Does your kiddo struggle with big emotions? I’ve picked 10 of my favorite books to help parents teach their children emotions. These books not only do a great job at name emotions, but engage the readers with flip the flaps and moving parts. Such a fun bonding time! They do a great job of making reading a special moment for you to connect and better understand each other.
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Books for Kids Ages 3+
Red Red Red by Polly Dunbar
If you have toddlers with tantrums, this book is for you. Learn how to calm emotions in toddlers (and yourself!) with an introduction to counting.
How Do You Feel? by Kathrin Schärer
These adorable animals help children identify emotions by their facial expressions. Help your child learn the names of these emotions to better recognize them in the future!
All About Worries and Fears by Felicity Brooks
Everyone has different worries and fears, but how do we keep those feelings in check and not let them overwhelm us? This book talks about the effect of those emotions on our bodies, and what we can do to calm and even overcome those feelings.
All Better by Henning Löhlein & Bernd Penners
Five animals friends have small mishaps in this book, and kiddos need to help make it better by putting repositionable band-aids (!!!!!) on their minor injuries. I mean, what kid doesn’t love playing with band-aids. This book also encourages empathy and helping others in need.
Doing Your Best by Helen Mortimer
Part of understanding emotions is knowing which words to use, and this book does just that. This is part of the “Big Words for Little People” series, which always includes a glossary and teaching tips at the back.
I Am (Almost) Always Kind by Anna Milbourne
A little boy with a good heart is on a journey to learn what real kindness looks like. He has experiences along the way that teach him that although kindness is important, it isn’t always easy! The laser-cut holes in this book are a fun way to show how kindness spreads.
I’m Not Very Afraid of the Dark by Anna Milbourne
If your child is afraid of the dark, this is a great book choice. It shows how while the dark might seem scary, it can also make it possible to see beautiful things like stars. You just have to change your perspective!
What are Feelings? by Katie Daynes
There is such a range of emotions, and this book helps teach children words that go along with each one. It will help them to identify what they are feeling and why, and the interactive flaps answer many different questions about emotions.
Find Your Happy by Emily Coxhead
This bright and colorful book takes us through the emotions of Cheerful Sloth, who shows kiddos what he does when he feels sad, mad, and scared. With many practical ideas, it will help you create a script for when your child is feeling big emotions!
I Am (Almost) Never Bored by Anna Milbourne
When a little girl’s screen time is over, she yells, “I’m bored!” and she has to figure out what to do next. When her Dad tells her, “Being bored comes right before having a Really Good Idea,” she learns that her imagination is capable of incredible things!
If you want to encourage reading in your home whether tangible or audio, check out these resources:
Recommendations for ages 8+?
These would all work for 8+! Even if the concepts seem simple, these books bring up great talking points with kiddos of all ages.