teach kids about emotions

8 Books to teach kids about expressing emotion

In Kids by Angela AmmanLeave a Comment

Use books to teach kids about emotions

When kids are young, talking about emotions can be challenging — and that inability to talk about their feelings can lead to tantrums and misunderstandings. Fabulous children’s books can help your kids express their feelings in words and expressions. We love these eight books to teach kids about emotions.

teach kids about emotions

Glad Monster, Sad Monster by Ed Emberley and Anne Miranda is a rollicking, silly book about the full range of emotions children — and adults — feel (Amazon, $11). The book provides masks for children and the adults reading the book with them to try on, so kids have the chance to identify how the emotions look, as well as how they feel.

teach kids about emotions

Today I Feel Silly & Other Moods That Make My Day by Jamie Lee Curtis is a fun, rhyming look at the different moods children experience (Amazon, $15). In addition to the rhyming verses, the colorful, expressive illustrations truly show emotions, giving kids a solid foundation for the varying moods in which they find themselves.

teach kids about emotions

When Sophie Gets Angry — Really, Really Angry… by Molly Bang explores the intense emotions experienced during normal sibling arguments (Amazon, $6). The book relies on vivid colors and imagery, with minimal text, so parents can tailor the book’s message for children of different ages. Children will see how some time away from her sister helps Sophie’s anger fade into more manageable emotions.

teach kids about emotion

The Way I Feel by Janan Cain is a wacky, silly look at different emotions, like joy, disappointment, and sadness (Amazon, $12). The text is simple, which is extremely helpful when navigating the different ways kids can put their feelings into words. The book deals with complicated emotions, like boredom, kids may feel without understanding the concept or verbalization of the emotion, so Cain’s book gives them the language they need to express how they’re feeling.

teach kids about emotions

My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss assigns moods to each color in the signature rhyming style of the iconic children’s author (Amazon, $7). The book is illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher — Theodor Geisel himself requested the book be illustrated by a color artist. Now available as a board book, the book serves the dual purposes of teaching colors and emotions to toddlers and young children.

teach kids about emotions

Mean Soup by Betsy Everitt shows a young boy and his mom working through his frustration and anger by making “mean soup” together (Amazon, $8). Horace and his mom put his emotions into the soup through word and physical movements until his day doesn’t seem so bad anymore. The illustrations are bright and large, making the book a good one for young children.

teach kids about emotions

Wilma Jean the Worry Machine by Julia Cook takes a lighthearted look at a serious subject (Amazon, $10). Young children experience anxiety, and parents can help provide tools kids can use to work through their anxious feelings, especially if the anxiety is interfering in the way children go about their daily lives. Cook’s book provides tangible tips, including some for anxiety over issues that can’t be controlled — like the weather.

teach kids about emotions

Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud helps kids learn about the ways their positive words and actions affect others (Amazon, $10). The words are simple and straightforward, and the message is one that can be reinforced daily. My daughter’s school uses the language with the students — and has a decorated bucket as a visual reminder in the window of the front office. McCloud’s guide is a wonderful way to emphasize positive actions and how much kindness matters.

teach kids about emotions

For more fabulous children’s book recommendations, check out 10 children’s books we love.
What are your top tips for helping kids express their emotions?

Meet the Author | Angela Amman


Angela Amman is a short story and essay writer. Collecting her family's stories is a gift-in-progress for her daughter and son, and she blogs at Playing with Words, capturing the craziness and beauty that weave together to create something extraordinary. As the co-director of Listen To Your Mother Metro Detroit, Angela is thrilled to bring others' stories to the stage and to celebrate the magic of words, storytelling, and the courage to share that magic with an audience. When she should be sleeping, she works on her latest short story collection. Her writing has been featured on Mamalode, Peacock Journal, and Scary Mommy. Her personal essays and short stories have appeared in her collection, Nothing Goes Away, and various anthologies.

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