Picture books for teaching students about feelings and emotions // favorite read alouds K-2

[@lyndaglenn6753]

Love the Grumpy Monkey, and Color Monster.

[@pamengstrom1929]

As a special education teacher I often have to teach missing social skills/feelings to my students. I love using Julia Cook books to do that. I especially like the books, "Tattle Tongue" and "My Mouth is a Volcano". My students really relate to these books and the feelings in them.

[@suzanneawtrey6346]

These are awesome selections! I recently purchased your interactive read aloud resource and used it in my classroom this week. We all loved it! You mentioned creating a one for newer book selections. Do you think you will get to that soon? It would be fantastic if you included these books. Can’t wait! I love your videos and products. Thank you😊

[@annmariemiele8004]

I like Ruby Finds A Worry by Tom Percival. Especially during these times, kids worry about a lot of different things. Important for them to know they are not the only ones who worry and it may help to talk.

[@karenbeardsley9934]

These are great books! An oldie but goodie is Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day! It is fun to talk about the experiences he has and children share if they've had similar experiences. It is also great to pair with a conversation about how we can solve problems and acknowledge and work through feelings.

[@jennifercobbs6144]

Great book choices, and so relevant for the kids. I love “My Mouth is a Volcano”

[@mkirchenwitz549]

The invisible Boy is a good one too….you already named some favorites Books are such a good way to teach kiddos!

[@tamarasolomons5367]

First grade teacher. You listed some great books I have read When Sophie Gets Angry, Really, Really Angry, it leads to a lot of discussion on relatiable emotions.. I read How Full Is Your Bucket, Jabari Jumps, How Full is Your Bucket, Ish, The Invisible Boy, I Am Enough , My Little Box of Emotions. We do a lot on Social Emotional Learning.

[@michelleadair3755]

This is great! Thank you so much for sharing!

[@michelleadair3755]

I will check our school library to see if we have any of these. Our 2nd Graders are going through ALOT of emotions. I have seen some adults going through emotions too!

[@lenorelyautey9112]

We are using the Second Step curriculum with our first grade students. I love using the book “Wemberly Worried” when we cover the feeling of being worried.

[@heidiebersole2265]

The invisible Boy is a good one too….you already named some favorites! ☺️

[@maryruff2634]

I ran across Hey, Warrior! By Karen Young a few years ago. It explains in a kid-friendly way what anxiety is and where in the brain it comes from. The book suggests practical, easy ways to deal with that and the emotions anxiety can produce. For example, giving your anxiety a name. It isn't a "story book" per se, but a wonderful resource to share bit by bit or with students who are especially struggling with anxiety.

[@kathyhenry6850]

Love these videos!

[@cindywilson2308]

I have read When Sophie gets angry, really really angry. Great book to generate class discussion. Thank you

[@hollylaz3142]

Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts is one of my favorites!

[@kimberlykatz6370]

Now-more than ever- my students need social emotional support/learning. Thanks for sharing. P.S. Also helpful for my professional learning/student learning goals!! A favorite book... The Most Magnificant Thing (learning to be resilient)...

[@lindastillings2986]

I have enjoyed books about Kindness, especially before the holidays. I like the book, Kindness is My Superpower and Listening with My Heart

[@brianayoung8723]

I also love The Invisible String. The ninja series books are great too! We have Calm Ninja by Mary Nhin at home and it’s a great way to introduce kids to yoga and breathing exercises. Thanks for your recommendations! Love them!

[@kristinkircher5757]

The book I’m Happy-Sad Today (Lory Britain) is great for teaching kids that you can have more than one feeling at a time. For example you might be sad that you have to say bye to mom and dad but you’re excited to see your friends at school. I also like using the characters from inside out for the little ones because they were late to them. We use the Inside Out Box of Emotions. Each feeling has its own book with the character from the movie.

[@Meowers79]

The book my son and I read together² is "When your brain gets stuck" by Dawn Huebner, Ph.D. It's a kids guide to overcome OCD. It covers repeated actions a child does. It also covers thoughts and urges that get stuck in a child's mind, that terrify them or torment them. This book teaches the child and the parent cognitive behavioral techniques to conquer OCD. Its illustrated colorfully and even has questions the kids can answer. I highly recommend this book.

[@Meowers79]

I need to make a correction. The book is called "What to do when your brain gets stuck".

[@kingwavy7105]

That’s a good one!

[@timibirch3878]

I use the Mood Meter program in kindergarten. I love The Way I Feel, The Feelings Monster, and When Sophie Get Angry!

[@franniehasan7866]

My kids and I love the book, The Way I Feel. I look forward to reading The Boy with the Big, Big Feeling and In My Heart.

[@beckipedersen]

Our school always uses Have You Filled Your Bucket and we get little tin buckets from the DollarStore and kids put little notes in them for each other.

[@beckyholland4334]

“There Might Be Lobsters”- great for anxiety!

[@susanjones7517]

I need to check this one out!!

[@StAugust55]

I have the book "The Way I Feel" and my students love for me to read it daily. They relate to their emotions , especially when feeling sad.

[@marycento261]

The Invisible String by Patrice Karst is one of my all time favorites for both children and adults dealing with fears & the loss of a loved one!!!❤️🎈❤️🎈❤️🎈

[@susanjones7517]

Love this one!! So touching

[@trinataylor3062]

I enjoy I like myself with Catrow as the illustrator and I'm Enough Byers. These deal with students who do not believe in themselves.

[@marywalker790]

I enjoy using Ezra Jack Keats' books which main character goes through daily life situations which leads to different emotions that kids can relate to. One of the books is Peter 's Chair.

[@kimberlydrake1617]

I love all of the books The Cool Bean, The Bad Seed, The Good Egg, The Couch Potato!

[@donnaedwards8607]

I found this amazing book last year and it is incredible - Phone Call with a Fish by Silvia Vecchini. I have shared it with other teachers that I work with - it's pretty powerful.

[@MrBoomchickapow]

Courage by Bernard Waber - Read aloud & discussion surrounding what it takes to be courageous , kinds of courage (being new to a school, courage with friends, courage to seek help from others, courage with new situations, etc.) followed by analyzing the book for strategies the characters use in the book to have courage (seek help, talk it out, etc.).

[@susanjones7517]

I don’t think I’ve read this before!! Thank you for sharing, I’ll need to check it out

[@juliadicupe6853]

It's funny because two of the stories you use I use as well and love, love, love them ( When Sophie Gets Angry - Really Really Angry and The Way I Feel). I also love the book My Mouth is a Volcano and Wemberly Worried. Wemberly Worried is a great book to begin the year with in Kindergarten because so many of the students feel worried when they begin the year. It also opens up a great discussion about how they feel at the start of the school year and why they think they might feel that way. My Mouth is a Volcano is a book the students can relate to easily. Another book I use is Ruthie and the Not So Teeny Tiny Lie. This character in this book experience guilt because she lied about owning something. It helps the children recognize this emotion along with the importance of being honest even when it's hard.

[@courtneymich3ll3]

There were a lot of books that I like already mentioned, so I'll add one I have not seen. My Body Sends a Signal is a newer book that came out last year. It talks about how our bodies feel and what we may do when we are feeling certain feelings. For example, when we are proud we might stand taller or we might feel like we have ants in our pants when we are excited. It is cute and perfect for littles to understand how their emotions affect their behaviors.

[@wendyrobinson5639]

Julia Cook's books are really good, not just for feelings but other issues like lying etc.

[@shumailahirani8493]

Hello Susan if I wanaa buy one book which onei s best?

[@karenbeardsley9934]

Oh, I wanted to add a second one that my students really love. The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse by : Charlie Mackesy It really brought about some great discussions of feelings and also building friendships and how friends can support and lift one another up!

[@kellyjepsen5846]

The Worry Box by Suzanne Chiew

[@deborahlinsy7400]

A great book relating to social and emotions is Zach Get Frustrated by William Mulcahy.

[@Tuckerdog604]

Words and the heart, You, me and Empathy, Spot feels emotions.

[@marycento261]

Slumberkins Alpaca Series!

[@KillerLeilani]

Fist grade. A chair for my mother by Vera R Williams.

[@colleensedote1901]

I like the books My Mouth is a Volcano” and “Tattle Tongue”.

[@ABennett2733]

How full is your bucket? By Tom Rath

[@elizabethlotz156]

I Like Me! Nancy Carlson

[@bobbirans-kennedy6920]

The Red Beast bY KI-AI GHANI

[@irenepulido1815]

First grade Enemy Pie

[@kathyfernau5135]

I like My Mouth is a Volcano.