A review of 11 feelings books for kids. Many kids struggle to manage big feelings and emotions. Social-emotional picture books are a great resource to help kids develop their emotional intelligence.
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11 Best Feelings Books for Kids
I’ve searched for the best resources to help my kids manage different feelings. Ultimately, picture books that teach social-emotional skills have been great self-regulation tools.
The following list contains 11 feelings books for kids. This book list should be in every home or school library because each book teaches social-emotional skills to kids of all ages. Many of these titles can be found for FREE with a Kindle Unlimited subscription.
Specifically, I recommend these for children who identify with the following.
- ADHD,
- Autism,
- Anxiety,
- FASD
- Executive Function Challenges,
- Sensory Processing Issues,
- Highly-Sensitive (a possible Empath),
- Challenges with Social Skills
Additionally, they’re appropriate for young readers, including preschoolers and other young children. I’ve read all of these feelings books (most with my kids), and noted my recommendations for each.
1. The Emotions Book: Louie’s Little Lessons
- Fletcher, Liz (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 28 Pages – 01/04/2021 (Publication Date) – Louie’s Little Lessons (Publisher)
This book of feelings is a simple board book for little kids. It’s the perfect book for toddlers and preschoolers because it teaches feelings and emotions through a simple story.
The Emotions Book follows Louie the Elephant through different situations. One by one, he expresses his feelings of anger, sadness, tension, and calm. Use these emotional regulation printables to support the reading.
Highlights & Suggestions for Reading:
I recommend The Emotions Book for younger children. It supports emotional intelligence by teaching kids feelings-based vocabulary.
- My age recommendation is toddler-age to Kindergarten.
- Very colorful and engaging
This book pairs well with emotional regulation tools like the Zones of Regulation.
2. A Little Spot of Anxiety
- Alber, Diane (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 256 Pages – 07/10/2021 (Publication Date) – Diane Alber Art LLC (Publisher)
A Little Spot of Anxiety is part of a larger series of feelings books for kids. It’s written by Diane Alber.
In this kid’s picture book, the target emotion is anxiety. Albers illustrates the character “Anxiety” as a grey spot.
She opens this book with the grey Anxiety spot next to the green Peaceful spot. Throughout the story, the Peaceful Spot narrates and teaches children about “Anxiety”. Specifically,
- How the spot of anxiety can grow and shrink,
- What feelings are associated with anxiety (worried, nervous, anxious, scared),
- Examples of what may trigger that feeling of anxiety,
- Suggestions to identify the feeling and how to manage it
Additionally, at the end, the author shares mindfulness exercises for deep breathing and anxiety management. For more, check out 47 Emotional Regulation Activities for Kids.
Highlights & Suggestions for Reading:
While this feelings book is written for kids ages 4-8, it’s meant to be read to your child. Emotions are abstract concepts that children aren’t always developmentally ready to understand.
The simple text, emotional illustrations, and storytelling make A Little Spot series a great teaching tool!
3. Inside Out Boxed of Mixed Emotions
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Disney Book Group (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 125 Pages – 05/12/2015 (Publication Date) – Random House/Disney (Publisher)
Inside Out Boxed of Mixed Emotions is based on the Disney film, Inside Out. Additionally, the box set includes five books on five basic feelings.
- Joy
- Sadness
- Anger
- Disgust
- Fear
Highlights & Suggestions for Reading:
The Inside Out set of feelings books is very simplistic.
- I recommend this series for toddlers and preschoolers
- Illustrations are highly engaging
- The Pixar movie has a lot of appeal to young kids.
Note, that this series doesn’t present strategies for managing emotions. However, they’re great for introducing children to feelings, and what they look like in others.
4. The Boy with Big, Big, Feelings
Brittany Winn Lee’s The Boy with Big, Big, Feelings is a book about the experience of an empathic young boy.
- Hardcover Book
- Lee, Britney Winn (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 08/20/2019 (Publication Date) – Beaming Books (Publisher)
In this feelings book, a little boy experiences big feelings that overpower his ability to control them. He feels sadness so deeply that it erupts through his eyes.
The little boy lements the burden he experiences when he feels the big feelings of others. He worries that he’ll be called a wimp and tries to suppress his emotions. One day, however, he meets a little girl who feels as deeply as he does.
In the end, The Boy with Big, Big Feelings normalizes expressing emotions.
Highlights & Suggestions for Reading:
The Boy with Big, Big Feelings is perfect for:
- Any child who feels their emotions deeply
- It rhymes and is illustrated with lighter colors that captivate
- I recommend it as a read-aloud for ages 4-10
5. The Way I Feel
Janan Cain’s book, The Way I Feel, does a great job illustrating many different emotions. Specifically, those feelings are:
- Cain, Janan (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 03/02/2021 (Publication Date) – Parenting Press (Publisher)
- Silly
- Scared
- Disappointed
- Happy
- Angry
Each emotion is discussed within the context of a 2-page spread of bold color and imagery. Even the font used for each emotion is specifically chosen.
Highlights & Suggestions for Reading:
I recommend The Way I Feel for older children who need to develop their emotional awareness.
- It rhymes perfectly.
- Rhyming books are excellent for kids because they create a sense of rhythm.
- Rhythm creates calm and supports emotional regulation as well as language acquisition.
- The illustrations are bold and will appeal to any child who is drawn to bright characters.
RELATED: Parenting an Angry Kid- What You Need to Know!
6. It’s Okay to Not Be Okay
- Hayes, Emily (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 33 Pages – 07/26/2021 (Publication Date) – Independently published (Publisher)
It’s Okay to Not Be Okay focuses primarily on the feeling of sadness. Even more, it shows how important it is to express emotions. This thoughtful picture book teaches kids to take care of their mental health throughout their daily lives.
Not surprisingly, this is one of my favorite feelings books for kids because it gives children permission to honor the entire range of emotions. It teaches children that it’s okay to cry.
Because many of us have been raised in a culture that tells us to “suck it up,” this is a lesson adults can benefit from as well. I love this kid’s book!
Highlights & Suggestions for Reading:
I can’t more highly recommend It’s Ok to Not Be Ok for preschool to upper elementary-aged children.
- The story is written in clever rhymes.
- Pictures are colorful and engaging.
- It’s a very relatable storyline.
- Recommended for ages 3-8
- Normalized sad feelings
- Promotes crying as a healthy self-regulation strategy
Teaches one of the most important life skills. Specifically, it normalizes the emotional ups and downs of life. Additionally, it could be a great tool for young readers who need to feel safe to cry.
7. Harley’s Sensory Processing Disorder (ages 3-8)
- Hayes, Emily (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 35 Pages – 08/16/2021 (Publication Date) – Independently published (Publisher)
Harley’s Sensory Processing Disorder teaches about sensory processing issues. The book shares the story of a young boy named Harley who has sensory challenges. Further, it emphasizes Harley’s sensory sensitivities positively and engagingly.
Highlights & Suggestions for Reading:
I highly recommend Harley’s Sensory Processing Disorder for any child navigating life with sensory challenges.
- It’s entirely in rhyme.
- The pictures are bright and engaging.
- Lots of examples of how sensory processing disorder can display itself.
- I recommend it for ages 4-12
- Depending upon the developmental level
This beautiful book is an excellent resource for kids, parents, grandparents, and teachers. It’s a great conversation starter to help teach children and adults about sensory processing challenges.
Adults Need to Understand Their Own Sensory Needs
In this video, I dive into the sensory systems and sensory processing challenges. Specifically, I explain why parents and educators need to understand their sensory issues to best support kids.
8. My Body Sends a Signal
- Maguire, Natalia (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 81 Pages – 06/17/2020 (Publication Date) – VLB (Publisher)
My Body Sends a Signal is a book that teaches children to recognize physical sensations associated with thoughts and feelings. More importantly, it’s a valuable teaching tool for both children and adults alike.
The author, Natalia Maguire, opens the book with a note to parents to explain the importance of developing emotional-regulation skills. I couldn’t agree with her more.
Although the book is technically listed for ages 2-7, it’s appropriate for kids ages 5-12. There’s a lot of text on each page.
Highlights & Suggestions for Reading:
My Body Sends a Signal is an excellent book for children and adults. One of my favorite things about this picture book is that it helps children connect bodily sensations with complex feelings.
- Ages 5-12
- Especially for children with ADHD and other forms of neurodiversity
- Demonstrates the value of co-regulation with a safe adult
- Shows a variety of situations that provoke emotions and bodily sensations a child may experience.
- Bonus resources and activity suggestions for parents to help kids strengthen social-emotional skills.
Additionally, it models healthy ways for parents to respond to their child’s explosive behaviors. You may consider using this book with activities to teach boundaries.
Examples of Social Skills
9. Empathy is Your Superpower
- Bussolari PsyD, Cori (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 50 Pages – 02/02/2021 (Publication Date) – Callisto Kids (Publisher)
Empathy is Your Superpower is a social-emotional book that helps children develop skills to make new friends. Specifically, it focuses special attention on teaching children to develop the skill of empathy. It gives different strategies to demonstrate empathy towards others in a fun way.
Some examples from this little book.
- A boy notices a child without lunch and shares his.
- One little girl notices another sitting alone on the playground. She asks her to play.
This book is especially important for Autistic children who struggle to understand social cues such as body language and others’ perspectives. On the other hand, many Autistic girls are very empathic. As such, they need to know that this character quality is a gift.
Highlights & Suggestions for Reading:
I highly recommend Empathy is Your Superpower as one of the best children’s books.
- Age recommendation is 4-12,
- Does a great job offering explicit examples of children showing empathy in different ways,
- Great book to help Autistic children and those who struggle with theory of mind (understanding the feelings of others),
- Encouraging resources for the autistic young girl who experiences hyper-empathy,
- Well-illustrated and engaging
10. I Know What to Do When I’m Feeling
I Know What to Do When I’m Feeling is the one book on this list that isn’t just a book. However, we consider it a favorite book in my home, so I had to share it. It’s a small flip-chart type book that helps kids identify their feelings.
- Confident
- Angry
- Bored
- Shy
- Sick
- Tired
I like that it’s a great tool to help kids develop their emotional vocabulary as it uses more nuanced terms. Also, you may want to check out these songs about kindness for kids.
Highlights & Suggestions for Reading:
I Know What to Do When I’m Feeling is spiral-bound and contains brightly colored tabs for each feeling. It’s a kid’s guide to feelings and thoughts, with different strategies to manage those emotions. It includes:
- Description of each feeling,
- Physical sensations that often accompany the emotion,
- Suggestions for what to do to manage that feeling
I Know What to Do is an excellent visual tool to help children and their parents learn about emotional regulation. Also, these free printable emotion faces are a great tool to use with your child.
11. The Good Egg
- Hardcover Book
- John, Jory (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 40 Pages – 02/12/2019 (Publication Date) – HarperCollins (Publisher)
The Good Egg is a clever book meant to help the perfectionist child. It follows the life of the “Good Egg” who’s always trying to make his “egg” friends behave. He spends so much time focusing on the faults of others that he ends up stressed out and unhealthy.
This picture book teaches the following social-emotional skills.
- caring for others
- maintaining one’s healthy boundaries
Broaden your child’s social world with these ideas to Celebrate Differences and Diversity.
Highlights & Suggestions for Reading:
The Good Egg is a great read and is one of the best children’s books in the Bad Seed series.
- Age recommendation is 4-11
- Great option for highly-sensitive children who over-identify with others’ feelings
- Good for “perfectionist” children
- Additionally, it’s a great tool for kids who try to control others and struggle socially
- While not currently part of Kindle Unlimited, this book is available with Amazon Kids.
Feelings and Challenging Behaviors
Children are people with little life experience. As they experience new situations, they respond with different emotions. Without education in emotional intelligence, they don’t know how to regulate their emotions, which can lead to challenging behaviors. For example,
- Explosions
- Tantrums
- Meltdowns
- Tears
- Anxiety
- Shutdowns
- Defiance
- Screaming
If this resonates, be assured that you can help your child better handle their big feelings and emotions.
What is Social-Emotional Learning?
Social-emotional learning is a natural part of child development. Specifically, it refers to a child’s social-emotional development. This process helps kids develop healthy ways to connect with others in friendships and other relationships.
Social-Emotional Skills
Some of these social and emotional skills include:
- Understanding that others have their feelings, thoughts, and experiences
- Showing empathy towards others
- Being aware of how one’s behavior can impact other people
- Mindfulness of their own emotions, feelings, and thoughts
Like all executive functioning skills, social-emotional skills develop over a lifetime. In other words, social-emotional skills are the result of strong executive functioning.
Across the board, neurodivergent kids have delayed executive functioning. Because of this, it’s critical to support them with explicit social-emotional teaching. This trash or kindness game is a great teaching tool to consider.
Recap: Best Feelings Books for Kids
As discussed previously, it’s not uncommon for young children to have trouble managing their own emotions and feelings. Emotional regulation is an executive functioning skill that develops over decades.
Autistic children, children with ADHD, and most “neurotypical” children often need explicit instruction in social-emotional skills.
So, it only makes sense to fill your child’s library with fun feelings books. Using illustrated children’s books is an easy way to lay a strong emotional foundation in your child’s life.
By doing so, you’re equipping your child with tools and strategies to help them develop valuable life skills.
- New friends
- Maintain friendships
- Greater self-confidence
What children’s books are you going to read with your child?
Don’t forget to sign up for Kindle Unlimited! If you’re an ADHD momma like me, you spend way too much in library fines anyway, right?
About the Author:
Lindsay is a trauma-informed educator with a Master’s Degree in Teaching. Her mission is to support moms to equip neurodivergent kids (ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Anxiety) to thrive as exactly who they’ve been created to be. Wait until you hear the story that led to it all…
So many good ones! I’ll have to check these out!