Feel Your Happy
Emily Coxhead
Walker Books

Emily Coxhead has created another uplifting book overflowing with positivity. Its narrator is a small, very endearing sloth that offers lots of practical strategies to use when things get too much. ‘When I hear a noise that hurts my ears, I find somewhere quiet to be still and calm’, is one. ‘When the world seems too bright, ‘I ask someone to read me a story’ is another

and ‘when somewhere new smells different or strange, I take my softest teddy to snuggle so it smells of home.’ – all of these will appeal to young children and help them to ‘feel their happy’. I love the reassurance given at the end of the book: ‘Your feelings are part of what makes you, YOU! Just remember to be proud, be yourself …”

Using the five senses to manage feelings really helps to make things accessible to very young children, especially when the text is accompanied by warm bright, joyful illustrations with humorous details that are as positive as the words and enable little ones to feel involved.

All children find it difficult to manage their emotions at times, so this is a book to have in home and early years/foundation stage collections.