The inner lives of children are complex and varied. They must try to navigate their own positive and negative moods as well as those of their family members and peers. Understanding and empathy for others can not develop before kids learn to identify and work through their own feelings, attitudes, and sense of well-being. Picture books are perfect vehicles to introduce and reinforce these important topics. Here are several recent picture books about emotion reviewed in the December 2015 issue of SLJ.

Llenas, Anna. The Color Monster: A Pop-Up Book of Feelings. illus. by Anna Llenas. 20p. Sterling. 2015. Tr $19.95. ISBN 9781454917298.

PreS-K –Employing a rainbow of tones, a young girl tries to help her multihued friend understand why he is “feeling all mixed up.” The unnamed child distinguishes five emotions (happiness, anger, sadness, fear, and calm) and articulates what each one might feel like by equating it with a color. A smiling golden monster on a spread featuring yellow leaves and cutouts represents happiness, describing it as “yellow like the sun.” The text explains, “When you’re happy you laugh, jump, dance and play. You want to share that feeling with everyone.” Conversely, when blue, “you’re sad you might want to cry or be alone.” Most dramatically, a red monster jumps off the page and declares, “When you’re angry, you want to stomp and roar and shout, ‘It’s not fair!’” Emotions are described in age-appropriate terms, and although calm is a bit tricky (“you breathe slowing and deeply. You feel at peace.”), there’s no question what the fellow bathed in green is feeling as he rests in a hammock, eyes closed with a smile on his face. A final emotion is left unnamed for readers or listeners to identify, but pink hearts give it away. A number of books, such as Molly Bang’s When Sophie Gets Angry—Really, Really Angry (Scholastic, 2004), explore how a child deals with a particular emotion; Color Monster considers the range of feelings a child can experience. As with most pop-ups, durability is a question. VERDICT Less a story than a vehicle to initiate a reassuring conversation about emotions and how to identify them.–Daryl Grabarek, School Library Journal

Negley, Keith. Tough Guys Have Feelings Too. 32p. Flying Eye. 2015. Tr $17.95. ISBN 9781909263666.

PreS-Gr 1 –Ninjas have fights with friends, wrestlers worry about their matches, superheroes cry. Tough guys are just like everyone else; they have emotions, and on the bad days they show them. To reinforce his point, Negley includes many of the usual dream jobs and beefs up many of his characters to the “manly” ideal. Color and shape both have a strong presence due to contrasting combinations of black, white, blue, yellow, and red. The style is fairly simplistic, relying on symbols—like a single teardrop—and body language more than faces in order to portray emotion. The majority of the story is rather downbeat, with various idols expressing frustration, defeat, and sadness. However, it takes a turn for the better at the end. Having made his statement, Negley bridges the gap between idealized tough guys and real-life tough guys through a boy and his father who are reading a book together. This sweet moment is a reminder to show love as well as other strong feelings. VERDICT A short and straightforward story that challenges the traditional notion that men shouldn’t express their emotions.–Rachel Forbes, formerly of Oakville Public Library, Ontario, Canada

Rinker, Sherri Duskey. Silly Wonderful You. illus. by Patrick McDonnell. 40p. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray. Feb. 2016. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780062271051.

PreS-K –Directed to a child from a wistful parent’s point of view, this picture book acknowledges and celebrates the change of routine and pace that a young child brings into a home. “I never imagined, before you came along…that our house could get this messy and LOUD!” With each page turn, the illustrations, done in pen, brush, and ink, bring humor to the nonstop day as Mom and the cat take everything more or less in stride while the small daughter bounds exuberantly through all of it. Vases break, little blocks injure Mom’s feet, and everything gets dirty, sticky, or smelly. After listing these more challenging daily aspects of parenting, the story slowly turns, expressing glimpses of amazement and wonder, until “Since there was you, I’m always surprised at how much fun you are, and how GINORMOUSLY I love you.” Finally, the exhausted mother manages to get this little ball of energy (mostly) to sleep in her arms, recognizing that “dreams really do come true.” The fun and expressively active line drawings nicely balance the text, keeping the story from becoming too sentimental or exhausting. VERDICT While children may enjoy the humor and the cozy but fast-paced story, this book ultimately serves as a helpful pep talk for the tired grown-ups in their lives.–Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA

Spinelli, Eileen. Thankful. illus. by Archie Preston. 32p. HarperCollins/Zonderkidz. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780310000884.

PreS-Gr 1 –In this charming picture book, two siblings look at people around them and imagine the things they are grateful for. “The waitress is thankful/for comfortable shoes./The local reporter, for interesting news./The gardener’s/thankful for/every green/sprout./The fireman,/for putting the fire out.” Additionally, an artist is thankful for color and light and a mayor is thankful for every vote. The same two children role-play the various professions throughout. Spinelli celebrates gratitude in simple rhyming couplets. The text is straightforward but helps support the whimsical illustrations that flow onto the following pages. Soft pastel images outlined in black highlight the details on the pages, as does the vast amount of white space. This book creates an opportunity for parents and children to talk about for whom and what they are thankful. VERDICT A must-have for library collections; great for one-on-one reading or for storytimes.–Megan McGinnis, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY

WILLIAMS, Pharrell. Happy! photos by Amanda Pratt. 32p. Putnam. 2015. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9780399176432.

PreS-Gr 2 –Williams’s hit song from the movie Despicable Me 2 is put to the page in this lively and fun book. From the tactile neon yellow letters of the title page to the author’s note at the end encouraging readers to be “Happy Helpers,” the book serves up nothing but joy and whimsy. In full-color spreads, each page features photographs of a diverse group of kids sporting all manner of adorable costumes and hipster apparel. They dance, laugh, and pose with cardboard cutouts and chalk drawings, that allow them to appear in space, on the beach, or, in a literal interpretation of the songs lyrics, “a room without a roof.” The lyrics work best when read or sung by readers who are familiar with the song; otherwise the rhythm and rhyme do not make much sense. Because of this, the work may not have as much lasting power as a book based on a more traditional song or nursery rhyme, but for the time being, it will be a big hit with those familiar with the chart-topper. VERDICT A music video put to the pages of a children’s book, this fun interpretation of a popular song will make kids and adults alike want to “clap along.”–Clara Hendricks, Cambridge Public Library, MA

These titles are featured in School Library Journal's December 2015 issue.