By Bailey Keimig-Gehrke, Youth Services
Children’s minds and bodies are still developing, so it’s often difficult for them to understand what they’re feeling or express their emotions (hence, tantrums). Luckily, this is yet another moment where sharing books with children can really help. Picture books about feelings are an effective way to provide children with relatable examples and vocabulary they need to help identify their own emotions and understand why they’re feeling a certain way. The following titles are perfect for exploring emotions with the little ones in your life.
âWho I Am: Words I Tell Myselfâ by Susan Verde & Peter H. Reynolds
This is the latest installment of the uplifting âI Amâ series from Verde and Reynolds. This book gives readers permission to feel their feelings and emphasizes that negative emotions are not permanent. It starts off with an empowering note to the adult readers who are sharing this story with little ones. The note underscores the importance of building up a positive inner voice to combat moments of negativity. And the story that follows is chock full of positive affirmations to help readers of all ages combat thoughts of âI canât,â âIâm not good enough,â or âIâm going to feel like this forever.â The whimsical illustrations help bring these words to life and turn this book into a beam of sunshine that readers will want to return to again and again.
âOut of a Jarâ by Deborah Marcero
Llewellyn is a little rabbit who does not like big emotions. Fear, sadness, anger, and even excitement are just too much for him. So he decides to start stuffing his emotions into a jar so they canât cause anymore trouble. The problem is, as Llewellyn bottles up feeling after feeling, he ends up feeling⌠nothing. Is feeling nothing better than feeling too much?
This story is ideal for demonstrating how to navigate emotions. Re-reading it will give you and your little ones an opportunity to brainstorm different ways Llewellyn could have handled his big feelings instead of bottling them up. You’ll also enjoy the gorgeous, color-saturated illustrations in this book, which make Llewellyn and his emotions pop right off the page.
âMe & My Fearâ by Francesca Sanna
This heartfelt story focuses on one big emotion: fear. The little girl at the heart of this story has a secret, a tiny friend she calls Fear. Fear is personified as an imaginary friend that is white, blob-like, and adorable. Fear was always very small, even as it accompanied the little girl in exploring and trying new things. But when the little girl and her family move to a new country, Fear grows bigger and bigger. In fact, Fear becomes so large that it prevents the girl from exploring her new neighborhood, making friends, and even sleeping. The little girl is frustrated with Fear, even as Fear insists it is keeping her safe. But when a kind boy at school reaches out, the little girl learns to look past her fear and makes a big discoveryâshe is not the only one whose Fear follows her around! This touching story and its lovely illustrations show readers that while everyone feels scared sometimes, nobody needs to feel scared alone.
For more stories that encourage readers to explore their feelings, try these picture books:
