Welcome to The Emotions Shelf

Picture books are incredible things. They are able to illustrate complex concepts and create visuals when perhaps, we don’t have them ourselves yet. Reading stories activates our limbic system which opens up new thoughts and connections. Reading and seeing how characters explore emotions cultivates discussions we would never ordinarily been able to safely access, if it was focused inwards, rather than outwards. I use picture books as one of my go-to tools to develop emotional intelligence. They provide opportunities to name emotions, explore how emotions impact different characters and provide incredible opportunities for self reflection. That is why I wanted to create The Emotions Shelf. A growing interactive library to showcase all of the amazing emotional literacy rich stories out there. Because it shouldn’t be a secret! It shouldn’t be a challenge. Where possible I have linked read alouds to books (these are not my own, this page is purely for navigation).

Books to introduce feelings