Title: Happy, Sad and Everything in Between: All About My Feelings
Author: Sunny Im-Wang, Psy.D., S.S.P.
Illustrated by Alex McVey
Published by lilSprout Press (www.lilsproutpress.com)
ISBN: 978-1-937646-11-0
Suggested Retail: $16.99
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Review: I think it is pretty easy to teach kids what it means to feel good, like with happy and excited, but some emotions are somewhat more difficult to explain. Happy, Sad, and Everything in Between is to help children learn how to identify and manage their feelings, which is termed “emotional literacy”. With having this skill, children can have an increased ability to verbally express themselves and help with managing their own emotions.
Happy, Sad, and Everything in Between has a welcoming little girl named Kai, who helps us understand how feelings and our bodies are connected. Ex: anger causes your heart to beat really fast and your face may feel hot.
This book also includes the skill of mindfulness, which I ironically discussed in my last book review, but plays it down to be kid-friendly in application. I think it’s a great idea to help children harness skills that can help them decrease stress levels so they aren’t having to learn them later in life by individuals like myself.
The emotions discussed in this book are:
- Happy
- Loving
- Scared
- Anxious
- Worried
- Tired
- Silly
- Shy
- Embarrassed
- Lonely
- Sad
- Frustrated
- Angry
- Calm
There is a relaxation exercise to make part of your daily routine with your child at the conclusion.
I had used the term “frustrated” with my daughters last week. I can’t remember what brought it on, but both asked me what it meant. We sat down together and read how Kai dealt with feeling frustrated. The book discussed what frustrated felt like for Kai and gave a few reasons why a kid might feel that way. Then it went on to suggest taking deep breaths when frustrated, do something else for a while to try and let go of the feeling, or maybe have someone who can do what you are trying to do teach you. There is a THINK ABOUT IT with each emotion and it is to help discuss what you have found to evoke that particular feeling and what thoughts you have with it. To view an excerpt from the book, go to http://www.lilsproutpress.com/happy-sad–everything-in-between–excerpt.html.
Happy, Sad, and Everything in Between has been nice to have for bedtime reading and just as a reference to use with my girls. I have enjoyed this book and think it would work well in a classroom or in a home setting. This title is recommended for children ages 4-8. To purchase, please visit the lilSprout Press website.
lilSprout Press website
lilSprout on Facebook
