It’s no secret that toddlers are commonly dealing with some very big feelings! As they take their very first steps along the path of social emotional awareness, books can be a wonderful resources for helping them to learn to identify a range of feelings and coping skills, and today I am excited to share a list of some of the best toddler books about feelings.
The picture books on this list have been hand picked for children aged 2+ years – they are super engaging, with high quality stories and factual information shared at a level appropriate to read with younger children (alongside great illustrations too!) Perfect for inviting first discussions with toddlers about feelings and emotions, you might also like to follow up with one of our 9 activities for exploring emotions with toddlers and preschoolers.
For those with older children, be sure to also check out our awesome books about emotions list and kids books about worries.
15 Best Toddler Books About Feelings & Emotions
For more information about each of the titles listed below each is linked to online bookstore pages where you can find reviews and age recommendations for titles you are unfamiliar with (these are affiliate links and I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases).
 The Feelings Book by Todd Parr: We are big fans of Todd Parr’s books for toddlers and preschoolers. Outlining feelings in simple, relatable ways, The Feelings Book is sure to be a hit in your home or classroom.Available: Amazon | The Book Depository |
 Lots of Feelings by Shelley Rotner: A great first feelings book for toddlers, Lots of Feelings uses photographs of real children to show how our faces can communicate a range of emotions.Available: Amazon | The Book Depository |
 In My Heart: A Book of Feelings by Jo Witek: This is such a great book to introduce feelings, exploring a range of emotions and how they make us feel physically. The gorgeous die-cut pages add a special element to a lovely book.Available: Amazon | The Book Depository |
 The Way I Feel by Janan Cain: Help your toddler understand all the feelings they feel through bright illustrations and simple, text, this engaging book helps them to see they’re not alone whatever they’re feeling.Available: Amazon | The Book Depository |
 The Color Monster by Anna Llenas: What better way to teach emotions than to associate each emotion with a colour. A beautiful, sensitive story with engaging pop up illustrations.Available: Amazon | The Book Depository |
 Tiger Days by M.H. Clark: From tiger fierce to snail slow, there are lots of ways to feel and be. I love the way the animals are woven through the series of emotions in this clever first feelings book.
Available: Amazon | The Book Depository
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 Glad Monster, Sad Monster by Ed Emberley & Anne Miranda: Glad, sad, silly, mad – monsters have all kinds of different feelings! Learn about emotions in a fun way with this wonderful, interactive book for young children.Available: Amazon | The Book Depository |
 Find Out About Feelings: Friendly child characters face familiar situations that invite discussion about feeling happy, sad, frightened, brave and everything in between. Bold, interactive illustrations make this a great book to explore with younger readers.Available: Amazon | The Book Depository |
 Happy Hippo, Angry Duck: A Book of Moods by Sandra Boynton: Boynton’s fun rhyming prose and quirky animal characters make this a fabulous first book of emotions for toddlers.Available: Amazon | The Book Depository |
 The Pigeon Has Feelings Too! by Mo Willems: The bus driver is trying to get him to be happy, but not one to be told what to do, the very funny Pigeon runs through a gamut of emotions while attempting to thwart his old nemesis!Available: Amazon | The Book Depository |
 My Friend Is Sad by Mo Willems: Gerald is sad. How can Piggie be happy if his friend Gerald is sad? Can Piggie help Gerald feel better? A fun first book about empathy for the feelings of others starring two very best (and very funny) friends.Available: Amazon | The Book DepositoryWe also love this sweet list of books about kindness for developing empathy. |
 Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard: Bird wakes up one morning feeling out of sorts-too grumpy to eat, too grumpy to play, and even too grumpy to fly. “Looks like I’m walking today,” he grumbles. Fortunately, some exercise and good company help Bird overcome his bad mood.Available: Amazon | The Book Depository |
 Llama Llama Mad at Mama by Anna Dewdney: The popular Llama Llama series is a great one for toddlers. Just like many young children, Llama gets mad whilst out shopping with his mama and together they work to find a solution.Available: Amazon | The Book Depository |
 Little Monkey Calms Down by Michael Dahl: This is one angry monkey who makes learning about emotions so much fun! Follow along to learn how monkey uses simple coping skills to regain control of his feelings after a big meltdown.Available: Amazon | The Book Depository |
 B is for Breathe by Dr. Melissa Munro Boyd: If your little is learning struggling with coping with big feelings, this is a great book to start with! It includes a different coping skill for each letter of the alphabet.Available: Amazon | The Book Depository |
Have you seen our GREAT BIG list of 101 Books about Friendship, Communication and Social Skills? Great for all different forms of social emotional learning!
Christie Burnett is an early childhood teacher, presenter, writer and the editor of Childhood 101. More importantly, she is a Mum who believes wholeheartedly in the value of children learning through play, the importance of quality early education, and the togetherness of family.
