Learning how to identify feelings and express them in healthy ways is the foundation of developing social and emotional intelligence. It is never too early to start teaching kids that it is normal to have a wide range of feelings and that all of them are okay. The beautiful books on our list of multicultural children’ books about feelings are a great start!
21 Multicultural Children’s Books About Feelings
Babies & Toddlers
Making Faces: A First Book of Emotions
by Abrams Appleseed
“Look at the happy baby. / Can you make a happy face? / Find the happy baby!” Making Faces introduces five essential expressions (happy, sad, angry, surprised, and silly) with large images of baby faces. Little readers are asked to mimic each face, then pick it out from a group of other babies. Includes mirror. ~ Diverse – Babies & Toddlers
The Feelings Book
by Todd Parr
“Sometimes I feel silly. / Sometimes I feel like eating pizza for breakfast. / Sometimes I feel brave. /Sometimes I feel like trying something new.” With Todd Parr’s signature quirky style and bold illustrations, The Feelings Book presents a wide range of feelings in a fun way that will encourage kids to discuss their own feelings. ~ Diverse – Babies & Toddlers
Todd Parr Feelings Flash Cards: A Great Way for Kids to Share and Learn about Emotions
Lots of Feelings
by Shelley Rotner
“Everyone has lots of feelings.” With simple text and photographs, Lots of Feelings introduces a range of emotions, from happy to sad, grumpy to thoughtful, and more. A great book to start identifying and talking about feelings. ~ Diverse – Babies & Toddlers
La Catrina: Emotions – Emociones
by Patty Rodriguez
Based on well-known symbols of Dia De los Muertos (Day of the Dead), bilingual La Catrina teaches little ones to recognize feelings like emocionado (excited), triste (sad), and confiado (confident). ~ Hispanic – Babies & Toddlers
Preschool
Bucket Filling from A to Z: The Key to Being Happy
by Carol McCloud & Caryn Butzke
“Bucket filling is easy, as easy as can be. / You can fill a bucket all the way from A to Z.” Bucket Filling from A to Z takes young readers through the alphabet to show them simple ways of filling their own and other people’s buckets. ~ Diverse – Preschool
The Recess Queen
by Alexis O’Neill
“Mean Jean was Recess Queen / and nobody said any different. / Nobody swung until Mean Jean swung. / Nobody kicked until Mean Jean kicked. / Nobody bounced until Mean Jean bounced.” But with her irrepressible spirit, a new girl befriends the bully in this infectious playground romp. The Recess Queen playfully explores the feelings behind being a bully and how to deal with a bully in a positive way (and without adult intervention!) ~ Diverse – Preschool
More books about bullying: 20 Multicultural Children’s Books about Bullying
B is for Breathe: The ABCs of Coping with Fussy and Frustrating Feelings
by Dr Melissa Munro Boyd
All the way through the alphabet, B is for Breathe celebrates the many ways children can express their feelings and develop coping skills at an early age. The fun illustrations will inspire kids to discuss their feelings and practice calm down strategies. ~ Diverse – Preschool
Even Superheroes Have Bad Days
by Shelly Becker
All kids struggle to deal with their emotions sometimes, even young superheroes! With vibrant illustrations and dynamic rhyming text, Even Superheroes Have Bad Days shows the many ways superheroes (and ordinary children, too) can cope with difficult feelings, from burning off steam on a bike or a hike, to helping others. ~ Diverse – Preschool
More books about Superheroes: 22 Multicultural Children’s Books featuring Superheroes
My Cold Plum Lemon Pie Bluesy Mood
by Tameka Fryer Brown
On a really good day, Jamie feels purple like the first bite of a juicy cold plum. And when he draws, he feels green, like a dragon dancing through a jungle made of green jello. But when his brothers push him around and make fun of his drawings, Jamie feels like dark grey, like a storm brewing. What will it take to put him back in a bright-feeling mood? My Cold Plum Lemon Pie Bluesy Mood presents a unique way of describing feelings. ~ African – Preschool
Elementary School
Those Shoes
by Maribeth Boelts
Everyone at school has these cool new shoes, and all Jeremy wants is a pair, too. But his grandma says they don’t have room for “want,” just “need”. When he finds a pair at a thrift shop, he is determined to wear them even though they are way too small. With the loving support of his grandma, Jeremy learns that sore feet aren’t fun and that there are things that matter a lot more, for example helping a friend. Those Shoes is a heartfelt and realistic story about disappointment, kindness and compassion. ~ African – Elementary School
More books about kindness: 25 Multicultural Children’s Books teaching Kindness & Empathy
Visiting Feelings
by Lauren J. Rubenstein
“Do you have a feeling that’s visiting today? / Can you open your door and invite it to play?” Visiting Feelings invites children to sense, explore, and befriend any feeling, instead of labelling and trying to escape it. Children can explore their emotions with their senses and gain an understanding of how feelings also show in the body. Includes a note to parents with suggestions of easy mindfulness practices to include into your family’s daily routines. ~ Diverse – Elementary School
The Great Big Book of Feelings
by Mary Hoffman
“How are you feeling today?” This opening question leads on to a spread by spread presentation of a wide range of feelings, including happy, sad, excited, jealous, lonely, calm and safe. The final spread is about feeling better by sharing and talking about feelings. With humour and dynamic illustrations of lots of different children in lots of different situations, The Great Big Book of Feelings is a fun book that children will want to return to often. ~ Diverse – Preschool
Anh’s Anger // Steps and Stones // Peace, Bugs, and Understanding
by Gail Silver
When 5-year-old Anh becomes enraged, his grandfather helps him to fully experience this emotion by suggesting to “sit with his anger”. As he does, his anger comes to life in full colour and personality and Anh finds a constructive way to release it. Gorgeously illustrated, Anh’s Anger is the first book in this trilogy that gives children a concrete practice for dealing with anger. In Steps and Stones, Anh’s anger shows up again when his friends leave and he feels left out at school. Peace, Bugs and Understanding introduces Lily and her little sister Ruby. When Lily lashes out at Ruby, her father shows her his grandfather’s journal that tells the story of his encounter with a strange looking frog-like creature called Anger. The precious old journal teaches Lily about Metta, a technique that has helped people transform anger into loving kindness for thousands of years. ~ Asian – Preschool, Elementary School
More books with Asian characters: 30 Asian &Asian American Children’s Books for Ages 0 to 18
Buckets, Dippers, and Lids: Secrets to Your Happiness
by Carol McCloud
Buckets, Dippers and Lids takes the concept of bucket filling one step further by adding the idea that we also have an invisible lid that protects and keep the happiness inside our bucket. With charming illustrations, this picture book teaches young readers what gives happiness, what takes it away, and what protects it. ~ Diverse – Elementary School
Grandfather Gandhi
by Arun Gandhi
12-year-old Arun travels to India to live in Grandfather Gandhi’s village. He worries about living up to his grandfather’s extraordinary example. Like all children, Arun sometimes gets frustrated and erupts in anger. Gandhi teaches his grandson that anger is human and how to turn darkness into light. Grandfather Gandhi is a touching personal account, brought to life by unique three-dimensional mixed-media collages. ~ Asian – Preschool
More books about grandparents: 40+ Multicultural Children’s Books about Grandparents
Dealing with Feeling Jealous // Proud // Angry// Happy
by Isabel Thomas
With whimsical illustrations, the Dealing with Feeling series looks at a wide range of feelings. Each book shows what the respective feeling looks like, how to deal with it, and how to help other people who might be feeling that way. Includes toolbox and glossary. ~ Diverse – Elementary School
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