I Feel!: A Book of Emotions (I Will!)

PreS-Gr 3--Everyone struggles with managing the emotions that roil them, but for young children, emotions can be even harder without a way to articulate them. Medina's new book--and the third in her "I Will" series--seeks to help children point to and name 14 different emotions. On each spread, one page contains a single word while the facing page has a colorful, full-page illustration of a child experiencing an emotion. Additionally, in the upper corner of the page with the word, there is a simple drawing capturing just the child's facial expression. Some illustrations show children in a school setting (a "lonely" child eats by herself in a cafeteria), while others take place in the broader world (a "frightened" child shies away from a pool). There are emotions that most everyone is reluctant to experience (e.g., embarrassed, confused) as well as those people revel in experiencing (such as excited or proud). The illustrations depict a diverse group of children and a variety of skin tones; the pairings will elicit conversations, showing the excited child with an artificial leg, and an embarrassed child wearing a hijab. There are only two sentences in the book, placed at the end where they resonate: "All feelings are valid. It is what we do with them that matters." VERDICT Perfect for parents, teachers, psychologists, and counselors to share with young children to help them validate, understand, and even regulate their emotions.--Sally A. James