The Color Monster
The Color Monster
Anna Llenas
A child helps a muddled monster untangle his feelings by giving each one a colour and its own jar. A gentle, visual first vocabulary for happiness, sadness, anger, fear and calm.
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6 handpicked books
Big Emotions
Feelings arrive long before the words for them do. These six books give children a vocabulary for anger, sadness, worry and joy — and give grown-ups an easy way in.
In My Heart: A Book of Feelings
Jo Witek
Die-cut hearts and simple metaphors show how feelings live in the body — happiness that bounces, sadness that droops. Lovely for naming sensations before naming emotions.
When Sophie Gets Angry — Really, Really Angry
Molly Bang
Sophie's anger is loud, red and physical, and the book lets her feel it fully before she finds her way back. It reassures children that big anger can pass without anyone shutting it down.
The Way I Feel
Janan Cain
Rhyming couplets and bold, expressive faces introduce thirteen everyday feelings, from frustrated to proud. A reliable read for the moment a child has no word for what is happening.
Grumpy Monkey
Suzanne Lang
Jim Panzee wakes up grumpy and everyone insists he cheer up — until he learns it is fine to let a bad mood move through. Funny enough to defuse a real grump.
Ruby Finds a Worry
Tom Percival
Ruby's worry starts small and grows the moment she ignores it; talking about it shrinks it back. A clear picture of why worries need words.
A note for grown-ups
Name the feeling out loud as you read: “She looks really frustrated there.” Naming settles the body.