Everybody Feels…. Happy

Review also includes:

Sad, 978-1784938567

Scared, 978-1784938574

Angry, 978-1784938550

This series of picture books contain both story and information in context, and will prove a real winner, particularly for schools.  The books share the same characters, sometimes at the same school and sometimes at home.   Happy tells us about Ethan who is happy because he is going on holiday and Sophie who makes gifts for her friends, who then reciprocate and everyone is happy.  Sad gives us Chloe, who is sad because she has lost her favourite toy; Omar is sad because his cat has died.  In Scared, Omar is frightened of going to his new school and Chloe doesn’t want to stand up in front of the class for ‘show and tell’. Angry shows us Sophie getting very angry because her little brother has drawn on her picture and Ethan angry with his brother who has eaten his chocolate.  The stories feel very real, and the emotions come through nicely with lots of integrated text and bright pictures.  There is also good resolution for each child.  A chapter in the beginning of each book explains what each emotion feels like in quite graphic ways: anger is ‘like a kettle about to boil…clenched fists…face screwed up’.  There is a table of contents, a glossary with pictures, and a summation of each of the stories which should help with activities in school, and at the very end, there is information for teachers to help plan for such.  Altogether a good series for explaining basic emotions to children in ways that will be well understood.