Book Review: Jax’s Tail Twitches
(reviewed by Max)

This book review was included in the Novmeber 2018 Meadowcroft Monthly. For an archive of all book reviews, click here.

I’ve lost count of how many books I have read to my children over the last thirteen years. Our collection runs the gamut, from classics like Dr. Seuss to more recent releases like I Wish You More, and while most of them try to hit that combination of “fun and educational,” none have done so as well as our most recent addition, Jax’s Tail Twitches. Written by David Powlison, it’s part of a new series entitled Good News for Little Hearts. Dr. Powlison is the executive director of The Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation (CCEF) and a counselor with over 30 years of experience. He is also the author of numerous books for adults and probably the wisest professor I had while at Westminster Theological Seminary.

Jax’s Tail Twitches is a story meant to teach your children (and you) how to biblically deal with anger, something at which Dr. Powlison is remarkably adept considering that he authored the excellent 2016 book Good and Angry.

Jax’s Tail Twitches is about a squirrel named Jax who lives with his family in an oak tree. One day he, his brother, sister, and parents go out for their annual gathering of acorns for the winter. A series of events leaves each family member angry and needing to reconcile, which they do by the end.

What I find particularly great about the book is just how true to life it is. I expected it to focus solely on Jax and his problem of anger, but instead it shows how anger affects all members of a family, including mom and dad. Powlison’s years of counseling clearly undergird this book. He knows just how subtly anger can enter into a situation, and how easily a person can rationalize an angry response that is, at bottom, sinful rather than righteous. The conflict he depicts is so realistic that even my younger children had no problem understanding what was going on, even though the messiness of relationships is left intact and not simplified.

One of my favorite parts of the book is when all parties acknowledge their sin before God and ask him, and one another, for forgiveness. It is rare to find anyone asking for forgiveness in today’s children’s books. The last few pages offer excellent follow-up points for discussion, and true to his nature, Dr. Powlison brings up very insightful topics that led to deep and engaging discussion between me and my children. For example, he asks, “What are some ways that anger goes wrong?” He lists three, all depicted in the book, such as “When we get angry at something that doesn’t really matter,” “When we want a good thing more than we want God,” and “When we respond to wrong in the wrong way.” The illustrations are rich, colorful, expressive and perfect for the fall season.

If you are looking for an excellent resource for your children, and one that will challenge your own heart, I can’t recommend Jax’s Tail Twitches any more highly.