While we all want our kids to grow up to be kind, smart and healthy, you can’t underestimate the importance of developing their emotional intelligence too. Emotional intelligence is just as important as all other skills kids need, because it helps them identify and manage their feelings. One of the earliest and best ways to build that emotional intelligence is through picture books.
This book series is a great starting point for your kids to get a grasp on all the big emotions they are likely to encounter in their lives including love, loneliness, anger, jealousy, kindness and fear. By taking readers on a journey through scenarios that entice a particular emotion, they are introduced to the emotions themselves along with strategies that can be used to express these feelings in an appropriate way.
In My Heart – Jo Witek
This is a beautiful and well-written book that explores a full range of emotions. The aim of this book is to help little ones identify and articulate their emotions. In My Heart delves into what each emotion feels like physically. The language is also lyrical, making for an enjoyable and entertaining reading journey. The simple yet evocative imagery also draws readers in.
The Fix-It Man - Dimity Powell
This book touches on one of the biggest and hardest emotions of them all in a delicate, relatable and easy to understand way – grief. This sad little tale touches on a little girl’s grief following the loss of her mother. The emotional storyline paired with the simple, yet enchanting illustrations enhances the emotional tale told. These big emotions are handled delicately as the reader sees how the characters respond to the situation before them.
A big reason for improving emotional intelligence is to help children handle any emotional or social situation they may encounter. This book is all about creating the mindful mantra ‘I can handle it’ into your child’s thoughts and vocabulary. This book gives kids the tools for how to handle a range of everyday situations they encounter and builds their confidence to know they can deal with each situation on their own.
This book aims to open up discussions on feelings between kids and adults. This bright little book filled with simple, primary coloured graphics vividly illustrates a wide range of moods. Kids and adults alike will enjoy the quirky intelligence of this book that touches on both the normal and sometimes nonsensical emotions we feel.
With clever text that rhymes paired with illustrations that are fun and expressive, The Way I Feel makes for a wonderful picture book about children experiencing a range of emotions such as shyness, boredom, jealousy and silliness. The simple text and big colourful pictures are great for little ones.
A great book for kids struggling with anxiety or worry, particularly at bedtime. This tale is all about how a little girl learns how to overcome her worry. If anxiety is knowing to be a struggle for your child, you won’t want to pass up on this delightful tale.
Here at Ascot Childcare and Kindy, we always have a great collection of picture books in our centre that we read to the kids or they can flip through themselves. We also go above and beyond to create an environment that helps your little ones develop those much-needed emotional intelligence skills. Want to find out more? Contact us to learn more about Ascot Childcare and Kindy.
