The 10 Best Picture Books About Feelings

Books are one of the most effective - and enjoyable - tools you have as a parent to help introduce important concepts to your child. Whether it’s potty training, healthy eating, or making friends, storybooks can help your little one visualize what’s needed to learn and grow. 

At ParentEducate.com, we know firsthand how impactful books can be on a child’s developmental success (we’ve developed a number of online courses on the topic). 

That’s why we created this list of the 10 best picture books about feelings that’ll help your little one learn about and master their emotions. 

1. The Feelings Book: This board book from Todd Par is a colorful collection of the wide range of emotions we all face throughout the day. In addition to introducing your child to each of the common emotions, it also provides them with a real-life example of how each feeling manifests itself (e.g. “When I feel brave, I want to try something new.”). This children’s book about feelings is recommended for children ages 3 to 7 but is great for all children! 
2. Ruby Finds a Worry: This colorful Tom Percival picture book about feelings follows Ruby, a young, carefree child who soon meets a “monster” named Worry that follows her around. After reading, your kid will not only understand that worry is normal, but they’ll also learn how to deal with it in a healthy manner.
3. In My Heart: A Book of Feelings: In this New York Times best-selling picture book about feelings, Jo Witeck helps readers identify and articulate their feelings using vibrant colors and a die-cut heart that grows as you turn each page. Your little one will love learning about how many emotions someone can experience – and will learn how to tell others about the ones they’re feeling. 
4. Grumpy Monkey: This Suzanne Lang title is the perfect story to read to your kid the next time they’re feeling grumpy or upset. The best-selling children’s book about emotions follows Jim, a chimpanzee who seems to be grumpy for no good reason. As your child follows along, they’ll discover that it’s okay to feel whatever emotions they’re experiencing (even if that emotion isn’t happy).
5. A Flicker of Hope: We all go through hard times in life, and few books teach how to bounce back from those moments better than this one from Julia Cook. This heartwarming children’s book about feelings teaches kids how to ask others for help when they’re feeling down and how to serve as a “hope builder” for those around them. 
6. The Feeling Flower: Leah Dakroub’s debut picture book is a great way to teach your tot about how things outside of their control (including the weather) can affect their emotions.
7. When Sadness Is at Your Door: This Eva Eland story uses illustration to teach your child to think about sadness as a guest and to reassure them that the emotion can be scary, confusing, and at times overwhelming. After reading this children’s book about emotions, your child will not only better understand sadness, but also the many activities they can do to help cope with it, including going for a walk or talking about it with others. 
8. The Way I Feel: Written and illustrated by Janan Cain, The Way I Feel is a colorful way to introduce emotional intelligence to your child. The entire story is told in rhymes, which will keep your child engaged and ready to discover the next featured emotion.
9. Layla's Happiness: This Ezra Jack Keats award-winning story from Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie follows Layla as she explains all of the things in life that make her happy. Reading this with your kid will allow you the perfect opportunity to explore what makes them happy in life and how they can lean into those things when times get tough. 
10. The Lion Inside: Rachel Bright does an incredible job of teaching children that even the bravest of creatures can feel scared every now and then (and vice versa) in this colorful picture book. With this children’s book about feelings, your kiddos are sure to enjoy the story and illustrations so much that they won’t even notice they’re learning along the way.

Want to learn more about how you can use children’s books about emotions and storytelling techniques to help your kids grow and develop? Our online courses can help! Visit ParentEducate.com to explore all of our literacy courses — and access them for free with a seven-day trial.