April 11, 2026

Books That Help Kids Name What They're Feeling

TBD — picture book carousel on naming big feelings

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These are the books featured in this post — tap any cover to find it on Amazon.

Cover of The Heart and the Bottle

The Heart and the Bottle

by Oliver Jeffers

From #1 New York Times bestseller Oliver Jeffers, comes a poignant and beautiful story about finding joy after loss. There is a wonder and magic to childhood. We don’t realize it at the time, of course . . . yet the adults in our lives do. They encourage us to see things in the stars, to find joy in colors and laughter as we play. But what happens when that special someone who encourages such wonder and magic is no longer around? We can hide, we can place our heart in a bottle and grow up . . . or we can find another special someone who understands the magic. And we can encourage them to see things in the stars, find joy among colors and laughter as they play. Oliver Jeffers delivers a remarkable book, a touching and resonant tale reminiscent of The Giving Tree that will speak to the hearts of children and parents alike.

Cover of The Color Monster: A Story About Emotions

The Color Monster: A Story About Emotions

by Anna Llenas

SORT — a monster untangles his feelings into color-coded jars. The visual metaphor that gives kids language.

Cover of In My Heart: A Book of Feelings

In My Heart: A Book of Feelings

by Jo Witek

NAME — die-cut heart on every page, each spread names a feeling. Concrete vocabulary for what's inside.

Cover of Sometimes I Cry

Sometimes I Cry

by Jess Townes

ALLOW — 'This book is me.' Permission to feel sadness without trying to fix it. Personal note is the emotional core of the caption.

Cover of Grumpy Monkey

Grumpy Monkey

by Suzanne Lang

The hilarious #1 New York Times bestselling classic picture book about a chimpanzee in a very bad mood--perfect for young children learning how to deal with confusing feelings. Jim the chimpanzee is in a terrible mood for no good reason. His friends can't understand it--how can he be in a bad mood when it's SUCH a beautiful day? They have lots of suggestions for how to make him feel better. But Jim can't take all the advice...and has a BIT of a meltdown. Could it be that he just needs a day to feel grumpy? Suzanne and Max Lang bring hilarity and levity to this very important lesson on emotional literacy, demonstrating to kids that they are allowed to feel their feelings. Grumpy Monkey is the first title in a series of books targeted at different ages that encourage kids to feel their feelings.

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