Books about feelings are important to read to your preschooler at an early age. As preschoolers begin to navigate the world around them, they encounter a range of emotions that they may struggle to understand or communicate. Reading books about feelings is an excellent way to help preschoolers identify and understand their emotions, as well as develop empathy towards others. In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the best books about feelings for preschoolers, and why they’re such valuable tools for emotional development.
Why is it important to read books about feelings to preschoolers?
Reading books about feelings to preschoolers is important for several reasons. Here are a few key reasons:
- Helps preschoolers identify and understand their emotions: Young children often experience a range of emotions but may not have the vocabulary or understanding to express them effectively. Reading books about feelings provide a framework for preschoolers to identify and understand their emotions, helping them develop a more nuanced emotional vocabulary.
- Develops empathy and understanding: By reading books about feelings, preschoolers can develop empathy towards others and learn to understand and respect different emotions. This can help them build strong relationships with their peers and caregivers, and navigate social situations more effectively.
- Encourages emotional regulation: Understanding emotions and learning how to express them in a healthy way is a critical aspect of emotional regulation. Reading books about feelings can help preschoolers learn coping strategies and develop emotional resilience, which can be valuable skills as they grow and face more complex emotional challenges.
- Fosters a love for reading: Reading books about feelings can be a fun and engaging way to introduce preschoolers to the world of reading. These books are often brightly illustrated and feature relatable characters and situations, making them enjoyable for young children to read and engage with.
Reading books about feelings with preschoolers is a great way to help them understand and navigate their emotions. These books use simple language and engaging illustrations to teach children that all feelings are normal and okay to have, and provide strategies for managing and expressing their emotions in a healthy way. By reading these books with your preschooler, you can help them develop emotional intelligence and build the skills they need to navigate the world around them.
The Feelings Book by Todd Parr
The Feelings Book by Todd Parr is a classic book about feelings in the world of children’s books. It is a colorful and engaging book that explores a wide range of emotions. From happy and sad to angry and scared, The Feelings Book helps children understand that all feelings are normal and okay to have. The book uses simple language and fun illustrations to help preschoolers identify and express their emotions.
Reasons why we Love The Feelings Book:
- Easy to understand: Simple language and colorful illustrations make it easy for preschoolers to understand and relate to.
- Encourages self-expression: Helps children identify and express their emotions, developing emotional intelligence and communication skills.
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Positive and uplifting: Reinforces the idea that all emotions are normal and important, helping children feel confident and empowered in their emotions.
When Sophie Gets Angry - Really, Really Angry by Molly Bang
When Sophie Gets Angry – Really, Really Angry is a great book about feelings for preschoolers who struggle with managing their anger. The book tells the story of a little girl named Sophie who becomes very angry when her sister takes away her toy. The book explores the different physical sensations that come with anger and teaches children how to calm down and manage their emotions.
Reasons why we Love When Sophie Gets Angry – Really, Really Angry
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Teaches emotional regulation: The book teaches preschoolers how to cope with feelings of anger and frustration in a healthy way, through techniques like deep breathing and taking space.
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Promotes empathy: The book promotes empathy by helping children understand how their actions and emotions can affect others, and how to be mindful of other people’s feelings.
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Beautiful illustrations: The book features beautiful and expressive illustrations that bring the story to life, and can help children connect with the characters and the emotions they are experiencing.
Glad Monster, Sad Monster by Ed Emberley and Anne Miranda
Glad Monster, Sad Monster is a fun and interactive book about feelings that helps preschoolers explore their emotions. The book features different monsters with different emotions, and children are invited to interact with the monsters by feeling their different textures and expressions. The book also includes a simple activity that allows children to create their own monster masks and explore different emotions.
Reasons why we Love Glad Monster, Sad Monster
- Teaches children about emotions: Helps children understand and identify different emotions. The monsters in the book represent different emotions, and children can relate to them and learn how to express and manage their own emotions.
- Engaging and interactive: The book is interactive with flaps and tabs that kids can lift and pull to reveal the different monsters and their emotions. It keeps children more engaged and interested.
- Promotes empathy: Encourages children to understand and empathize with others’ emotions. By seeing how the monsters feel and learning how to express their own emotions, children can develop a greater sense of empathy and understanding towards others.
In My Heart: A Book of Feelings by Jo Witek
In My Heart: a Book of Feelings is a beautiful and poetic book that helps preschoolers understand and express their emotions. The book uses simple language and colorful illustrations to explore a range of emotions, including happiness, sadness, anger, and love. Each emotion is described in terms of how it feels inside the heart, making it easy for preschoolers to understand and relate to.
Reasons why we Love In My Heart: a Book of Feelings
- Teaches emotional intelligence: This is an excellent book that introduces children to a variety of emotions and helps them understand what they are feeling. Children are able to identify and label their emotions, and develop emotional intelligence.
- Beautiful illustrations: The illustrations in the book are beautiful and vivid, which makes the book more appealing to children. The illustrations help to convey the emotions and make them more accessible and relatable to young readers.
- Encourages open communication: The book encourages open communication between children and caregivers. Caregivers can help children understand their emotions and feelings better, and create a safe space for children to express themselves.
The Color Monster: A Story About Emotions by Anna Llenas
The Color Monster: A Story About Emotions is a unique and engaging book about feelings that helps preschoolers understand their emotions through color. The book tells the story of a monster who is confused and overwhelmed by his emotions, until a little girl helps him sort them out by assigning each emotion a different color. The book includes pop-ups and lift-the-flaps that make it interactive and fun for children.
Reasons why we Love The Color Monster: A Story About Emotions
- Colorful and engaging: The book is brightly illustrated with a color-coded system that helps children understand and identify different emotions.
- Teaches emotional regulation: The story follows the color monster as he learns to sort and organize his emotions, which can help children understand how to manage their feelings in a healthy way.
- Encourages empathy and understanding: By seeing how the color monster feels and learning how to manage his emotions, children can develop a greater sense of empathy and understanding towards others. This can help them to build better relationships and communicate more effectively with others.
Today I Feel Silly: And Other Moods That Make My Day by Jamie Lee Curtis
Today I Feel Silly: And Other Moods That Make My Day is a fun and lighthearted book about feelings that helps preschoolers understand that everyone has different moods and feelings. The book features a little girl who describes her different moods and the silly things she does to express them. The book is written in rhyme, making it fun and engaging for children.
Reasons why we Love Today I Feel Silly: And Other Moods That Make My Day
Helps children understand and accept their emotions: The book explores different emotions and moods that children may experience, and it helps them understand that it is okay to have different feelings. By showing that everyone experiences different emotions, the book can help children feel more comfortable with their own feelings.
Fun and relatable: The book is written in a fun and engaging way that children can relate to. The book uses humor and creative illustrations to explore different emotions and moods, making it an enjoyable read for children.
Encourages self-expression: The book encourages children to express themselves and communicate their feelings to others. By seeing how the main character expresses her emotions in different ways, children can learn how to communicate their own feelings more effectively.
My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss
My Many Colored Days is a book about feelings by Dr. Seuss that explores the different emotions that come with different colors. The book uses simple language and colorful illustrations to help preschoolers understand and express their emotions. Each color is associated with a different emotion, making it easy for children to relate to and understand.
Reasons why we Love My Many Colored Days
Introduces emotions through colors: The book introduces children to different emotions through colors. Each color represents a different emotion, and children can learn to identify and express their own emotions through the colors.
- Unique and creative illustrations: The book is illustrated with vibrant and imaginative images that capture the mood and emotions of the story. The illustrations are unique to Dr. Seuss’s style and add to the overall charm of the book.
- Encourages creativity and imagination: This book about feelings encourages children to use their creativity and imagination to understand and express their emotions. It shows how colors can be used to represent emotions, which can inspire children to use their own creativity and imagination to express their feelings.
When I Feel Angry by Cornelia Maude Spelman
When I Feel Angry is a great book for preschoolers who struggle with managing their anger. The book uses simple language and colorful illustrations to help children understand what anger feels like and how to express it in a healthy way. This amazing book about feelings includes simple strategies for calming down when feeling angry.
Reasons why we Love When I Feel Angry
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Teaches children how to manage anger: The book helps children understand and manage their anger in a healthy way. It provides children with practical strategies for dealing with anger, such as taking deep breaths, talking to a trusted adult, and using positive self-talk.
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Helps children express their emotions: The book encourages children to express their emotions in a safe and healthy way. By providing examples of how to express anger in a constructive way, children can learn how to communicate their feelings effectively.
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Promotes empathy and understanding: This book about feelings promotes empathy and understanding towards others. By helping children understand their own anger, they can develop a greater sense of empathy and understanding towards others who may be experiencing anger.
The Way I Feel by Janan Cain
The Way I Feel is a popular and well-loved book that helps preschoolers understand and express their emotions. The book features colorful illustrations and simple, rhyming text that describes different emotions and feelings. The book covers a wide range of emotions, from happy and excited to sad and angry, and encourages children to talk about and share their own feelings. This is a great book about feelings to help parents, caregivers, and teachers to read with preschoolers to help them develop emotional intelligence and communication skills.
Reasons why we Love The Way I Feel:
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Teaches emotional vocabulary: The book introduces children to a variety of emotions and helps them learn the vocabulary to express and communicate their feelings. This can help children develop emotional intelligence and improve their communication skills.
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Engaging illustrations: The illustrations in the book are bright, colorful, and engaging, which can help capture the attention of young readers. The illustrations help children connect with the emotions and understand them better.
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Encourages empathy and understanding: The book encourages empathy and understanding towards others. By showing how different situations can elicit different emotions, the book helps children understand that everyone experiences emotions and that it is important to be respectful of others’ feelings.
A Little Spot of Feelings by Diane Alber
A Little Spot of Feelings is a fun and interactive book that helps preschoolers understand and express their emotions. The book features a little spot that changes colors to represent different emotions, and children are invited to interact with the spot by touching and tracing it. This awesome book about feelings also includes simple activities that help children identify and express their own emotions.
tReasons why we Love A Little Spot of Feelings:
- Easy to understand: The book uses simple language and engaging illustrations to help young children understand and identify different emotions.
- Teaches healthy ways to express emotions: It provides children with practical strategies for dealing with their emotions, such as deep breathing and talking to a trusted adult.
- Encourages positive self-talk: Encourages children to use positive self-talk to help manage their emotions. By providing examples of positive self-talk, the book can help children develop self-esteem and confidence, which can be beneficial for their overall emotional well-being.
The Invisible String by Patrice Karst
The Invisible String is a heartwarming book that helps preschoolers understand the concept of love and connection. The book tells the story of two siblings who are comforted by the idea of an invisible string that connects them to their loved ones, no matter where they are. The book helps children understand that even when they are apart from their loved ones, they are still connected by love.
Reasons why we Love The Invisible String:
Helps children cope with separation anxiety: this book about feelings helps children cope with feelings of separation anxiety by teaching them about the concept of an “invisible string” that connects them to their loved ones, no matter how far apart they may be. This can provide comfort and reassurance to children who may be struggling with separation anxiety.
Promotes a sense of connection and belonging: The book promotes a sense of connection and belonging by emphasizing the idea that we are all connected through love. The book can help children develop a sense of empathy and understanding towards others, and can also promote positive social and emotional skills.
Encourages open communication: The book encourages open communication between parents and children. It provides a platform for parents and children to talk about their feelings and emotions, and can help parents address any fears or concerns their children may have about separation.
When Miles Got Mad by Sam Kurtzman-Counter
When Miles Got Mad is a relatable and helpful book for preschoolers who struggle with managing their anger. The book tells the story of a little boy named Miles who becomes very angry when things don’t go his way. The book teaches children different strategies for calming down when feeling angry, including deep breathing and taking a break.
Reasons why we Love When Miles Got Mad:
- Teaches children about anger management: The book teaches children about managing anger in a healthy and productive way. It provides children with practical strategies for dealing with anger, such as taking deep breaths and talking to a trusted adult.
- Promotes empathy and understanding: The book promotes empathy and understanding towards others. By showing how different situations can elicit different emotions, the book helps children understand that everyone experiences emotions and that it is important to be respectful of others’ feelings.
- Engaging illustrations: The illustrations in the book are colorful, relatable, and engaging, which can help capture the attention of young readers.
Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang
Grumpy Monkey is a humorous and relatable book that helps preschoolers understand and manage their emotions. The book tells the story of a monkey who is feeling grumpy, but doesn’t know why. With the help of his friends, the monkey learns that it’s okay to feel grumpy sometimes, and that talking about his feelings can help him feel better.
Reasons why we Love Grumpy Monkey:
Teaches children about accepting and managing emotions: Specifically the emotion of grumpiness. It shows how the main character, Jim the monkey, learns to accept his grumpiness and use strategies like talking about his feelings and taking deep breaths to manage it. This can help children develop emotional regulation skills and learn to express their feelings in a safe and healthy way.
Promotes empathy and understanding: It shows how Jim’s friends accept and support him, even when he is grumpy, and how Jim learns to do the same for his friends. This can help children develop social and emotional skills that can benefit them in their interactions with others.
Humorous and engaging: The book is humorous and engaging, which can help capture the attention of young readers. This can help children connect with the message and make the book’s lessons more memorable.
When Sadness Is at Your Door by Eva Eland
When Sadness Is at Your Door is a gentle and comforting book that helps preschoolers understand and cope with feelings of sadness. This book about feelings tells the story of a little girl who welcomes sadness into her home and learns that it’s okay to feel sad sometimes. The book teaches children that it’s important to take care of themselves when feeling sad, and that sadness won’t stay forever.
Reasons why we Love When Sadness Is at Your Door:
Normalizes the experience of sadness: Helps children understand that feeling sad is a normal and natural part of the human experience. It shows how sadness can come and go, and that it is okay to feel sad sometimes.
Encourages self-compassion: The book encourages self-compassion by showing how the main character takes care of herself when she is feeling sad. This can help children learn to be kind to themselves and practice self-care when they are experiencing difficult emotions.
Calming illustrations: The illustrations in the book are soft and calming, which can help create a comforting atmosphere for young readers. It can help children connect with the message of the book and feel more at ease when they are experiencing difficult emotions.
How Are You Peeling? Foods with Moods by Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers
This is is a unique and creative book about feelings that helps children learn about different emotions by using fruits and vegetables to represent feelings. The book features vivid photographs of fruits and vegetables that have been cleverly carved and designed to express a range of emotions, such as happy, sad, angry, and surprised.
Creative and engaging: The use of fruits and vegetables to represent different emotions is a unique and creative approach that is sure to capture children’s attention and imagination. The colorful and expressive designs of the fruits and vegetables will engage children and help them to relate to different emotions in a fun and accessible way.
Reasons why we Love How Are You Peeling? Foods With Moods:
- Helps develop emotional intelligence: this book helps identify and discuss different emotions, children can learn to better understand and express their own feelings, as well as recognize and empathize with the feelings of others.
- Simple yet informative: simple text that is easy for young children to understand, yet provides enough information to help them learn about different emotions.
- Creative and engaging: The use of fruits and vegetables to represent different emotions is a unique and creative approach that is sure to capture children’s attention and imagination.
What Makes Me Happy? by Catherine Anholt
This book about feelings focuses on teaching young readers about the things that can bring happiness into their lives. The book features colorful illustrations and simple text that is easy for preschoolers to understand, making it an ideal resource for parents, caregivers, and educators who want to teach children about gratitude, positivity, and emotional well-being.
Reasons why we Love How Are You Peeling? Foods With Moods:
- Teaches gratitude and positivity: “What Makes Me Happy?” encourages children to focus on the positive things in their lives and appreciate the little things that can bring joy and happiness.
- Simple yet impactful: The book uses simple text and illustrations to convey its message, making it accessible and engaging for young readers. The book is also designed to be interactive, with prompts and questions throughout to encourage children to think about their own experiences and what makes them happy.
- Promotes self-awareness and emotional intelligence: By encouraging children to reflect on what makes them happy, the book helps them develop self-awareness and emotional intelligence.
Feelings by Aliki
The book about feelings is designed to be interactive, with prompts and questions throughout to encourage children to think about their own experiences and what makes them happy. Through these prompts, children can begin to develop an understanding of their own emotions and how to cultivate positivity and gratitude in their lives.
Reasons why we Love Feelings
- Teaches emotional literacy: The book introduces children to a variety of emotions and helps them develop the vocabulary to express and understand their own feelings.
- Promotes empathy and understanding: The book also helps children recognize and empathize with the feelings of others, which is an important part of social-emotional development.
- Normalizes emotions: “Feelings” helps children understand that emotions are a normal and natural part of life, and that everyone experiences a wide range of feelings. This can help children feel more comfortable expressing and talking about their own feelings.
The Pigeon Has Feelings, Too! by Mo Willems
This is a great book about feelings as it introduces humorous antics of the pigeon character, children learn to recognize different emotions and how they can affect behavior. The book also shows how different situations can evoke different emotions, which helps children develop a better understanding of their own feelings and those of others.
Reasons why we Love The Pidgeon Has Feelings Too:
- Teaches emotional vocabulary: By learning to name and recognize different emotions, children can better understand and manage their own feelings, as well as recognize and empathize with the feelings of others.
- Promotes empathy and understanding: The book helps children understand that everyone has feelings, including animals like Pigeon, and encourages them to empathize with others and their emotions.
- Engaging and entertaining: Mo Willems is known for his humorous and engaging storytelling, and “The Pigeon Has Feelings, Too!” is no exception.
I hope this blog post has helped you pick the perfect book about feelings to read to your preschooler. reading books about feelings is an important tool for teaching emotional literacy and empathy. By exposing children to a wide range of emotions and helping them develop the vocabulary to express their own feelings, these books about feelings can help young children better understand and manage their emotions.
Children who have a strong emotional foundation are better equipped to handle social situations, communicate effectively, and build positive relationships with others. They are also better prepared to cope with stress, anxiety, and other negative emotions as they grow older.