Lucy’s Book Club

The Way I Feel
by Janan Cain

Summary:
The Way I Feel suggests useful and descriptive words for the many feelings that children experience. This book goes beyond the more typical feelings explored in children’s literature to include feeling thankful, jealous, bored, and disappointed. The illustrations are strong and colorful, matching the emotions. The text is formatted to match the emotions as well and is written in rhyming sentences and phrases.

How does The Way I Feel support the emotional development of young children?
Different emotions are normal and healthy. The Way I Feel provides young children with the reassurance that others experience the same feelings that they do, that many different circumstances affect how feelings can change, and that sometimes, it can be  hard to figure out why a person might feel a certain way. The examples throughout the book are sure to spark discussion. As each feeling is presented, ask the children to describe situations that make them feel the same way, i.e. what would make them feel jealous, or frustrated, or sad, and then how might they react?

Reading The Way I Feel to a group of children: engaging and activating children throughout the story:
As you read the book aloud to children, point out the facial expressions and body language of the characters. Ask them to comment on the different colors of each page and see if they are able to come up with reasons that the illustrator (who is also the author) might have chosen those particular colors. You can also have them act out one the emotions and then have the other children guess what they are expressing.


Activities to Use With The Way I Feel
Look through old photos with your child and have them talk about the expressions on the faces they see. Perhaps your child can even recall the context of the photo which can help spark a conversation about how the particular person felt when the photo was taken.


FEELINGS

When I feel sad,
I want to cry.
When I feel proud,
I want to fly.
When I feel curious,
I want to know.
When I’m impatient,
I want to go.
When I feel bored,
I want to play.
When I feel happy,
I smile this way.
When I am shy,
I want to hide.
When I feel grumpy,
I stay inside.
When I’m confused, I sometimes shrug.
When I feel loving, I kiss and hug.

~Anonymous


Download printable .pdf to share activities in your home, homeschool or school environment.


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To purchase this book online for local Raleigh curbside pickup or online shipping, go to:

Quail Ridge Books:
https://www.quailridgebooks.com/book/9781884734717