Seahorse Is Furious: And There Is Nothing You Can Do About It

Toddler-K–A playful, emotionally affirming picture book that gently validates big feelings in very young children. The story follows a seahorse who wakes up in a terrible mood and stays furious no matter what others suggest might help. As the day unfolds, well-meaning sea creatures offer solutions, but nothing works until a patient friend allows space for those feelings to simply exist. Hood’s bold, flat colors and simple, expressive illustrations perfectly mirror the intensity and stubbornness of early childhood emotions, using visual humor and repetition to keep children engaged. The story excels because it resists the urge to “fix” emotions quickly, instead ­modeling emotional acceptance, empathy, and the power of being heard, a key social-emotional lesson for children. The minimal text, strong pacing, and clear facial expressions make it especially effective for read-alouds and for children still developing emotional vocabulary. Educators will find this a solid and accessible addition to SEL-focused collections, preschool classrooms, and counseling spaces. ­