Kaia's Big Felines

by Aura Lewis

Kaia experiences all kinds of emotions, and she relates them to various types of cats. Cheetah is fast and fearless, Leopard loves the spotlight, but Tiger has a temper. When Kaia's felines become overwhelming, she takes some time to herself to rest and reset.



An engaging look at emotional intelligence through traits of cats.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

40 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 5, 2023

About the author

Aura’s work explores women’s stories, memory, and identity through visual narrative. Her practice spans illustration, books, and painting, all rooted in storytelling and imagination. She holds an MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City and is inspired by fashion from around the world, playful color, vintage design, and popular culture.

Reviews

[Alexander Peterhans · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little girl translates her feelings into appropriate big cats, making it easier to talk about said feelings. With appropriately lovely illustrations.

(Picked up a review copy through Edelweiss)

[Josh Olds · Rating 5 out of 5]

I barely got to read Kaia’s Big Felines before my four-year-old claimed it as hers. She’s in a big cat phase right now. Usually, she’s either playing with toy cats or pretending to be cat. Her favorite show is Superkitties. It’s a whole thing. Meaning that Kaia’s Big Felines was exactly the book to engage her in understanding and expressing her feelings. The wordplay (felines = feelings) was a bit beyond her, but I personally thought it to be very clever.

The story is about Kaia and her different types of felines. There’s the feisty and fearless cheetah, the fancy leopard, the quiet snow leopard, the sad caracal, the angry tiger, and more. The book doesn’t just go through the stock “here are the five or eight or however many emotions” but instead focuses on the wider concept of feelings. An emotion is a state of awareness that gives you information about the world, and a feeling is your conscious awareness of the emotion itself. Fancy isn’t an emotion, but could be a feeling that exists as an expression of emotions. Kaia’s Big Feelings is about different ways little ones (and big ones!) can feel, using different types of felines to illustrate what that might look like.

And for those who like cats, oh my does it work. Kaia’s Big Felines is a clever, creative way of talking about feelings. Understanding, explaining, and expressing one’s inner life can be difficult for adults, let alone kids. Giving them a more tangible, fun, and engaging way to talk about such abstract and complex feelings leads to better communication, better expression of feelings, and better self-awareness. It's a silly book, but it’s also serious. It’s a book I’ll be returning to time and time again.

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of those 'so simple, many more people should have thought of it' kind of ideas, as we see a girl with all her various felines. The point is they are actually feelings – and while this does not try to dictate, or remove any from us, or get us to think ourselves from one mood to another, it certainly pinpoints multiple feelings, gives them suitable feline representatives, and allows for an elder companion of the reader to discuss them. So don't come here for a specific band aid for one emotional problem or another, but definitely come here for a distinctive introduction to moods and moodswings, and a touch of positivity that the better ones will always be returning somewhen. A charm – four and a half stars.

[Kirsten - Children's Library Lady]

Kaia experiences a wide range of emotions and associates each feeling with a different type of cat. She sees herself as fast and fearless like a Cheetah, loves the spotlight like a Leopard, and identifies with a Tiger's temper. When her emotions become too intense, she takes time alone to rest and regain balance.

Kaia's Big Felines invites discussions about understanding emotions, developing coping strategies, and the importance of self-reflection and self-management. It encourages young readers to identify and express their feelings healthily and constructively.

I received an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars for this book about felines and feelings

I read a digital advanced reader's copy courtesy of the publisher

[A.J. Eversole · Rating 5 out of 5]

The feelings/felines parallel is wonderful. A subtle way to show how feelings can manifest in a relatable kid-friendly way.