I FEEL THE WORLD

A little bear learns about their emotions.

A young brown bear is initially swarmed by butterflies representing feelings in “different shades, / sizes, colours, textures, shapes. / Big and bold and loud and strong. / A quiet hum. A gentle song.” Couplets, with occasionally forced wording to create the rhyme, detail positive and negative emotions that the bear experiences. Eye-catching illustrations of the big-eyed bear and other adorable animals capture those sentiments, from the calm of a “morning lake. A cloudless sky. / A bubbling creek that skittles by” to the chaos of emotions that “creep from / nowhere, fast!” Sometimes, strong feelings make the bear want to hide; they even manifest themselves in physical symptoms. “Head hurts. Sore tum. Cannot sleep.” But the little bear learns to cope (“Stop. / Breathe in. / Big breath out”) and to remember a bad feeling is “okay. / It’s just the way I feel today.” The text is didactic in places, but this little bear is very relatable, and their experiences will encourage young children to share their emotions and struggles. Detailed backmatter, with suggestions for discussing feelings, activities, and “tips for managing big feelings,” will support adults as they help children understand and moderate their emotions. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Will start a dialogue to help children bring big, out-of-control feelings into perspective.