When You Fall Off Your Feelings
Robbie was under the weather a few days ago and, because of it, he had more trouble (than a kindergardner does normally) regulating his emotions. Once the storm had passed, he cuddled against me and expressed contrition for the way he’d behaved. I explained to him that it can be hard for your mind and heart to “stay on top of your feelings” when your body is spending all its energy on feeling physically better.
“So that’s why I fell off my feelings earlier?” Robbie asked me earnestly.
Kids are so literal - it’s one of my favorite things about being able to have real conversations with Robbie these days. But there are still some really complicated concepts that need a more poetic explanation so that young children can feel safe exploring them. Robbie loves these three books and they help center me, too when I read them to the kids. They remind me that it’s okay for change and loss and grief to be hard for adults as well, and that we find our way out the same way that children do: with time and through love.
Maybe Tomorrow?
by Charlotte Agell
illustrated by Ana Ramirez González
Elba has a black block. She's been dragging it around for a long time.
Norris dances everywhere he goes, even uphill. He is always surrounded by a happy cloud of butterflies.
Can Norris and his butterflies help ease Elba's sadness and convince her to join them on a trip to the ocean?
This tender exploration of loss illuminates how kindness, empathy, and friendship can lift our spirits and see us through many tomorrows. It will resonate with anyone who has experienced hardship or grief, from the death of a loved one or a pet, to a friend moving away, or the transition to a new home or family situation.
The Heart and the Bottle
by Oliver Jeffers
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.
The Rabbit Listened
by Cori Doerrfeld
When something sad happens, Taylor doesn't know where to turn. All the animals are sure they have the answer. The chicken wants to talk it out, but Taylor doesn't feel like chatting. The bear thinks Taylor should get angry, but that's not quite right either. One by one, the animals try to tell Taylor how to act, and one by one they fail to offer comfort. Then the rabbit arrives. All the rabbit does is listen... which is just what Taylor needs.
With its spare, poignant text and irresistibly sweet illustration, The Rabbit Listened is about how to comfort and heal the people in your life, by taking the time to carefully, lovingly, gently listen.
