The Way I Feel by Janan Cain

Right now, I am sad, but I will soon be happy again. This colorful picture book is one of the best to help young children learn about emotions and how to deal with them. The author uses witty rhymes to explain feelings in a way that is easy to understand. This book explains the many different and complex emotions we feel and enables children to relate to and understand that emotions are okay. It covers a wide range of emotions, including silly, scared, disappointed, happy, sad, angry, thankful, frustrated, shy, bored, excited, jealous and proud. In addition to the great pictures, this book gives children a handle on some very useful vocabulary. In the end, children will be able to better understand and communicate their feelings and emotions with others.



Jessica, 1st grade teacher

When Sophie Gets Angry—Really, Really Angry… by Molly Bang

In this Caldecott-honor book, children will see what Sophie does when she gets angry. We all get angry sometimes. And we do lots of different things when they get angry. What do you do? Sophie’s temper flares when her sister insists on having a turn with Sophie’s favorite stuffed gorilla. To make matters worse, Sophie’s mother says "It is her turn now, Sophie," and then seconds later Sophie trips over a toy truck in the resulting of tug-of-war. She becomes so mad "She wants to smash the world to smithereens." The boldly painted artwork swirls with the intense energy Sophie feels. The pages are filled with shades of infernal orange, yellow and red like a shuddering volcano. Sophie runs and runs until she can’t run anymore. In the woods she climbs a huge beech tree, looks out over the water, and is comforted by the “wide world.” Feeling better, she returns home where mom greets her with open arms. Reading this story with children provides a great opportunity to talk about anger and ways to deal with angry feelings. It is a great book about understanding emotions.

Jessica, 1st grade teacher

I Can't Keep my Own Secrets: Six Word Memoirs by Teens Famous and Obscure

This is a great collection of phrases by teenagers regarding secrets from their lives. The format of the book is rather unique (students could only use six words to record their secrets) and would thus make for a fun assignment regarding the topic of your choice. In the actual book, the content varies from the mundane (favorite music, etc.) to the more profound (life lessons, experiences with suicide, pregnancy, etc.). Each is written with honesty and creativity that makes the reader wish to continue to delve in. The reason I labeled this "Bibliotherapy" is because teens can read how others have dealt with and survived struggles that they, too, may be experiencing and hopefully find solace in this knowledge. This book is similar to the adult book Postsecret. Postsecret is an amazing book that is a collection of postcards that people wrote a secret on, decorated and sent in. It is absolutely fascinating; I didn't originally post this simply because some of the entries are extremely adult whereas I Can't Keep My Secrets still covers sensitive issues in a more PG manner.

--Julia, High School Teacher

TEAR SOUP by Pat Schwiebert and Chuck DeKlyen

Every so often, we all--young and old--must make a batch of "tear soup." So says the character Grandy in Schwiebert and DeKlyen's poignant book TEAR SOUP. This evocatively-illustrated picture book is a vital edition for every teacher's classroom. The text revolves around a "wise and old" woman who has recently experienced a loss in her life. In actuality, the text guides its readers through the various stages of grief--shock, sadness, anger, denial, and acceptance. Complete with counseling resources at the end, TEAR SOUP is tender and compelling read. The book can be utilized as either a Language Arts reading selection or as an aid for students undergoing similar losses. Meant for "all ages," but obviously younger students need more guidance from the teacher in lesson objectives. By Natosi, high school/college English instructor.

My Many Colored Days

My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss is a rhyming picture book that was published posthumously in 1996 by Alfred A. Knopf after Seuss's death in 1991. It features paintings by Lou Francher and Steve Johnson. This is a non-Seusslike story in my opinion. But that does not distract from the importance of the book. It is briefer and in some ways much more to the point than his other allegorical tales. It is a beautiful book in sentiment and intention. Each day is an emotion described through color and words. This book is more a road map for talking about and dealing with emotions than it is a story. I can imagine that a teacher or parent would have a pile of construction paper, a clutch of magic markers and crayons, and a thoughtful, quiet moment to capture feelings and then talk about them after the sharing of this book with one child or many. by profreader