Helping Kids Navigate Big Emotions: Books to Help Your Child Process Feeling MAD
As a pediatric SLP and a mom of two busy little ones, I know firsthand how intense and confusing being mad can be for kids (and for us grown-ups, too!). Whether it’s a full-blown meltdown over a broken toy or frustration after a tough day, helping our kids recognize, understand, and express their anger in healthy ways is such an important part of their emotional development.
Books can be incredibly powerful tools in these moments. They offer language for feelings, provide safe and relatable stories, and open the door for conversations that help kids feel seen and understood. Books can help support your voice as a parent trying to teach our kids these valuable lessons.
Check out this list of some of our favorite books that focus on anger, self-regulation, and coping strategies. These stories can support you in those tricky moments, spark connection, and help kids build lifelong skills for managing big emotions.
Let’s dive in!
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Books to Help Your Child Process Feeling MAD
Mootilda's Bad Mood follows the misadventures of a young cow named Mootilda, who wakes up in a bad mood and finds herself in a series of unfortunate events. From tripping and spilling milk to missing basketball shots and belly-flopping into a pond, Mootilda's day seems to go from bad to worse. Despite her efforts to cheer up—like jumping rope with calves, swimming with sheep, and cycling with pigs—nothing lifts her spirits. However, when she meets some chickens who share their own bad day stories and enjoy ice cream together, Mootilda realizes that talking about her feelings and connecting with others can help improve her mood. By the end of the day, she has turned her bad mood around and even starts a "cow-nseling" service to help others. I love this find!
Llama Llama is having fun at home when Mama tells him it’s time to go shopping. He’s not happy about it—shopping is boring, and there are so many things he’d rather do. At the store, Llama Llama gets overwhelmed by the crowds, noise, and waiting, and he throws a tantrum. But Mama stays calm, helps him feel better, and shows him that even boring errands can be fun when they’re together.
Coming from a family of artists, Georgia is passionate about science and aspires to be a scientist. Determined to create her own unique experiment, she initially rejects her family's artistic suggestions, believing that science and art are separate realms. However, as she struggles to develop her experiment, Georgia realizes that creativity is essential in both science and art, leading her to blend the two in her project. This book address problem solving, taking space, and compromising - we LOVE the illustrations!
This book introduces young readers to Baby Grumpy Unicorn, exploring the relatable theme of feeling grumpy. The story follows Baby Grumpy Unicorn through a series of everyday frustrations—such as blocks falling down and rain causing a frown—capturing the essence of toddler moods. The book features playful rhymes and vibrant illustrations, making it an engaging read for children aged 3 to 5. This board book is perfect for your toddler!
We love Grumpy Monkey! This is a story that addresses the importance of acknowledging and expressing one's emotions. The story follows Jim Panzee, a chimpanzee who wakes up feeling inexplicably grumpy. Despite the beautiful day around him, Jim's mood doesn't align with his surroundings. His well-meaning friends suggest various activities to lift his spirits, but their advice only frustrates him further. It isn't until Jim encounters his friend Norman, who is also feeling down, that he realizes it's okay to have a bad day and that sometimes, simply being together can help improve one's mood.
This is a heartwarming picture book that helps children understand and manage feelings of frustration and anger. Part of the DinoFeelings series, it follows Stompysaurus, a young dinosaur who wakes up eager for the day ahead. However, things are not going his way - his brother teases him, his breakfast isn't as expected, and nothing seems to go right. As his frustration builds, Stompysaurus's "stomps and roars" intensify until they "explode." But with guidance from a wise "Battosaur," he learns that a challenging start doesn't have to dictate the rest of the day. By taking a moment to breathe and view the situation from a different perspective, he discovers a path to calmness and resolution. Another one of our favorites!
Riley, a young dinosaur who becomes upset when a classmate accidentally knocks over her block tower.With the guidance of her teacher, Mr. Rex, Riley learns simple and effective techniques to calm down, such as deep breathing, counting to 10, and shaking it out.The book emphasizes that feeling angry is natural, but it's important to find healthy ways to cope with those emotions.
This is my son's favorite book to reference when he gets mad. Totally relatable with strategies that are easy for kids to understand!
The best part? Some of these books have resources in the back for parents (ahem, get yourself Roaring Mad Riley and thank me later)
Here’s the thing: our kids are going to have meltdowns and get mad. This is normal! These books are some that I’ve pulled out after the meltdown to use as a resource to talk about calming strategies in a guaranteed way my kids will understand. They also give me a good reference for ways to address them during the meltdown (e.g., “Remember Stompysaurus? What did he do when he was mad?”)
Let me know if you add any of these to your library or if you have other good suggestions!
Want more book lists for young kids? Check these out!
Best Busy Books for Toddlers & Young Kids
Best Spring Books for Toddlers & Young Kids
Books that Promote Autism Acceptance, Neurodiversity, & Inclusion
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