MY FEELINGS AND ME

Emotions and all they entail are fully explored in this German import.

The range of emotions is as wide as the human experience, and adults sometimes forget how overwhelming that can be for little ones just getting a handle on things. This picture books helps start a dialogue between little readers and their caregivers about all the feelings a person can experience. The expressive and dynamic illustrations capture sadness, love, fear, and more in easily accessible ways, placing an angry child against a jagged red backdrop, depicting a frightened child with eyes bugged out and hair standing straight on end. The text addresses the impacts emotions can leave, such as the anxiety that others won’t like you anymore after a tantrum or how great it feels for someone to hold your hand when you’re afraid. The book also goes the extra mile by showing how our interpretations of other people’s emotions can improve our relationships with them. The illustrations and text don’t color any of the emotions as “good” or “bad,” letting little readers examine everything on an even playing field. The book is a bit text-heavy, making this a better fit for older preschoolers and early-elementary-age children; the cast is an all-white one.

An effective and engaging text.