The Best Toddler Books about Feelings Every Parent Should Read

It can be difficult to identify and understand emotions, but books can be a very helpful tool to help you and your little one navigate feelings and emotions.

These toddler picture books about feelings that are featured in this article are all simple stories with colorful illustrations that I have enjoyed reading with my own kids and recommend to the families I work with in Early Intervention as well.

They will help toddlers identify, understand, and express their feelings.

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The Benefits of Using Books to Encourage Social-Emotional Development

Using books to encourage social-emotional development in little kids is a great way to introduce them to various concepts.

They can learn essential life lessons such as showing kindness, sharing, being responsible, and more.

Reading books with children helps them develop imagination and creativity while they also gain language and vocabulary skills.

Books are a valuable tool in teaching problem-solving skills and help kids learn how to manage their emotions, be it yours or those of others.

It’s also a great way for adults to bond with their little ones while they explore the world around them together — something both parents and children will benefit from!

Where can you find books that navigate complex feelings?

With so much content available today, it can be hard for parents to determine which resources are best for their child’s social-emotional development.

Luckily, the public library is an excellent place to start when looking for books about emotions.

With a wide selection of picture books, board books, and nonfiction titles, parents have access to books that will introduce children to emotional vocabulary, encourage healthy coping strategies, and demonstrate positive behavior management techniques.

Libraries also often host story times or provide lists of recommended book titles in addition to educational programming for kids.

Whether you’re looking for something in particular or simply browsing for new ideas, the library is a great resource that can supply your family with plenty of materials and activities geared toward social-emotional development.

I have found some of my favorites that I will talk about in this post by just stumbling across them on a trip to the library with my kids!

Foodie Faces: Discover All the Feelings!

I accidentally stumbled across this great book on a trip to the library and it almost instantly became a favorite with both of my kiddos who are currently ages 4 and 7.

Foodie Faces by Bill and Claire Wurtzel is a very simple picture book that shows different emotions on each page using food to create faces.

The interesting illustrations make children almost immediately engaged and interested in learning about these faces.

Not only do my kids love to look at this book independently, but we have also had some fun together with it.

My daughter and I played a game where she held the book and tried to match the emotions on the pages to see if I could guess them.

My kids were also inspired to make their own foodie faces as well!

Not only do I love this book for starting conversations about feelings and other emotions but it is also great for getting children interested in some new foods.

I think this book would be great for toddlers on up and it also comes in a board book (you can see that here) which is awesome!

Who Loves the Dragon? Great for Exploring Big Feelings

Who loves dragon is a fun story that integrates big feelings well into the storyline.

It talks about how when the dragon is upset we can help her cool off by a simple count to 10, which you walk through doing in the book.

The book has fun pictures and parts where young readers can interact with it like having you pet the dragon.

My kids love this book because it is interactive and the story is easily relatable.

Plus, I think it’s a great way to introduce children to feelings that are sometimes hard to understand like anger and frustration.

You can take a closer look at this one HERE.

Build Emotional Intelligence with: My Body Sends Signals

Hands down this is one of my favorite toddler books about big feelings.

Not only does it include a relatable story that explores big emotions such as sadness, anger, disgust, and more but it also has bonus resources included.

The illustrations in this great book capture facial expressions well which can help children learn what different feelings and emotions may look like.

At the back of the book, you will find prompts to discuss more emotions and situations where they can happen that you can discuss with your child.

There are also flashcards at the end that allow you to expand this book into other parts of your day and activities.

I highly recommend this feelings book (check it out here) if you are looking for toddler books about feelings that will help your child build emotional intelligence.

Inside My Heart and in My Head…Feelings Book

This was another random library find that I was excited to discover.

I really love Inside My Heart and in My Head…Feelings by Libby Walden because it gets into the nitty gritty of emotions and invites little kids to explore their inner world and what they are feeling.

The book has unique and beautiful illustrations which draw in young readers.

There is a cutout of a young child and the setting around him changes as they describe what different emotions feel like.

I find this book great for kids ages toddler through grade school and I’d highly recommend it for anyone exploring emotional intelligence.

You can find it here.

Explore Challenging Situations with The Rabbit that Listened

The Rabbit that Listened is not only a wonderful book for little kids but for grown-ups as well!

The little kid in the story has a frustrating situation that happens and many animal friends try to help him with the difficult feelings he is experiencing.

My children find this book relatable, and it also helps us to explore some more challenging emotions that we experience when frustrated.

The story is simple yet powerful and I think it does a great job of helping toddlers understand what these emotions feel like and is a gentle reminder to parents of how important listening can be!

Get more information about this book here.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I teach my 2-year-old emotions?

Teaching your toddler about emotions can be done through books, modeling, activities, and conversations. Books about feelings are a great way to start these conversations as they provide a springboard for talking about emotions. You can also model by labeling your own feelings and help to explain why you are feeling certain ways in different situations.

Can a 2-year-old identify emotions?

Yes, toddlers can start to identify different emotions and they can even express their own feelings. While they may not be able to put a label on it yet, toddlers are exploring and expressing emotions in their own way. Books about feelings are a great way to help them identify and understand different emotions.

What activities help toddlers with emotions?

Activities that help toddlers with emotions can include storytelling, through play, reading books, and art projects.
Storytelling is a great way to discuss different scenarios where emotions might come up as well as how to handle them.
Through play, toddlers can explore different emotions and how to express them in safe ways.
Reading books about feelings is a great way to introduce emotions in an interactive way.
Art projects can also be helpful to allow toddlers to express their feelings in creative ways.