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Big feelings. Every child has them and must navigate the emotions that bring them on. Learning to cope with emotions is a huge undertaking for little minds. A great way to help your kids recognize and react to their emotions is to introduce them to the complex world of feelings using approachable narratives with visuals created just for kids. We’ve compiled a list of the best 15 children’s books about feelings to help the littles in your life better understand their emotions. 

For more great picture books, check out 2020 Parents’ Choice Subscription Winner,  Elephant Books – The Book Club for Kids .

Feelings vs. Emotions

An important starting point in explaining the topic of feelings to your children is understanding the difference between feelings and emotions. The two words are often used interchangeably, and though they are closely correlated, they are not the same.

Emotions are involuntary responses that our bodies produce in situations or during events. Most often, emotions occur unconsciously, and psychologists have identified six key emotions that result from biochemical reactions in our brains. These six emotions are happiness, sadness, fear, disgust, anger, and surprise. Feelings are associations your mind makes to assign meaning to any given emotional experience. They are often long-lasting and can be more easily hidden than emotions. Keep reading to learn more about both emotions and feelings.

Picture Books about Big Feelings

The Boy with Big, Big Feelings

Britney Winn Lee
More Information: Google Books | Amazon
This little boy has feelings so big, they impact everything about him, from his cheeks to his eyes, to the heart beating in his chest. Normally, the little boy tries to ” stuff his feelings deep down” because he fears what others might think. When he meets a new friend, however, he learns that sharing his big feelings is a great way to grow, learn, and feel less alone.

We love this picture book about feelings because it encourages young ones to share their experiences and express their emotions through language. Teaching little boys that it is normal to share instead of bottling up what’s inside, The Boy with Big, Big Feelings breaks through the cultural barriers to encourage boys to openly express themselves. Originally a poem, lyrical text by Lee is complemented by colorful illustrations. This read is perfect for family story time, with engaging text and an inspirational message.

My Heart

Corinna Luyken
More Information: Google Books | Amazon
Exploring love, kindness, empathy, and sadness, My Heart is a lyrical tale of the resiliency of human hearts. This open-ended story follows a young girl experiencing all different emotions and contemplating how they weigh on her heart. The lines “My heart is a window. My heart is a slide. My heart can be closed…or opened up wide,” recount the various states little ones can find their hearts in when dealing with tough and joyful situations and life events. 

My Heart is a captivating children’s narrative that introduces the complexity of emotions through simple word and image. Beautiful rhymed writing dives into the impact of big feelings on little hearts. The metaphorical approach to understanding emotion is a great way to encourage readers to receive their emotions with open minds. Two-toned illustrations express Corinna Luyken’s message of acceptance and the beauty of hearts as they journey through life.

Listening to My Body

Gabi Garcia
More Information: Google Books | Amazon
Listening to My Body: A Guide to Helping Kids Understand the Connection Between Their Sensations (What the Heck Are Those?) and Feelings So They Can Get Better At Figuring Out What They Need is, just as its descriptive title suggests, a child’s introductory guide to the practice of listening to their body. This book is a helpful and practical read for all little ones to help them understand how their emotions impact how they are feeling, both physically and mentally. Teaching them to recognize wiggles, squirms, rest, stillness, anger, and many more expressions of their emotions, this story helps young readers put a name to what they are feeling.

Listening to My Body provides a great hands-on approach to learning and understanding feelings. Featuring several mindfulness activities,  Listening to My Body is a great resource for educators, parents, and kids. It introduces opportunities to explore different feelings and descriptors that allow children to self-regulate and grasp their own experiences. The option for children to not only read about feelings, but practice how they might respond creates a special reading experience.

Life

Cynthia Rylant
More Information: Google Books | Amazon
Exploring life through the lens of the world’s animals, Life follows the ups and downs of day to day. There are so many feelings that accompany the joyful and challenging experiences of our lives. “Life begins small, then grows…” Simple, declarative text and colorful and illuminating illustrations span the pages of this book to teach its readers all about the variety of life. 

Though Life is not outwardly a narrative about coping with emotions, this book is a must-read for all children with big questions about how to understand their little worlds. Perfect for any child who is or has dealt with a transition or big life event, the narrative encourages them to calmly reflect on their circumstance and embrace the ebbs and flows of the world. Simple text and illustrative images help young readers easily digest the complexity of the stages of life and the feelings they might inspire. 

What Am I Feeling?

Dr. Josh Straub and Christi Straub
More Information: Google Books | Amazon
During show-and-tell day at school, Sam and his friends are struggling with many emotions that impact them in big and different ways. Sam feels a flippy feeling in his tummy, Alex stomps his feet, and Hudson is grinning ear to ear. What motivates these reactions? Sam and his classmates learn what brings on big feelings, and at the end of the day, he learns that “feelings are just feelings—they are not in charge of you!” 

This book is a great read for preschoolers and other school-aged children as they learn to cope with emotions and the big feelings they can bring about. What Am I Feeling offers a toolkit for little readers to learn not only how to identify their feelings, but how to empathize with the feelings of others and encourage them. This story will make a wonderful addition to any bookshelf. 

Picture Books About Feeling Hurt

Crying is Like the Rain 

Heather Feinberg
More Information: Google Books | Amazon
A little boy is sad and overwhelmed at the thought of the first day of school. He is teary-eyed and uncertain about what is to come. With the encouragement of his older sister, he soon learns that his tears are normal, and that they will soon pass for brighter thoughts to take their place. “We can learn to express and share our feelings in ways that are safe for everyone. And then we can look inside for our very own rainbow. Crying is like the rain,” the story reads. 

A soothing narrative, the text of this book is an encouragement for little ones to help them adapt to feelings of hurt and confusion. Mindfulness and feelings are tricky to navigate, but Crying is Like the Rain illustrates a productive mindset for little minds feeling lost and afraid.

The Rough Patch

Brian Lies
More Information: Google Books | Amazon
Evan the fox and his dog spend all their time together. They work in a beautifully maintained garden, and they love sharing ice cream. When Evan’s dog suddenly dies, he is left feeling empty and overcome with grief. He neglects his garden and weeds begin to grow in the place of his once-flourishing and prized space. As he navigates the process of grieving his best friend, he notices the growth of one particular weed in his garden—a pumpkin—which takes him on a journey of renewal and understanding in the wake of great loss. 

This book is a touching narrative, chronicling the experience of loss. A meaningful read for little ones, it can help children understand the weight of grief and the pain of losing someone dear to you. Complete with a message of growth and finding hope in the midst of emotional pain, The Rough Patch is a moving story for families. 

After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again) 

Dan Santat
More Information: Google Books | Amazon
Humpty Dumpty is famous for falling off the wall, but what happened after the fall? In this reimagined epilogue to the classic nursery rhyme, Humpty Dumpty lives in fear of the incident that left him in pieces. He eventually learns to venture to the scariest high-up place in order to face his fears. 

This lighthearted read is a humorous take on the the nursery rhyme that many children will be familiar with. Lovely illustrations and fun text make this children’s book a memorable read. The story teaches kids that feeling afraid after being hurt is normal, but that we can overcome hardships with effort and a good outlook. We love the tale’s uplifting ending, which encourages children to persevere and face their feelings with a positive attitude.

Emily’s Blue Period

Cathleen Daly
More Information: Google Books | Amazon
Emily is an aspiring artist. She loves to paint and is particularly inspired by the works of Pablo Picasso, famous in part for his memorable “blue period,” during which he was feeling down and inspired to paint exclusively in blue. In the wake of her parent’s divorce, Emily undergoes her very own blue period. In this time of sadness, she navigates the hurt of separation and confusion of loss. Ultimately, she grows as an artist as she experiences sorrow, and she faces the trying task of holding her two homes together. 

Emily’s Blue Period is a moving children’s book which insightfully tackles the isolating experience of living in two homes. Emily’s character is a wonderful example of a child living through hurt and navigating the grief and loss of divorce. Her mindful expression of sadness through art, which she draws from her role model, Picasso, is a touching example of how sadness, joy, and creativity coincide.

Poor Little Rabbit!

Jörg Mühle
More Information: Google Books | Amazon
Oh no! Little Rabbit has hurt himself, and he is crying! This interactive picture book provides the opportunity to comfort the little bunny. Sing him a lullaby, put on band-aid on his cut, and give him a hug. 

This sweet story is an innovative and hands-on read for a young audience. We love Poor Little Rabbit! because it teaches readers how to care for others who have hurt, and helps build empathy skills in kids. Plus, the little rabbit’s resilient attitude teaches an important lesson about being brave after a scary event.

Picture Books About Feeling Angry

When I Feel Angry

Cornelia Maude Spelman
More Information: Google Books | Amazon
As a little bunny goes about her day, she experiences plenty of little things that make her angry. While narrating these situations, she learns that there are many different ways to react to the stressors in her life. “Take deep breaths and blow the air out hard to send the anger out,” she tells herself.

This is a great children’s book to teach kids how to cope with feelings of anger. We appreciate the introductory note Cornelia Maude Spelman writes to parents, which guides them through using the book to teach their children healthy ways to express anger without harming others. The story is also a favorite because it not only features a charming story with an endearing protagonist, but also provides several simple and practical strategies that kids can use to cope with anger outside of the narrative. The book is a useful and memorable teaching tool that families can use to help better understand and healthily cope with their emotions. 

When Sophie Gets Angry—Really, Really Angry…

Molly Bang
More Information: Google Books | Amazon
Sophie is a little girl with a big lesson to learn: it is okay to be angry! Everyone gets angry sometimes. Though anger can be upsetting, it helps to see that people do all different kinds of things to deal with frustration. What does Sophie do? Well, first, she explodes! Then, she runs outside, climbs a big tree, and looks out at the big world.

This is a delightfully illustrated children’s book about coping with anger. Bright colors and bold lines encapsulate the intense emotions Sophie is feeling. The overarching message teaches little ones how to handle overwhelming feelings of anger in an appropriate way.

A Little Spot of Anger

Diane Alber
More Information: Google Books | Amazon
It can be difficult to deal with big emotions, especially anger! Children face frustrating scenarios daily, it’s someone taking their toy or feeing like they can’t do something. This story shows them that instead of yelling or stomping their feet, they can practice some fun ways to help them stay calm. By associating emotions with something a child can visual (bright red spot), they are able to see when a small feeling of frustration can easily turn into a big angry emotion. They will realize they can manage their spots of emotions with fun counting and breathing techniques by watching an angry spot start to shrink down.

This is a wonderful book to help kids effectively manage their anger. Each page introduces a serious of steps that can help them take the big, red spot of anger in their life and make it smaller. The bright colors and clever story will keep kids captivated and teach an important lesson about coping with anger. 

Anna Dewdney
More Information: Google Books | Amazon
Follow this grumpy llama on a trip to the grocery store. This sassy little guy is triggered by anything and everything in the aisles, from the music in the store to the smells he encounters as he and his mother walk along. He erupts into a tantrum that only Mama Llama can calm him down from. 

We love this book because it teaches kids that it’s okay not to like something, but it’s not okay to be disrespectful. Little ones all get grumpy from time to time, but Llama Llama Mad at Mama provides a lesson about finding fun in the most unlikely spots and exchanging angry feelings for happy ones.

Matthew Burgess
More Information: Google Books | Amazon
Some days we face terrible, annoying, awful, and— most of all—  unbudgeable curmudgeons! How do you get rid of an unbudgeable curmudgeon? Well, there are plenty of tactics to try. Kids will learn how to diffuse frustration, make a great day, and budge their own curmudgeons in this playful story. 

The whimsical illustrations in this story, depicting a big bad curmudgeon, create an imaginative narrative that will help your littles sort through their frustrated feelings. A great reminder that we all get stuck in grumpy moods, this book provides helpful tips for moving beyond a rut. The silly and creative rhymes in this story will create a memorable read-aloud experience  that can help your child understand their complex feelings in a fun way.

Looking for great book ideas for babies, toddlers, and young kids? Check out Elephant Books to learn more about the gift everyone feels good about!