Review:
The Quarreling Book by Charlotte Zolotow was written in 1963 and is based on the domino effect of anger within a family. The pattern begins with the father having a bad day and brushing off the mother, which in turn results in a turn of her attitude. This attitude plays out negatively when she takes it out on one of the children by snapping at him. Upset by the treatment from his mother, the pattern continues when the child mistreats one of his siblings, who then becomes upset and takes it out on someone else. The domino effect continues until the anger reaches the dog, who believes that he is being played with and begins a reversal of the anger within each family member.

The story is a classic example of displacing anger as a defense mechanism and how it can impact others. This book can be used with individuals or families, especially those with presenting issues of anger, miscommunication/communication troubles, or lack of positive interaction with others. After having client read the book or having read the book with clients, counselors can ask each party involved if they’ve ever felt like or been similar to any character in the book. In an individual session, client would describe that moment and the feelings they were having. A family session would involve a similar task but might also include family members identifying the other party represented in the book’s example and processing together. Individual or group processing allows clients to understand the impacts of their behaviors on other people.