that he can't take part in any fun things with his friends.

This is a story which should help kids learn how bad it can be to stuff emotions inside and not let them out. The story starts out simple and cute as Max simply puts normal toys into the box. As it slides into a more imaginative direction, it's clear what's happening. And Max always has this growing box in tow. It's a visual young listeners will be able to identify with, and the freeing effect at the end offers inspiration...but not without a little help. While there is a good message at the end, I found it came across a little unclear and had to be explained before the kids got it.

The illustrations are simple and fun to look at. They depict each situation nicely allowing the reality of pulling a huge box along to come across very clearly.

At the end of the book, the authors adds more advice and explanation concerning the problem children and might have with their emotions and how to use this book.

I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed this tale enough to want to leave my honest thoughts. I'm giving it 3.5 stars and rounding up.

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of Max's Box from PIxel Mouse House Books and Brian Wray in exchange for an honest review.

Max is given a box from his parents in which he is told to put anything into it. At first, he tries putting in his toys and with each item, the box grows to accommodate these items. Soon, Max also starts putting his feelings away into this box and the box grows and grows until it is huge and very difficult to carry. With the help and encouragement from a young friend, Max learns to start lightening the load that he is carrying and with some final help from his father, he is finally able to let it all go.

One thing that I've come to appreciate about Brian Wray's books is the way it really tries to tell a story about important emotional and mental health issues for young children. In this one, I was a little concerned and confused by the parent's involvement - why would they give this box to Max that burdens him as he is essentially locking away everything. But from reflecting and reading the author's notes at the end of the story, it is an important reflection on the ways in which adults may try to help and "fix" things for children which are in turn quite harmful. I felt that this is such a great story for both children and adults in reflecting on mental health. I also really appreciated the use of colour in this story as it begins with very limited colours - just the blue in Max's cardigan but as he learns to let go of all that he's been holding on to, we see more colour on the pages. This is a great picture book to engage in important conversations about emotions with children and also a reflective piece for all adults taking care of children.

[Nanny Miss Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a good feeling to see more children's books coming out that help kids cope with their emotions and help parents find ways to start a dialogue. Feelings of anger and sadness can be debilitating for children, and affects their social and even physical development.

In Brian Wray's "Max's Box", when young Max discovers that a box given to him by his parents can actually store his feelings, the box grows larger and heavier with each emotion he inserts. We've seen this metaphor before; even psychologists offer a symbolic box or place for people to "store" things that are emotionally weighing on us. What I like about this story's approach is that it reminds parents to not only encourage this practice, but also to guide their kids into finding a way to let those feelings go. As stated in the book, 'those feelings have done their job'.

Neatly illustrated by the oh-so-talented Shiloh Penfield, "Max's Box" shows kids how helpful it is to share their feelings with people who care about them. A whole community of diverse characters join in to help and witness Max overcome the emotions that were hindering him from making friends and doing fun activities. Even if your little one does well coping with their feelings, "Max's Box" can be useful for kids of all ages dealing with a wide range of emotional challenges. It's a charming, inclusive, and uplifting tale, which are staples of the amazing stories published by Schiffer Kids.

[April Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet story for kids about how to let go of negative emotions. Max has a box that everything goes into, including his emotions. As the box gets larger, it becomes more difficult to deal with, until it becomes overwhelming. When someone asks him how he's feeling, the box becomes a little lighter, and it gives Max an idea- draw balloons on the box, so it won't be so heavy. Soon others are helping Max, each person adding a balloon till Max can finally let it go and it can float away. After the story, there are tips for parents and other caregivers on how to help children cope with difficult emotions. Now, it's likely that adults will overthink some of the story elements- why do toys go into the box when he first gets it? Where are his positive emotions? - but I think kids will get the point. The illustrations are soft and lovely, with very little color at first, but as Max's box gets lighter, the world becomes more colorful, much like life does once you've dealt with what has been weighing you down.

#MaxsBox #NetGalley

[Leah Horton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Max’s box is a wonderful story about a boy named Max who has a box that will fit anything. Any size, any shape, anything. This includes, he finds out, his feelings that make him uncomfortable. Over time the box becomes to big to manage and keeps max in its shadow. Eventually with the help of his friends, family and neighbors Max is able to let it go.

“It’s okay to have all kinds of feelings... but once you feel them, their job is done.”

With the added bonus of tips for parents in the back I found this book fantastic in learning about feelings for children (and adults)

I would absolutely use this as a tool for my kids.

[Neha Thakkar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book on emotions and how they can weigh us down! Max received a Box, he can put toys in it, and as he adds more things, the Box gets bigger. He can even add his anger, embarrassment, sadness, and so much more. I did think the illustrations were a bit odd at first, but I think the overall message supersedes them. A great way to talk about emotions, and I love how the father says: It’s ok to have all kinds of feelings, ... but once you feel them, their job is done. The end pages include Social Emotional Learning resources. Recommended for 5+ #MaxsBox #NetGalley

[Cat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was a bit confused by this story....It starts out as a small box for a young boy to put his toys into, grows larger as more things are added, then it SUDDENLY becomes a place to hide and store his emotions! WHAT??? Concept was good, just wasn't very clear.... I like that idea of letting emotions go, not harboring them and allowing them to fester, but the beginning with toys? Nope. it was just a weird twist..

I received a Kindle arc from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.

[Juliana Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Max's parents gave him a small box to put things in. With everything that Max put into the box, the box grew and became too big to carry. Max put his toys in the box, then he started adding his feelings. His parents gave him a wagon, then a sled, then even the family car to carry his box. Max became very unhappy because he carried all his bad feelings around with him. It wasn't until Max learned how to let go of his box that he learned to be happy.

[Anca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I am amazed by this book! If you want to talk to your children about feelings, about how they should feel their feelings and how it helps to share them, this is a great book to help you with it. Sometimes we stuff our feelings deep down and they become heavy on our shoulders. But once we let ourselves feel them, they go away. Such a valuable lesson for any child! I strongly recommend this book!
Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with an e-book copy in exchange for my honest review!

[Steven McDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose to request Max’s Box as I like to read stories to my grandchildren at bedtime. They both listened intently as Max’s Box grew heavier and heavier until he couldn’t move it. Brilliantly written by Brian Wray, and beautifully illustrated by Shiloh Penfield, I highly recommend Max’s Box.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I understand the message that the author was trying to convey, but I felt like it fell a little short. It just didn't really draw me in.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely children’s book about letting go of our negative feelings and how to feel lighter and move forwards.

[Reading For Sanity · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this review and others at https://www.readingforsanity.com/2020...

[Steff Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

| Reader Fox Blog |


I'm kind of in the middle of the road about Max's Box by Brian Wray and illustrated by Shiloh Penfield. On the one hand, I think there was a lot of merit to the story and the message that it was trying to tell but on the other I just get the sense that it wasn't very well planned out as there are various portions of the concept that just don't quite make sense. And while, at the end of the day, I don't really see a lot of children noticing this at first, it does become rather glaring to anyone older who is reading it. And what really gets me is that I love so much about the idea, but there are pieces to the story that I would definitely change had I been the one to write it.

The book begins with Max's parents giving him a box. They tell him that everything goes into the box and so Max first uses it as a place to put his toys--makes sense--and then soon learns that his emotions also go into the box. With each new addition, the box grows bigger and heavier and more difficult to carry around with him. As I read on, this instance leaves me with a few questions. Why do his toys and his emotions go into the same box? Why is it that the only emotions that seem to go into the box are the negative ones that people tend to bottle? If everything goes into the box, why not the happy emotions?

And I think ultimately I can get on board with this idea that keeping toys from your childhood can drag you down when you get excessively attached to them--been there, done that, kind of moved on but not really--when ultimately we can all realize that the toys aren't actually as important as we make them in our minds. But I don't get why the parents told Max that everything was going to go into the box. And then the question of why they never bothered to explain to him how to deal with the box or noticed that he was lugging it around when they'd given it to him in the first place made the story rather awkward.

I, personally, believe that the story would have been better if they were teaching him about a toy box and how he should put away his toys and then Max went on to believe the same about his emotions and got his own box to put those in that got bigger and bigger and weighed him down. It would have made more sense, in the long run, and the story would have been better overall.

Regardless of all that, I did appreciate the end of the story and the message it sends. I liked the bit at the end discussing emotions a little further and the fact that this story touched base on the idea of bottling one's emotions--which is something I've done for quite a long time and I imagine many children and others do as well. In general, there are some great things about this book and some meh things about it. I don't think I'd buy the book for myself, but it does have its merits.

I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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[CloudOfThoughts_Books Keirstin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Max’s Box by author Brian Wray and illustrator Shiloh Penfield is such a great book for kids! Our daughters loved the story and the message in it is WONDERFUL!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Definitely recommend it!