F Is for Feelings

by Goldie Millar, Hazel Mitchell (Illustrations), Lisa Berger

We all feel many different emotions every day. For young children, those feelings can be extra strong. And sometimes, children need help finding the words to describe how they’re feeling. This friendly and positive alphabet book gives children those “feelings words,” and explores the idea that while some feelings are more comfortable than others, all are natural and important. F Is for Feelings invites children to share, express, and embrace their emotions—every day! A section in the back provides tips and activities for parents and caregivers to reinforce the themes and lessons of the book.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Emotion, Nonfiction

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Goldie Millar is a psychologist who has worked with children, teens and their families for over 15 years. She is passionate about creativity, learning and self-expression. She lives in Ontario, Canada with her two daughters and husband. This is her first children's book

Reviews

[Puddlyduck]

Disclaimer: thank you to netgalley and Free Spirit Publishing for providing me with advanced reader copy.

'F is for Feelings' is a nicely illustrated alphabet of feelings. The book includes a wide range of emotions, including frustration, respectful and nervousness. I particularly liked the diverse range of characters. This will definitely help a wider audience to relate to the situations.

I thought the 'I' statements that accompanied every page were very useful in explaining a generalised example of the thoughts and situations that might occur when children are experiencing a certain feeling. For example, the L is for Loneliness page had a colour picture of a boy sitting apart from a cheerful bunch of children playing catch. Under this is the sentence; 'I am on my own and I'm feeling left out.' I feel these examples are more effective than simply adding a definition.

'F is for Feelings' is a great starting point for further discussions about emotions. At the end there is a useful section with suggestions on how to utilise the book. There is a list of suggested questions to ask, activities to try and general advise on building empathy within children. This is a great addition to any library or primary classroom!

[Saba N Taylor]

*advance review copy from Netgalley*

This is more than just an ABC of feelings, this book is a thoughtful and positive approach to teaching children to understand what they are feeling and what others may be feeling. F is for feelings teaches vocabulary of various emotions and feelings children have and is perfect for reading aloud with children. The text really validates each emotion through its explanations. It teaches children to recognize and value their feelings. And a shout out goes to the illustrator for a wonderfully diverse range of children and talent for capturing each child and their feeling. :)

[Ben Truong]

F is for Feelings is a children's picture alphabet book written by Goldie Millar and illustrated by Hazel Mitchell. This alphabet book is unique in that it doesn't use objects to represent the letter, but with something intangible – feelings.

Millar's text is simple and straightforward, which explores the feelings displayed very well. I particularly like that she reiterates the feelings by personalizing it in a sub-sentence, but not repeating the world, instead she uses synonyms to describe the word featured on the page. Mitchell's art is colorful as well as beautiful, which exemplifies the feelings features and works well and often aids the text.

All in all, F is for Feelings is a wonderful children's book, it helps children explore their feelings and give names to it and while some feelings are more comfortable than others, all are natural and important – a nice addition to any alphabet book collection.

[Nicole]

Elementary school counselor looking for books to use as part of my counselor intro lesson for kinder/first grade. This book is a great way to introduce many different feelings from A-Z! Accompanied by beautiful illustrations, as well as contextual clues/sentences about each feeling, this would definitely be great for K-1!

[Jt]

Good for 1 - 6 year olds, introduces children to 26 emotions through lovely illustrations depicting different emotion in diverse environments. Great for younger learners to also introduce the alphabet, this book could be a springboard to other activities that unpack these emotions and discuss coping strategies.

[Lisa]

A wonderful book for giving kids language (and affirmation) around their feelings. It’s also a diverse representation of kids, which I appreciate. I take issue with a couple of the feeling depictions but overall, this is excellent and accessible.

[Pam]

An alphabet of feelings. This book is designed to help young readers explore all of the emotions they feel. Use as a family read to talk about emotions.

[Kim]

This is a great way to introduce feeling to younger children.

[Elizabeth]

3.5 stars
My 4.5yo son sat through it but didn't love it. I felt like it was almost geared more towards teachers and guardians than for the children listening. Diverse but illustrations looked old

[DelAnne Frazee]

Title: F Is for Feelings
Author: Goldie Millar & Lisa A. Berger
Illustrator Hazel Mitchell
Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing
Published: 8-20-2014
ISBN: 9781575424750
Pages: 40
Genre: Children's
Tags: Health and well being
Overall Rating:
Reviewed For: NetGalley
Reviewer: DelAnne


Children, like most of us have emotional ups and downs, but unlike most adults, they are not always aware of what emotion they are feeling at any given moment. Are they yelling because they are excited about something or proud of their accomplishments? Are they scared about the unknown or worried about something? This is a great book to share with them to help them learn about different feelings and why we might feel that way at different times.


There is a section on follow-up for parents and teachers to help the reader understand what this book is all about and suggestions to make sure they can begin to recognize their variety of feelings. Why sometimes two feelings that might make us feel the same way but are not the same thing. An example would be afraid because of a strange noises in a new house as opposed to worried because you have a spelling test and did not study the word list well enough.


Check out F Is For Feelings today and share it often.

[Selena]

Before I even finish, I'm on F, I WANT this book! Not only is the artwork wonderful, but the kids show a variety of people. There are kids of different races and abilities which I think is something all children should be able to read. I AM recommending F Is for Feelings to my colleagues, some who work in Extended Learning Centers (after school), some who work in regular classrooms, and those who work in the Exceptional Students classrooms! I have friends with children and friends who work for Day Schools. I will be recommending F Is for Feelings to them, as well. My dad grew up fighting prejudice, (he had polio and was left with a paralyzed leg and had to wear a brace), he was not allowed to participate in "regular" activities. I am so delighted to see all the kids in this book! Kudos Goldie Millar and Lisa Berger! Thank you!!
I am just so excited! I want this book!
Now to read the rest of the alphabet!
BTW the rest of the alphabet is as fun as the beginning. This is a great introduction for younger children to the different feelings we have and a great starting point for parents and teachers to introduce them.

[Elaine - Splashes Into Books]

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a brilliant book for encouraging children to accept that they are likely to feel different emotions and to help them become more confident about discussing and describing their feelings. It is arranged with an introduction and then one emotion and description for each letter of the alphabet. It even has advice for grown ups to help them follow up sharing this book with children with suggested activities and discussions suitable for use with an individual child or a class. This is a really great book for helping children verbalise their emotions and accept that some are more comfortable than others!

The text is clear, easy to understand and likely to promote discussions - and the illustrations are appealing to children, clearly relating to the emotions being highlighted on the relevant page. A delightful book that parents and teachers of younger pupils will find great at helping children in their care accept and verbalise their emotions in a non-threatening format - I think this book could also be described as F is for Fantastic!

[Paula]

"Young children often need help learning and practicing their "feelings words" so they can express themselves well. When children learn from an early age to share their feelings in clear and healthy ways, they are more likely to grow into adults who feel capable of handling life's challenges. Friendly and positive, this picture book uses an alphabet-book format to share and reinforce emotional language and the ideas that while some feelings are more comfortable than others, all emotions are natural and important. Charming, colorful illustrations accompany the sweet and simple text. A section in the back provides tips and activities for parents and caregivers to reinforce the themes and lessons of the book"-- Provided by publisher. "This alphabet book teaches young children about feelings and the idea that all emotions are natural and important. Colorful illustrations accompany the text. A section in the back provides tips and activities for parents, teachers, and caregivers to reinforce the book's themes and lessons"-- Provided by publisher.

[Suzanne]

This book is made to use with groups or one-on-one to discuss emotions with children. The alphabet book format will make it seem familiar and nonthreatening to young readers. Each spread shows a letter and a corresponding emotion, an illustration, and a sentence or two to describe the emotion. I am glad to see the range of ethnic diversity in the characters portrayed and the real-life situations that are used to illustrate the feelings. As the creators point out, some feelings are perceived as positive or negative, but they all play a part in our lives. They cover happy and proud as well as impatient and jealous. The suggested activities at the end of the book are helpful for adults (counselors, teachers, parents) who want to use the book to support emotional development. It will be a good addition to school libraries, classrooms, and homes.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

[Beyond the Pages with Eva K]

To be quite frank, I found this book to be exceptional. I loved the illustrations, but more than that, I appreciated the attention to detail that the authors presented with regard to the feelings dictionary. Not only does this book afford children and their caregivers with a means and an opportunity to discuss a range of feelings and emotions, but it also provides additional resources on how to go further. Another feature that I loved about this book was the variety of children featured on its pages. It was all encompassing. This was beautiful to see.

I believe this book will appeal to a wide audience. It can be used in homes, schools, clinics, and social programs.

Rating: 5/5
Recommend: Yes
Bookshelf Worthy: Yes

A complimentary e-copy of this title was made available by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The words I have expressed are my own.

[Diah Didi]

I liked this book. A lot.
At first glance of the cover, well, I didn't really care at all and almost skipped it. But then I think, hey, I could learn something from this, and teach or share something to my nieces and nephews.
And I'm so glad I decided to read the book.
I didn't think that feelings can be listed in alphabet. I learned psychology and I should've known that there are lots of emotions. But since there are some basic, so sometimes I just paid attention on that. My bad!

I really really think this is a great book and I can't wait to read and share it with my nieces and nephews.
More detailed review will be up on August 17th, 2014 on my blog:

[Carol]

All people, especially children, deal with a variety of feelings each and every day. It is important that even the small children realize all feelings are normal and that they can deal with them in a positive way. This book does a fabulous job of covering the most common feelings that kids experience at home and school. The format of an alphabet book is brilliant as the children connect with and remember the information provided. The illustrations are fun and colorful depicting all types of children. At the end there is a section for parents to help them interact with their children and help them understand feelings.

[Kelsey]

F is for Feelings is a well-composed alphabet book about feelings. Each letter represents a feeling, but contains a sentence explaining the feeling. For example "C is for confused. I don't understand." Each page has a vividly illustrated example of each feeling that readers will relate to. Various cultures and walks of life are represented equally. It also includes a Talking and Learning About Feelings Guide for Parents, Teachers and Caregivers in the back with discussion tips. Great for classrooms!

Thanks to NetGalley and Free Spirit Publishing for an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Michelle]

My oldest daughter read this to her younger sister during their nightly reading sessions and they both enjoyed it. Thank you soo much for this good read, especially since its about different feelings and moods.This is a straightforward book that put things into a better perspective for any child to understand those confusing emotions that can start to take control of their little bodies. All children should read this or have it read to them and have each feeling explained. Thanks a bunch

I received this as a first-reads... thanks

[Debbie Tanner]

This awesome little book an ABC book that tells about feelings. Each page is a different letter showing a variety of kids and how they feel, along with an explanatory sentence. The language is simple enough for the little kids and the lovely, realistic pictures show facial expressions and body language to add to kids understandings of lots of different kinds of feelings, both positive and negative. I can see this getting used a lot as a mentor text for both reading and writing.

[Angel Wilde]

This book is so much more than a picture book! Identifying your feelings can be very difficult especially for children. I believe this book will be a great resource for parents, teachers, caregivers, therapists and more. The well thought out illustrations will appeal to children and the discussion guide at the end will be invaluable. This book needs to be in everyone's library.
I received this book in advance as a review copy from NetGalley.

[Dolores]

review to come after 08/06/14

[Pam]

Review coming in August.

[Alice hamer]

My daughter loved this book. She was 8 at the time we won! She said she would tell her friends about it!

[Keri]

One of my favorite books to read to my girls. I love watching their expressions change as I move through each letter representing a feeling. Recommended to all parents!

[Joy Lane]

It uses the alphabet to introduce emotions. Good for first days of school in preschool or Kinder(listed as ages 3-8)

[Colleen]

The illustrations feature a ton of non-white kids, woot! The story is pretty basic. 4 stars because of the diverse kids pictured.

[Briana]

Explains a wide variety of feelings that could be had. Includes both happier feelings and harder feelings. Illustrations definitely help with the explanations.