Top Children's Books To Teach About Emotions

A large part of my curriculum is purposely spent exploring emotions with my students. We explore what they are called, what causes them, and how to handle them appropriately in the classroom. The big idea is that emotions are all okay, but how we react to our emotions is worth some thought.

There is also a large part of my teaching week dedicated to unplanned teaching of social skills and emotions. These are during the conflicts that arise daily during any given day in the primary classroom.

When these big emotions occur, it’s helpful to have a story to help explore the concepts and lead our discussion. Below are some of the stories I’ve grabbed on such occasions, and they’ve really helped! Click on any cover to see more details. Hopefully they can help you, too!

I bought this book when I really DID have a student named Sophie who got very angry – a LOT!

This book helped and became one of her favorites to read, perhaps because it let her know that big emotions are something everyone deals with at some point or another.

This sweet story is about another Sophie, who worries a lot.

I love this one for both shy and outgoing students when we talk about kindness and assertiveness. Emotions are so complex and always changing – we each have a some shyness and fierceness inside of us!