Intense emotions can be challenging. Absolutely, but for youngsters even more so. They don't have words to define the difficult emotions, like loss or rage or despair, so how are they expected to express them? Before my children were born, I set out to build a strong foundation of emotional intelligence. Sadly, there are no manuals included when you bring a child home from the store. Parenting, on the other hand, doesn't actually help when it comes to dealing with our own and our children's emotional issues. Fortunately, there are a number of excellent resources available to help parents navigate the sometimes-mysterious world of parenting emotionally intelligent children. Here are a few of the best books for kids and parents alike on the subject of emotions.

Picture Books About Emotions

Oh, the classic tantrums of the toddler and preschooler years. Your kid is hungry and overstimulated, and she has just spotted her favorite toy at the end of the aisle you're trying to get past at Target. You know those situations. All of a sudden, everything is over. A sudden flurry of activity causes her to lash out in frustration, kicking and wailing. Every one of us, even the best of us, is subject to this fate. In order to assist children understand their emotions, here are some excellent picture books about emotions.

The Feeling Flower by Lean Dakroub

In The Feeling Flower, a flower named Zippy's thoughts and emotions are chronicled throughout the day. In bright or rainy weather, how does she respond? Using this title, young children are encouraged to recognize that a good day doesn't necessitate a perfect one.

Calm Down Time by Elizabeth Verdick (author) and Marika Heinlen (Illustrator)

Board book Calm Down Time helps toddlers calm down during their frequent tantrums. Children learn to deal with their most difficult emotions with the help of simple rhymes and reassuring images.

Me and My Fear by Francesca Sanna

A little immigrant girl's journey to her new home is the focus of the documentary Me and My Fear. It's hard for her to play if she's afraid that no one will understand what she's saying. After moving to a new city, she learns to overcome her fear and make new friends by sharing her fear with others.

The Feelings Book by Todd Parr

Every expression on a person's face carries a specific emotion. To assist us better understand how we express our emotions, we've put together a simple board book. What the hell are you talking about? Sad? Playing in the mirror and detecting your own and other people's emotions is fun in this book.

When Sadness is at Your Door by Eva Eland

What do we do when we are confronted with sadness? Can it be ignored? What's the deal with it being here? This book teaches children that it's okay to feel sad from time to time, and that rather than being afraid of it, they can gain wisdom from it.

Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang (Author) and Max Lang (Illustrator)

What happens if we're unable to express our emotions in a timely manner? Putting on a happy face has consequences, as this book illustrates, and it teaches children that it is appropriate to experience their emotions.

Elementary Children’s Books About Emotions

A growing child's anxiety levels and frustrations increase as he or she gets older. Because of our unrealistic expectations, it's easy to forget that they're still young. There is still a lot of uncharted territory when it comes to helping children regulate their bodies and their emotions, even if they no longer wake up in the middle of the night or wear diapers.

Listening to My Body by Gabi Garcia

An early mindfulness book, Listening to My Body In this way, children learn to take a seat and express their emotions. As a result, they are better able to regulate their emotions, cultivate mindfulness, and become more emotionally resilient. The works of Gabi Garcia, in general, are remarkable. This book is a good place to start, but I'd recommend any of the others on this list.

The Rough Patch by Brian Lies

The Rough Patch is a novel about loss and disappointment, and how we can use our suffering to create something beautiful out of it. It breaks Evan's heart when his puppy dies. It grows back wild and untamed, and he learns that sometimes we can discover beauty in the wild and broken places when we tear down our gardens in mourning.

The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi

Unhei, a Korean student in a new school, is the focus of The Name Jar. She asks her pupils to come up with a name for her instead of explaining how to pronounce her name. In trying out other names, she discovers that her given name has a unique meaning to her. When it seems like everyone else is embracing their uniqueness, this book encourages us to embrace our own individuality.

My Heart by Corinna Luyken

The book My Heart takes kids on a poetic journey through the emotions. Our hearts might be as small as a puddle, as big as a lake, or as open as a door to the entire universe.

The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson (Author) and Raphael Lopez (Illustrator)

If you enter into a room, "no one will look like you." This book, The Day You Begin, helps children appreciate the differences among people. It also helps them recognize their own feelings of anxiety when they realize that everyone is unique. On the first day of school, the children in the novel learn to be vulnerable and share their stories.

After the Fall by Dan Santat

As the title suggests, this is a retelling of Humpty Dumpty's journey toward re-emergence. After a fall, it can be nerve-wracking to get back up. We see Humpty appear to get better on the outside, but inside he's still scared. One of my favorite books ever regarding the healing process, trauma, and emotional resilience. Things happen, but if we don't allow ourselves to heal, we'll never be able to fly.

Thank You, Omu by Oge Mora

This is a book on giving and recognizing when people offer too much of themselves. In front of the children, Omu ("queen" in Igbo, but referred to as "grandma" here") generously distributes portions of her supper to those who ask for them. Omu is a master of the stew pot. It teaches youngsters to be thankful and mindful of what they eat, as we all live in the same world.

What to do When You’re Feeling Blue by Andi Cann

Using this adorable little book, youngsters may learn to distinguish between the feelings of sadness and happiness, as well as learn how to better manage with their emotions.

Middle Grade Books About Emotions

As our children mature and become more like adults, a new set of challenges arises, namely puberty. When children and parents are in the middle of the transition between childhood and adolescence, it can be difficult. If we haven't already, we're going to have to talk about the big feelings like love and loss as the emotions become more complex.

The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani

Nishadis unsure of her place in the world. After the end of British control in India in 1947, the country was divided into two independent nations. When she was a child, she lost her mother, and now she is a refugee due of the conflicts between the two new countries. As she grieves and discovers who she is, she writes letters to her mother in this book. Children that are disoriented will benefit greatly from reading this book.

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Peterson

When Jess and Leslie build "Terabithia" as their make-believe land one summer, they quickly become fast friends. Terabithia exists in the woods behind Leslie’s house, and one day she goes there without Jess—and something unspeakable happens to her. Jess is left to face with his sadness, his loss, his perplexity. It’s a book about how we survive after the death of our closest person.

Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams

Genesis dislikes 96 aspects about her own personality. She's organized. Number 95 is the hue of her skin, which is frequently noticed by strangers and family members alike. Because of this, her family is always on the move, leaving their possessions on the street as they go from one apartment to the next. Before a teacher convinces Genesis to participate in the school talent competition, she doesn't believe she has any redeeming characteristics. Her family's constant criticism will make it difficult for Genesis to see the potential in herself. Learning how to love yourself in the face of the traumas that have shaped your life is the focus of this book.

Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina

The 6th grader Merci Suarez, who has just started at a new school, is our main character in this tale, which is a bit more cheerful in tone. Her new school has a complicated social structure, and Merci has to deal with envious classmates, hardship at home for her and her brother, and a life that isn't any better. Nobody has told her why her grandfather isn't doing well. Children can learn from it that we all face our own set of challenges. Merci's plight will resonate with all middle students.

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

For the middle school crowd looking for a novel about love and loss that hasn't lost any of its poignancy and power, I recommend this one. It is an older book, so I'm not sure what exactly went wrong. His two canines, Old Dan and Lil' Ann, are inseparable from Billy and his family. They quickly become well-known for their prowess in the field of hunting. Billy will have to find hope in the hopeless when tragedy strikes.

Shouting At the Rain by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

The story of Ronan and Delsie is told in Shouting at the Rain. Delicate Delsie is fascinated by the weather, and she lives with her Grammie. Ronan is dealing with his own trauma. As a group, kids discover the difference between rage, despair, broken, and wholeness, abandonment, and love. Together, they'll be able to withstand anything.

Resources for Parents

To begin, kudos to you for scouring the web for books on building emotional resilience in your children. My admiration for you knows no bounds. Even on the best days, parenthood is a challenge. I'm the mother of two young children, both of whom are in pre-school. I'm on board. In large part, this is due to the fact that they are acting like two- and three-year-olds, while I am still dealing with the effects of whatever childhood trauma I experienced.

THOUSANDS of books exist to instruct parents on how to best raise their children. (Yikes.) Trying to sort through them is a pain in the a$$. So, in order to assist us raise kids who can Daniel Tiger their way out of any scenario, I've compiled a list of coping mechanisms that I've found to be useful when dealing with parents' (and kids') intense emotions.

Positive Parenting by Rebecca Eanes

Without yelling and nagging (lol, right? ), this book teaches us how to establish real connections with our children. You may use it to connect with the people you raise, not clones you're attempting to create. It's also a quick read, so it's perfect as a reference.

Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids by Dr. Laura Markham

Adults can have temper tantrums, too. As it turned out, I had to learn the hard way. He is a psychotherapist who works with parents to help them overcome their insecurities. Please believe me when I say that we desperately require it. When we are able to control our own emotions, we can help our children learn to do the same.

The Whole Brain Child by Daniel J. Siegel and Tanya Payne Bryson

As a result of their immature brains, our children are unable to regulate their emotions. Weird. After all, children are only miniature versions of adults. Why do we expect them to behave in a manner consistent with that of an adult? If you've ever had trouble remembering that you're raising children who will be grownups one day, this book is for you.

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