Book Review: “A Whole Bunch of Feelings: What Do They Mean” by Jennifer Moore-Mallinos

Recommended reading age: 4 to 6 (though kids of all ages can enjoy reading this with their families)

What Makes This One of the Best Children’s Books

I have no doubt that my son in preschool experiences a full spectrum of emotions. Every. Single. Day.

When he fills with rage, his little fists come at me in overdrive. When he wails, the whole neighborhood can hear. When he bounds around with joy, he burns more calories than an aerobics instructor.

And yet, confronting and controlling these emotions seem far beyond his grasp.

Fortunately, Jennifer Moore-Mallinos’ insightful book “A Whole Bunch of Feelings: What Do They Mean,” provides kids with a step-by-step guide to managing their daily tidal wave of emotions.

Covering a total of 44 feelings — including sadness, guilt, rage, excitement, shyness and many more — this book sets itself apart with its highly useful format.

Each page describes a specific emotion, then portrays a relatable situation in which a child experiences that feeling. Many pages also prompt readers to discuss a time they felt that way.

Simple and straightforward, this entertaining emotional primer can help kids develop the crucial life skill of identifying and understanding their feelings. And understanding emotions is the first step toward managing them.

Best of all, each page that discusses challenging emotions also offers reasonable advice on what to do when readers feel that way.

Each suggested solution is reasonable and achievable. The book’s examples also demonstrate that a seemingly overwhelming feeling can actually be tackled with simple steps.

Here are just a few examples: for a girl fretting about telling her brother she broke his bike, the book counsels that the best thing to do when worrying is to take action. For a kid intimidated by a bully, it advises to ask an adult for help. For a boy feeling jealous of a friend, the book encourages kids to conquer jealousy by focusing on appreciating what they have.

Not only is this advice pragmatic, but kids might also be more willing to follow these tips because they come from a book and not their families (who they might be more inclined to ignore).

Overall, this book will leave kids feeling delighted – and they’ll likely be able to capably discuss that emotion, too.

How My Child Reacted to This Book

My son listened attentively to this book, at times saddened or excited by the characters’ situations. He answered many of the prompts about times that he had felt various emotions – and to my surprise, I learned a lot about my son that way.

He confided that he worries about learning to ride his bike, for instance, and discussed how joyful he feels when seeing model trains at the mall. I was amazed that this book succeeded in coaxing my son to talk about feelings.

Potential Conversations to Pair with This Book

Families can absolutely use “A Whole Bunch of Feelings” as a roadmap for helping kids control their emotions during challenging moments.

I fully intend to keep this on hand, and if my son suddenly struggles with a particular feeling, I can simply grab the book and flip to the page that discusses that specific emotion.

We can read through the page, discuss the book’s advice and then chat about how to address what my son feels in that moment.

I predict this book will help both my son and I to better navigate difficult situations together.

More Children’s Books Like This

‘The Sour Grape’ Shows Kids How to Manage Anger

‘Hattie Harmony: Worry Detective’ – A Cheerful Cat Teaches Kids to Manage Anxiety

‘The Smart Cookie’ – A Sweet Story of Building Confidence at School