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This post is all about the best books about emotions for toddlers.
One of my biggest goals as a parent is to raise my children to be empathetic and accepting adults. My plan is to teach them emotional intelligence so that they can develop strong, healthy relationships from a young age. I plan to educate them on social issues because I do not want them thinking racism or homophobia is normal or acceptable. If I have any say in it, my children will not meet people with judgement based on stereotypes or skin deep prejudices. Reading books that discuss these social issues is not only a good way to get your child familiar with them, but also to create a segue into conversations about them.
These are some of the best children’s best books about emotions for toddlers.
Dear Boy and Dear Girl
By Paris Rosenthal and Jason Rosenthal
These books are my absolute favorite for introducing your little ones to important social issues. They are beautifully written and illustrated. Each one touches on a variety of important topics such as toxic masculinity, respecting other bodies, as well as your own, acceptance, and learning to be yourself.
All Bodies Are Good Bodies
By Charlotte Barkla
This book is more inclusive of different bodies than most of similar content. It pictures children of all different races and abilities such as a child in a wheelchair, with a prosthetic leg, with only one arm, etc. making it more inclusive of those with disabilities. It could do a better job portraying children of different sizes to help promote body positivity for people of all heights and weights, but overall it is a great read.
The World Needs More Purple People
By Kristen Bell and Benjamin Hart
This book does a wonderful job teaching kids to be themselves. It shows how to find the similarities between yourself and people who are different, and how to stand up for others. This book teaches children to be the most authentic version of themselves.
A Little Spot of Emotion
By Diane Alber
This box set includes 8 different books that each go over a different emotion. These do a great job not only normalizing big emotions, but teaching kids how to manage them as well. You can also get a cute set of plush toys here to go with the books to make it even more fun and interactive for your little ones.
In My Heart: A Book of Feelings
By Alicia Ortego
This series includes many different concepts such as kindness, empathy, gratitude, acceptance, and more. They describe these complex issues in easy to understand ways and empower children to find these qualities in themselves.
10,000 Dresses
By Marcus Ewert
This book does a great job at simplifying the complex topic of gender identity. It portrays a child expressing interest in things that aren’t typical for their gender, and the challenges they face as a result. It is a great read for kids that feel different on the inside than they look on the outside, or for teaching empathy to those who are questioning their identity.
These are some of the best children’s books about emotions for toddlers.
If you are interested in introducing complex social topics to your children, there are a lot of great books out there to get the conversation started. I strongly recommend reading each book for yourself before reading it with your kids to ensure it is portraying the proper message.
In my search for books that touch on social issues and emotional intelligence, I have found that many inadvertently portray the opposite message that they attempt to. Many books that are meant to teach about racism and acceptance of every skin color often depict harmful stereotypes in the process. I am hopeful that we will soon see a larger variety of books on the market for young readers that help us start these conversations in a healthy, fun way. It is so important that we introduce these topics to our children as soon as it is appropriate, so we can raise a kinder, more accepting generation.
This post was all about the best children’s books about emotions for toddlers.
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