ALL feelings are OK. They come in unpleasant and pleasant flavors . . . so even though it is okay to experience ALL feelings, not all feelings feel okay . . . knowing how to navigate the inevitable "down" emotions is an essential life skill, creating students who are healthy, happy (more than not), and ready to learn.

Black, M.I., & Ohi, D.R. (2019). I'm Worried. New York/London/Toronto/Sydney/New Delhi, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. Potato, Flamingo, and their friend, a little girl, are BACK! I love these characters. The little girl and Potato debuted in 2012, I'm Bored. Flamingo is introduced at the end of the book and then stars in the 2018 sequel, I'm Sad. In I'm Worried, the third book by actor, writer, and comedian Michael Ian Black, Potato is worried about the future. Potato's worries influence Flamingo. The little girl encourages, "It's okay you two. Sometimes bad things happen." I really like when Potato and Flamingo attempt to wrap themselves in bubble wrap to keep anything bad from happening . . . The little girl concludes, "Worrying doesn't help! Since we don't know what's going to happen in the future, maybe we should just enjoy the now."

Eland, E. (2019). When Sadness Is at Your Door. New York, Random House Children's Books, a Division of Penguin Random House.

This picture book has soft colors of cream, brown, pink, and greenish/blue. Sadness is a character in the story. Sadness arrives unexpectedly and follows the child around . . . the author encourages "making friends" with the sad feeling. Tips are shared like "listening to music," "drinking hot chocolate," "going for a walk," and "sitting quietly" with the unpleasant feeling of sadness.

Graham, L. (October 2019). Lean In: Persevering in the face of adversity--and getting back up when you stumble--are essential to thriving through tough times. No matter where you start, you can train your brain to build resilience. Mindful, volume 7 (number 4), pages 48-53.

"When the self-regulating capacity of your brain is functioning well, you can inhabit or quickly recover a felt sense of centeredness, ease, and well-being after an upsetting event." A practice of "Taking in the Good" and reviewing that "kindness, gratitude or awe" regularly throughout the day (five times) is included to "create new neural circuitry for resilience." A link to mindful.org/resilience, "5 Science-Backed Strategies to Build Resilience," is also provided for exploration of the topic.

Greenwood, E. (2018). My Mixed Emotions: Help Your Kids Handle Their Feelings. New York, DK Publishing, a Division of Penguin Random House.

This is an amazing nonfiction resource with five "chapters"-- "Feeling Happy," "Feeling Angry," "Feeling Fear," "Feeling Sad," and "The Wonder of You." An emotions dictionary, glossary, and an index are included in the back of the book. Many graphics, highlights, captions, articles, and quotes explain the science of emotions and tips of how to manage them well.

My favorite quote: "Count your rainbows not your thunderstorms." The activity on this page includes many flowers with positive statements: "I am determined." "I am organized." "I am cheerful." "I am energetic." "I am caring." Readers are encouraged to "choose flowers that describe you and that you can be thankful for."

Milgrim, D. (2015). Wild Feelings. New York, Henry Holt and Company.

In this picture book, the reader is asked, "Do you feel stubborn as a mule? Or as chicken as a chicken?" Many unpleasant feelings are presented: sad, lost, small, alone? Feeling these unpleasant feelings is validated, "Of course you do. Everyone does."

Other Great Books about FEELINGS:

The Feelings Book by Todd Parr

I'm Bored by Michael Ian Black

I'm Sad by Michael Ian Black

Little Unicorn is . . . series: Sad, Scared, Angry, and Shy by Aurelie Chien Chow Chine (These include breathing exercises!)

Today I Feel . . . : An Alphabet of Feelings by Madalena Moniz