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The Mean Bean: A Children's Book About Anger, Jealousy, and Bullying
Mean beans are pretty rare.
Most beans, especially in the town of Beansville, are warm, tender, and kind. But Little Lyla wasn’t.
Lyla’s angry emotions would often boil over! At home, Lyla picked on her little sister.
Then she’d misbehave at school and snap at her classmates.
But, why? Could Lyla be jealous?
When Lyla finally asks her mom a tough question, she gets a lesson in the abundance of love.
In The Mean Bean, children learn it’s okay to ask questions and share their big feelings when another child joins the family. Talking and sharing are the best ways to sort things out!
A simple yet powerful read for children ages 3 to 8
Most beans, especially in the town of Beansville, are warm, tender, and kind. But Little Lyla wasn’t.
Lyla’s angry emotions would often boil over! At home, Lyla picked on her little sister.
Then she’d misbehave at school and snap at her classmates.
But, why? Could Lyla be jealous?
When Lyla finally asks her mom a tough question, she gets a lesson in the abundance of love.
In The Mean Bean, children learn it’s okay to ask questions and share their big feelings when another child joins the family. Talking and sharing are the best ways to sort things out!
A simple yet powerful read for children ages 3 to 8
29 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 16, 2021
721 people are currently reading
212 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
February 2, 2023
I like this story about feeling jealous.
This is a short example to teach kids about being mean and what that does to other people, including making them feel about the person who’s acting mean. I would read more books like this as it has a short intro into feelings and consequences.
This is a short example to teach kids about being mean and what that does to other people, including making them feel about the person who’s acting mean. I would read more books like this as it has a short intro into feelings and consequences.
November 24, 2024
This is a good book for managing anger
Love the illustrations and the story. Great story for kids learning to deal with emotions. This is for Leland- mean bean
Love the illustrations and the story. Great story for kids learning to deal with emotions. This is for Leland- mean bean
September 20, 2022
Cute story that my 4 year old loved
This helped my 4 year old to understand that you can love more than one child and that there's no reason to be jealous. Great story if you need help explaining it you have 2 kids
This helped my 4 year old to understand that you can love more than one child and that there's no reason to be jealous. Great story if you need help explaining it you have 2 kids
December 16, 2022
not so good
I looked at the cover it didn’t look so cool to read and it is a really fast book it needs more pages right but I kinda liked when she held her sister it was nice but that’s all
I looked at the cover it didn’t look so cool to read and it is a really fast book it needs more pages right but I kinda liked when she held her sister it was nice but that’s all
December 30, 2021
It's about a bean that turns mean because she doesn't think her parents love her anymore.
April 23, 2022
l love the mean bean
It helps me to know if I am mad it isn’t abad thing and I can always apologize! My favorite bean is the mean bean!
It helps me to know if I am mad it isn’t abad thing and I can always apologize! My favorite bean is the mean bean!
September 12, 2022
It's nice and covers sibling rivalry and the hard emotions of that well. Bottom line, if a child is angry, there's always a reason behind it. It's best to figure that out before much damage is done.
September 20, 2022
cute little read shows that you can always apologize if you feel as if you were in the wrong for your actions. great pick up also I love this series!!!
November 30, 2024
The Mean Bean tackles significant themes of anger, jealousy, and bullying through the journey of a bean who learns valuable lessons about emotions and relationships. The story is well-intentioned, aiming to teach children the importance of kindness and self-awareness.
The narrative is simple and easy to follow, making it accessible for young readers. However, it felt slightly predictable, with a resolution that, while heartwarming, could have used a bit more depth to resonate strongly with its target audience.
The illustrations by Nejla Shojaie complement the story adequately, though they didn’t particularly stand out. While colorful and lively, they lack a unique flair that might have elevated the book visually.
Overall, The Mean Bean delivers its message effectively but doesn’t quite shine in execution. It’s a good option for initiating discussions about feelings and behavior, but it might not leave a lasting impression.
The narrative is simple and easy to follow, making it accessible for young readers. However, it felt slightly predictable, with a resolution that, while heartwarming, could have used a bit more depth to resonate strongly with its target audience.
The illustrations by Nejla Shojaie complement the story adequately, though they didn’t particularly stand out. While colorful and lively, they lack a unique flair that might have elevated the book visually.
Overall, The Mean Bean delivers its message effectively but doesn’t quite shine in execution. It’s a good option for initiating discussions about feelings and behavior, but it might not leave a lasting impression.
June 28, 2023
Title- The Mean Bean
Author- Sonica Ellis
Illustration- Nejla Shojaie
Genre- Children's Picture Book
Book Availability- Ebook & Paperback
Rating- 5 stars
Thoughts-
Do you ever wonder why some children's behavior is questionable? Luckily there's a children's book called The Mean Bean, written by Sonica Elllis and illustrated by Nejla Shojaie. A book demonstrating a cause and effect that may occur in some families. It also teaches parents and educators what to look for when faced with children with a more colorful behavior than others. Remember, children aren't born mean. Those children just need their own special time to feel loved and wanted, while it may be true they ranked oldest as a sibling. Five stars for creativity and the mental health awareness in children.
Author- Sonica Ellis
Illustration- Nejla Shojaie
Genre- Children's Picture Book
Book Availability- Ebook & Paperback
Rating- 5 stars
Thoughts-
Do you ever wonder why some children's behavior is questionable? Luckily there's a children's book called The Mean Bean, written by Sonica Elllis and illustrated by Nejla Shojaie. A book demonstrating a cause and effect that may occur in some families. It also teaches parents and educators what to look for when faced with children with a more colorful behavior than others. Remember, children aren't born mean. Those children just need their own special time to feel loved and wanted, while it may be true they ranked oldest as a sibling. Five stars for creativity and the mental health awareness in children.
September 20, 2023
Keywords: Family, Anger, Kindness, Emotions
Summary: Lyla is a bean who struggles with her anger and how she mistreats her classmates and sister. Throughout the book, the readers see how Lyla is mean to everyone around her and find out what the root of her anger is. This was a cute book based on emotions of a younger bean who is learning how to control her anger. I enjoyed the light-hearted humor and conflict resolution of the storyline.
Prompt: A literary element that was shown throughout the book was the conflict. The conflict of Lyla being mean to her classmates and family shows that she was struggling with being nice and has to find a way to resolve it and be nice to everyone around her. Conflict was resolved by finding what was making Lyla a mean bean and how she can start being nice.
Summary: Lyla is a bean who struggles with her anger and how she mistreats her classmates and sister. Throughout the book, the readers see how Lyla is mean to everyone around her and find out what the root of her anger is. This was a cute book based on emotions of a younger bean who is learning how to control her anger. I enjoyed the light-hearted humor and conflict resolution of the storyline.
Prompt: A literary element that was shown throughout the book was the conflict. The conflict of Lyla being mean to her classmates and family shows that she was struggling with being nice and has to find a way to resolve it and be nice to everyone around her. Conflict was resolved by finding what was making Lyla a mean bean and how she can start being nice.
December 12, 2023
7 year old approved
This book was selected by my daughter as we browsed Kindle Unlimited on iPad. I think she liked the title. She was able to easily read the book independently and seemed to enjoy the images and story.
Heres a review directly from a 7 year old (SPOILER ALERT):
“The bean was always mean because she was jealous of her little sister getting all the attention. She talked to her mom and felt better, then she started being a sweet, nice bean. I would recommend this book because it’s a good life lesson.”
This book was selected by my daughter as we browsed Kindle Unlimited on iPad. I think she liked the title. She was able to easily read the book independently and seemed to enjoy the images and story.
Heres a review directly from a 7 year old (SPOILER ALERT):
“The bean was always mean because she was jealous of her little sister getting all the attention. She talked to her mom and felt better, then she started being a sweet, nice bean. I would recommend this book because it’s a good life lesson.”
March 8, 2024
Glad I previewed this as I'm looking for picture books that discuss jealousy. I think this would work for others, but not for the kiddo I have in mind. Not terrible, but I think it's for a specific type of jealousy, the jealousy between siblings and besides parental attention the main character isn't specifically jealous of something. I liked the mom talking the to daughter about loving more than one person and the end has a good message about how it's okay to be angry and great examples of ways to cope with anger.
October 8, 2023
Great Way to Explain Emotions and Feelings
Lyla is a mean bean, she’s mean to every bean in Beansville, including her baby sister. Lyla’s mom explains that you can love family members equally and not necessarily have favorites, hearing this changes Lyla’s attitude 110%. This is a great story for younger kiddos to let them know they’re not alone with how they feel and nobody has a favorite child. It was the sweetest read, my twins loved it!
Lyla is a mean bean, she’s mean to every bean in Beansville, including her baby sister. Lyla’s mom explains that you can love family members equally and not necessarily have favorites, hearing this changes Lyla’s attitude 110%. This is a great story for younger kiddos to let them know they’re not alone with how they feel and nobody has a favorite child. It was the sweetest read, my twins loved it!
November 24, 2024
A cute and engaging story illustrating the cause of some really big feelings children may experience when they gain siblings. Not having the vocabulary to express what they are going through, sometimes causes children to act out in unpleasant ways.
This story finds Lyla Bean doing just that at home and school!
Will she be able to change her behavior and become a good bean?
This book has questions and practical suggestions to help manage feelings at the end of the story.
This story finds Lyla Bean doing just that at home and school!
Will she be able to change her behavior and become a good bean?
This book has questions and practical suggestions to help manage feelings at the end of the story.
February 9, 2023
CUTE STORE WITH GREAT QUESTIONS AT THE END!
Very cute story about teaching kids about anger! And has the best questions at the end to get engaged in a conversation with your littles! Highly recommend!
Very cute story about teaching kids about anger! And has the best questions at the end to get engaged in a conversation with your littles! Highly recommend!
March 20, 2023
✨✨✨✨✨ Good Book
My daughter is the youngest of four siblings. She feels like she gets treated differently because she is so much younger than the older three. She really liked this book.
My daughter is the youngest of four siblings. She feels like she gets treated differently because she is so much younger than the older three. She really liked this book.
June 10, 2023
This is an important book for kids to learn about emotions and empathy. It teaches them about managing their anger, dealing with jealousy, and standing up against bullying. The story is engaging, and the illustrations help kids understand the lessons.
September 14, 2024
Cute story! Good message!
Enjoyed the story with my daughter who can be a bit of a hot head herself lol it’s wasn’t too long where she loses attention either which was nice. Look forward to reading more of this series!
Enjoyed the story with my daughter who can be a bit of a hot head herself lol it’s wasn’t too long where she loses attention either which was nice. Look forward to reading more of this series!
January 8, 2026
The Mean Bean is a playful yet meaningful children’s story that tackles big emotions like anger, jealousy, and bullying in an age-appropriate way. With humor and heart, it helps young readers understand their feelings and choose kindness instead
September 27, 2022
dealing with feelings in an entertaining way
Using darling bean children makes this message entertaining and tolerable. Well written. Hope so see more of these ‘beanies’ in action.
Using darling bean children makes this message entertaining and tolerable. Well written. Hope so see more of these ‘beanies’ in action.
September 28, 2022
Good for learning about how to apologize
I like the funny pictures. It was cute. Hmmm I like how they put the story together. Good book. Thanks!
I like the funny pictures. It was cute. Hmmm I like how they put the story together. Good book. Thanks!
March 28, 2023
Nice story
What a great story for kids to learn how to work on their anger and understand it. Can't wait to read more about emotions with my son.
What a great story for kids to learn how to work on their anger and understand it. Can't wait to read more about emotions with my son.
May 2, 2023
very good
I am seven and I think it’s really good. It’s fun to read and I really really really like it.
I am seven and I think it’s really good. It’s fun to read and I really really really like it.
September 10, 2023
A good teaching tool for children that struggle with anger and jealousy.
September 4, 2024
Will read again
My 7yr old son said he would read this again. He has a little sister and he has shared the same feelings as the main character.
My 7yr old son said he would read this again. He has a little sister and he has shared the same feelings as the main character.
October 3, 2024
Perfectttt
Perfect book would recommend if you wantnto.learn about how mean beans are and how they can become nice. Good book.
Perfect book would recommend if you wantnto.learn about how mean beans are and how they can become nice. Good book.
October 23, 2024
Excellent children’s book that touches on feelings.
October 28, 2024
you can love equally
I think that this story has some very important information about being mean. You shouldn’t take it out on other people
I think that this story has some very important information about being mean. You shouldn’t take it out on other people
November 1, 2024
This was a good books that held my daughter attention from the beginning to the end I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews