In the nearly wordless I’m Sorry You Got Mad, the main character, Jack, owes his friend Zoe an apology. Throughout the book, Jack scribbles out tepid apologies on ripped notebook paper, his cheeks an angry red and mouth turned into an angry frown. His teacher, Ms. Rice, needs him to write a heartfelt apology, but Jack isn’t sure how to do that: Drafts like “I’M SORRY YOU GOT SO MAD!!!” don’t quite cut it. Besides, he’s still mad that Zoe got so mad!
As the book goes on, each apology letter becomes a bit clearer, a bit closer to the real thing. At one point, even the reader may be tricked into thinking the apology is perfect—but Ms. Rice continues her coaching and asks Jack to try again. And he does. But will Zoe forgive him?
Kyle Lukoff’s I’m Sorry You Got Mad is an incredible conversation starter. The only words involved are those on Jack’s apology note, the notes of encouragement Ms. Rice writes back to help Jack craft a real apology, and Zoe’s eventual response. It’s never clear exactly what happened to cause the hurt feelings or whose fault it is, but that also doesn’t matter. What matters is honoring each other’s feelings and making things right. I’m Sorry You Got Mad goes a long way in teaching children the different ways an apology can sound, the ways it can fall flat, and the ways we can repair and restore beloved friendships. Julie Kwon’s expressive character illustrations will help readers identify the difference between anger, regret and remorse. The classroom and other students in the background of the illustrations also give both children and adults opportunities to pore over several little backstories, imagine what might be happening in them and why, and consider who else in Jack’s class might be due an apology. After all, everyone is going to owe someone an apology at some point. So we might as well learn how to do it right. This instructive book can help anyone who struggles to make amends—kid or grown-up.
