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Ollie can't fly. He's furious about it.

The Angry Ostrich is a picture book about the best way to solve a problem, which turns out to be the thing Ollie least wants to do: ask for help.

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Cover of The Angry Ostrich: a scowling ostrich looks up at a flock of birds flying past the sun.

Look inside

Bluebirds can fly. Eagles can fly. Even chickens can sort of fly. So what's Ollie's excuse?

Ollie the ostrich could not fly. He flaps his wings and asks, why can't I fly?
Bluebirds can fly. Eagles can fly. Even chickens can sort of fly. Why can't I?
Ollie tried to hide from his problem. Maybe if I put my head in the sand it will go away.
Ollie's head comes up in a gopher's burrow. The gopher shouts, can I help you?
Gopher yelled so loud, the other birds began to gather around and ask why Ollie isn't flying.
I don't care. I don't want to fly, Ollie says as the other birds fly off.
They all thought he flew. A bird asks Ollie to carry their bags since he is so big and strong.
On the bus ride home Ollie started to get angry. The Grey Stork bus rolls over a hill.
I felt so sad for Ollie. He crumples under a small rain cloud.
But birds can be pretty smart when they start working together. Small birds gather around Ollie.

The psychology in the story

Four ways to handle a problem. One got Ollie off the ground.

  1. Ollie with his head buried in the sand.

    Avoidant

    Hide from the problem and hope it leaves.

  2. On the bus ride home Ollie started to get angry. They all think I'm slow, but they don't even know.

    Competitive

    Get angry and make it you against them.

  3. Ollie turning away from the other birds, saying I don't care.

    Accommodative

    Say “I don't care” and go along with it.

  4. The birds gathering around Ollie to work together.

    Collaborative

    Say what's wrong and solve it together.

Psychology research holds secrets for living a happy life. Most of them are stuck in scientific journals.

So we put them in picture books, where kids can get at them. Every Psyched Book takes one finding about how people grow and turns it into a story worth reading twice.

Why we do this

Run a bookstore or gift shop?

Wholesale terms, the ISBN, and a preview you can flip through before you decide.

For booksellers →

Reading this with kids?

Questions to ask at bedtime or in the classroom once Ollie's story is done.

Talk about it →

Early cover of That Gopher's Got Grit: a small gopher looks up a steep slope at a big black shape.

Coming soon

That Gopher's Got Grit

Next up: Gopher gets a book of their own. A story about growth mindset.