My Feelings and Me

February 26, 2018
Adults don’t always express their emotions, suggests Kreul in an introductory note addressed to “Grown-ups,” which makes it hard for children to know how to navigate their own. A small cast of pale-skinned kids experience different emotional states in the author’s practical guide to coping with feelings, illustrated with Geisler’s bright, emotive cartoons. “Sometimes I stomp on the floor in rage, or I break something. Then no one can get too close to me,” says one girl, her ponytail flying and a jagged, lightning bolt-like shape flashing behind her. Elsewhere, a boy comforts a friend in need: “Because I know my own feelings, I can often understand other people’s feelings, too. It’s nice to feel that I can help others.” Kreul, a therapist, provides an affirming look at how understanding emotions is key to expressing them safely and constructively. Ages 3–6.

March 1, 2018
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. (Picture book. 4-7)

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