YOUR KIDS NEXT READ PODCAST

Episode 90: Books About Feelings

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In episode 90 of the Your Kid’s Next Read podcast:

Books About Feelings

Small people have big feelings and this week Megan and Allison share a selection of non-fiction and fiction books to help them navigate moods and emotions. Plus, a tip for teacher-librarians on sharing books to parent communities and a revelation about capsicums.

Books we mention

Click on the links to buy from Booktopia or shop all of the YKNR Podcast recommendations on our dedicated Booktopia page.

Bookmail and TBR pile

‘You Two, You Two’ by Brooke Hill. Illustrated by Elin Matilda Andersson

‘Investigators: Braver and Boulder’ by John Patrick Green

‘Rockstar Detectives: murder at the movies’ by Adam Hills. Illustrated by Luna Valentine

‘The Briefest English Grammar and Punctuation Guide Ever’ by Ruth Colman

‘Running with Ivan’ by Suzanne Leal

Bingo Question

Picture Books

‘Food with Moods’ by Saxton Freyman

I mean COME ON, how adorable is a capsicum with feeling?!

‘The Colour Monster’ by Anna Llenas

‘The Boy with Big Feelings’ by Britney Winn Lee

‘Mr Huff’ by Anna Walker

Aa gentle, poignant, affirming and wise picture book. Mr. Huff is a story about the clouds and the sunshine in each of our lives. Main character Bill is having a bad and his feelings are personified by Mr Huff, who is following him around and making everything seem difficult. Bill tries to get rid of him, but Mr Huff just gets bigger and bigger!

‘In my Heart: A book of feelings’ by Jo Witek

‘Tough Guys Have Feelings Too’ by Keith Negley

‘I am Courage’, ‘I Am Yoga’, ‘I Am Peace’, ‘I Am Human’, ‘I Am Love’, I Am One’ by Susan Verde and Peter H. Reynolds

‘You Are Enough’and ‘You’ve Got This’ by Jess Sanders

‘Human Kind’ by Zanni Louise

Junior Fiction

‘School of Monsters: Luna Boo has Feelings Too’ by Sally Rippin

‘Polly and Buster: The wayward witch and the feelings monster’ by Sally Rippin

Polly’s anger boils up inside her, and she climbs out onto the windowsill to tell the world that Buster is her best friend. When the older witches don’t listen, Polly loses control, and another spell bursts from her in a flash of light.

In Chapter One, Polly feels embarrassed at the thought of having to ask Valentine for help, she feels a fiery rage when Malorie laughs at her, and she feels ashamed at having let Miss Spinnaker down again. • Make a list of the ways the author describes these feelings in the text. Look for clues about how Polly feels physically and the kinds of words used to describe her feelings.

‘You, Me and Empathy: teaching children about empathy, feelings, kindness, compassion, tolerance and recognising bullying behaviours’ by Jayneen Sanders

Middle Grade

‘The Confidence Code For Girls Taking Risks, Messing Up, And Becoming Your Amazingly Imperfect, Totally Powerful Self’ by Claire Shipman, Katty Kay

‘The Red Tree’ by Shaun Tan

‘Aster’s Good Right Things’ by Kate Gordon

‘Xavier in the Meantime’ by Kate Gordon

‘Indigo in the Storm’ by Kate Gordon

‘The Jammer’ by Nova Weetman

‘Sick Bay’ by Nova Weetman

‘The Secrets we Keep’ and ‘The Secrets we Share’ by Nova Weetman

Also check out Nova’s recent article on Death and Grief in Children’s Books.

‘Maven & Reeve Mysteries’ by Allison Tait

‘Drama’ by Raina Telgeimeir (and others)

‘Keepers of the Lost Cities’ series by Shannon Messenger

‘The Strangeworlds Travel Agency’ series by L. D. Lipinski

‘Choose Your Own Ever After’ series by various authors

‘Playing Beatie Bow’ by Ruth Park

‘Percy Jackson’ series by Rick Riordan

Young Adults

‘The Tree of Ecstasy and Unbearable Sadness’ by Matt Ottley

The Tree of Ecstasy and Unbearable Sadness is an allegorical story of a boy’s experience of psychosis, with mental illness represented as a fantastical tree whose flowers are ecstasy and whose fruit is unbearable sadness. Stunning drawings and paintings lead the reader through the boy’s early discovery of his strangeness, his surrender to the disease (an all-consuming tree), the ensuing psychotic journey, and eventual self-acceptance. The recording of a full orchestral score composed by the author-illustrator accompany the book.

‘Small Things’ by Mel Tregonning

‘The 10pm Question’ by Kate de Goldi,

‘Six Impossible Things’ by Fiona Wood

‘Anne of Green Gables’ by LM Montgomery

‘Jane Doe Chronicles’ by Jeremy Lachlan