As children grow, they face new experiences, relationships with peers and expectations from adults. This means they will have more chances to feel different emotions, sometimes very strong ones. One of the most important skills they need to learn is how to understand, manage and share their feelings.
Reading emotions
Reading books together about common feelings can help children recognize their own emotions. It can also help them develop
empathy, understanding how others may be feeling. As children get older, books can also help start conversations about how to handle
big emotions. Talking about feelings when children are calm is a wonderful way to prepare them for times when they may feel
stressed and overwhelmed.
That's why the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Council on Early Childhood and Reach Out and Read created this booklist for families. We focus on books that can help teach children and their caregivers about recognizing feelings and how to handle them.
How to use this booklist
While the books are listed by age, they can be used across ages for different conversations. For example, even if your child is still too young to talk about why they feel angry, it can help to work on calming techniques.
Books for infants 0-12 months old
Baby's Feelings: First Book of Emotions
| Written by Little Hippo Books | A board book with photos of racially diverse infants depicting many emotions. Each page contains a prompt to ask, "Can you make a ____ face?" for a great parent-child interactive element.
| English |
Making Faces | Written by Abrams Appleseed | A short board book with photos of racially diverse infants/toddlers with expressions for 5 common emotions. Using simple language and large pictures of faces, it provides opportunities for matching and mimicking emotions. A mirror at the back increases infant engagement. | English |
Peekaboo Feelings | Written by Wynnie Thom Illustrated by Laura Gonzalez | This fun-filled book helps babies learn about their feelings through "peekaboo" games with flaps on each page. | English |
Little Faces: Feelings, Big & Small/ Emociones grandes y pequeñas
| Written by Claire Everett | A delightful book that highlights the many feelings that babies express throughout their everyday activities. | English & Spanish
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Amazing Feelings/Sentimientos Increibles
| Written by Anna W. Bardaus | This book does a great job of starting important conversations about a young child's feelings through simple questions. | English & Spanish
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How Are You Feeling? | Written by Mudpuppy Illustrated by The Indigo Bunting & Erin Jang | Through use of animals and lifting flaps (fine motor coordination bonus), this book explores how a child experiences their own feelings and those of others. A variety of emotions (calm/silly, sad/happy, scared/brave, worried/hopeful) are portrayed. | English
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Books for children age 1-3 years
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The Rabbit Listened
| Written and Illustrated by Cori Doerrfeld
| An endearing story that highlights the power of listening and the comfort in feeling heard. | English & other languages
|
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I Feel! A Book of Emotions
| Written and Illustrated by Juana Medina | This book creates space within common experiences to help young children and their grownups learn how to think and talk about their feelings. | English |
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Happy Hippo, Angry Duck: A Book of Moods | Written and Illustrated by Sandra Boynton | Delightful rhymes and illustrations help young children think about their emotions in a fun and playful way. | English |
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I Calm Down/Yo Me Calmo
| Written by Cheri J. Meiners Illustrated by Penny Weber | A little girl works through her strong feelings and learns how to calm down. This book is part of a series focused on early social skills; perfect for toddlers and preschoolers. | English & Spanish |
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The Feelings Book
| Written by Todd Parr | A wide range of feelings are portrayed in bold and bright illustrations that young children are sure to enjoy. | English & Spanish |
Let's Be Kind | Written by Amy Pixton Illustrated by Ekaterina Trukhan | Baby learns to say "good morning," "please," "thank you," "I'm sorry" and "I love you" in this latest addition to the Indestructibles series, with a focus on kindness and polite manners. | English |
Mindfulness Moments
for Kids:
Bunny Breaths &
Listen Like an Elephant | Written by Kira Willey Illustrated by Anni Betts | Mindfulness Moments for Kids offers easy-to-follow exercises to help little ones manage their bodies, breathing, and emotions. Lovely illustrations and simple/easy to read. Both books are part of a 4-book series. | English |
You and Me!, Waiting for Baby, My New Baby & Look at Me!
| Written and Illustrated by Rachel Fuller | Welcoming a new baby into the home can bring lots of new and big feelings. These books provide an opportunity to talk about changes both before and after a new baby joins the home. | English &
Spanish |
Book for children age 3-5 years
Ruby Finds a Worry | Written by Tom Percival
| Ruby's worry continues to grow until she discovers some helpful ways to manage those difficult feelings. | English |
A Blue Kind of Day | Written by Rachel Tomlinson Illustrated by Tori-Jay Mordey | A thoughtful story that explores how to support a young child experiencing sad feelings. | English |
The Boy with Big, Big Feelings | Written by Britney Winn Lee Illustrated by Jacob Souva | A beautifully illustrated book about a boy whose feelings sometimes seem too big to understand, and how he learns to think about those emotions. This book is best used with children ages 5 to 7, but the concepts can be simplified for younger children. It is a perfect companion to The Girl With Big, Big Questions. | English |
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I Can Do Hard Things/Yo Puedo Hacer Cosas Difíciles: Afirmaciones Conscientes Para Niños
| Written by Gabi Garcia Illustrated by Charity Russell | The book uses rhyme, which is soothing and engaging. There are not many words on a page, so children and caregivers can focus on the concepts of the emotions and using strategies offered in the book. The language is easy to understand at a variety of language developmental levels. This lets children focus on the emotions rather than working to understand the words. | English, Spanish & other languages
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My Body Sends a Signal/Mi Cuerpo Me Envía Una Señal
| Written by Natalia Maguire Illustrated by Anastasia Zababashkina | A unique book that describes the physical aspects of emotions. Activity ideas to practice concepts are an added bonus. This book may be best for ages 4 and up.
| English & Spanish
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Jilly's Terrible Temper Tantrums (and How She Outgrew Them)
| Written by Martha Heineman Pieper, Ph.D. Illustrated by Jo Gershman | Children will easily identify with Jilly and the common tantrum-triggers she encounters during her day. Jilly's parents' strategies on how to cope with her tantrums are also a helpful guide. | English |
Calm-Down Time/Momento para calmarase | Written by Elizabeth Verdick Illustrated by Marieka Heinlen | This book provides a clear, guiding "social story" for children working through an emotion. It is a wonderful guide for all children in strengthening communication skills around feelings. | English, Spanish & other languages
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I Can Handle It! (Mindful Mantras) | Written by Laurie Wright Illustrated by Ana Santos | This book teaches children the power of positive self-talk in approaching difficult situations. A link to free online resources is included by the author! | English & other languages
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F Is for Feelings | Written by Goldie Millar & Lisa Berger Illustrated by Hazel Mitchell | This book is an alphabet of feelings, with every letter representing an emotion with an explanation. Helpful strategies are provided at the end for parents. | English |
The Great Big Book of Feelings | Written by Mary Hoffman Illustrated by Ros Asquith | This book on feelings has the added strength of touching on some sensitive things that many books don't approach. The book presents questions for children and caregivers to think about, is relatable and interactive. | English |
I Am NOT Going to School Today! | Written by Robie H. Harris Illustrated by Jan Ormerod | This story takes children through the unfamiliar things that can make them hesitant to go to school for the first time. This is a situation-specific story, but caregivers can expand the concept to any new situation for their child. | English |
The Day Leo Said I Hate You!
| Written by Robie H. Harris Illustrated by Molly Bang
| Leo tests boundaries as his mother is trying to get through her busy day. Feelings and words of frustration overflow on both sides in this relatable story. Leo and his mother show the power of talking through those feelings once they have taken a moment to calm down and they are ready to reconnect through a hug and some laughs. | English |
Books for children age 5+
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Lola Levine Is
Not Mean! | Written by Monica Brown Illustrated by Angela Dominguez | Early chapter book about a girl named Lola who accidentally hurts a classmate during a game at recess and starts getting called "Mean Lola Levine" by classmates. Navigates Lola's feelings and acknowledges that she also owes an apology to her classmate.
| English |
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Maybe Tomorrow?
| Written by Charlotte Agell Illustrated by Ana Ramirez Gonzalez | About a hippo who is very sad and carries a heavy block that keeps her from doing things, and an alligator who becomes her friend and helps her carry that weight.
| English |
1-2-3 A Calmer Me: Helping Children Cope When Emotions Get Out of Control | Written by Colleen Patterson Illustrated by Claire Keay | Soothing rhymes with easy movements to help kids learn strategies to calm and relax. Relatable examples help children incorporate these ideas into their daily routines. | English |
Soda Pop Head | Written by Julia Cook Illustrated by Allison Valentine | Describes big emotions and situations that trigger them. Dad helps his son learn to manage his emotions. Relatable strategies are reviewed for both home and school.
| English |
The Magical Yet/El Mágico Aún
| Written by Angela DiTerlizzi Illustrated by Lorena Alvarez Gomez | A great story for teaching children and their caregivers about growth mindset that highlights how to work toward a new skill, even when you can't do it…yet! | English, Spanish & other languages
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The Mindful Dragon/El Dragón Consciente | Written by Steve Herman | Features a boy who helps his dragon be present in the moment and understand that you can't control how others feel, but you can help train yourself. | English, Spanish & other languages
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Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things | Written by Lenore Look Illustrated by LeUyen Pham | Early chapter book about a boy with anxiety who never talks at school because he is so afraid. | English & other languages
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The Invisible String/El Hili Invisible
| Written by Patrice Karst Illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff | Teaches children about feelings and resilience by reassuring them that love and emotional connections remain strong even while physically apart. This can help them cope with separation, loss and change with a sense of security and strength. | English, Spanish & other languages |
More information
Members of the AAP Council on Early Childhood Book List Committee who contributed to this list include Ellie Erickson, MD, FAAP, Caitlin F. Canfield, PhD, Nina Sand-Loud, MD, FAAP, Aimee L. Falso, Christin Park, MD, FAAP, Rebecca J. Landa, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL, Nikki Gambhir, MBChB, MSPH, FAAP, Kathleen Petrick, DO FAAP , Marilyn Augustyn, MD, FAAP, Emily Wassmer, MD, FAAP, IBCLC and Kathleen Swec, MD, FAAP.