10+ Best Books About Emotions for 2-Year-Olds w/ Exercises (2024)

Hey there! Are you on the hunt for the perfect way to help your toddler understand and express their feelings? Look no further! Our latest roundup focuses on the best books about emotions for 2-year-olds, designed to engage your little one and introduce them to the wide world of feelings. Keep reading to discover our top picks that are sure to add both fun and learning to your reading time together.

Fun Books About Emotions for 2-Year-Olds

• The Color Monster: A Story About Emotions by Anna Llenas
  • Genre(s): Picture Book, Emotional Learning
  • Synopsis: This book introduces young readers to a friendly monster who is confused about his feelings until he learns to sort them into colors.
  • Why we recommend this book: It's a visually engaging way to help children understand and categorize their different emotions, making it easier for them to express how they feel.
  • Perfect for: Toddlers beginning to explore their own emotions and those who enjoy colorful illustrations.

• In My Heart: A Book of Feelings by Jo Witek, illustrated by Christine Roussey
  • Genre(s): Picture Book, Emotional Learning
  • Synopsis: A young girl explores a range of emotions she feels, describing each one through metaphors and vivid illustrations.
  • Why we recommend this book: It uses simple language and beautiful illustrations to describe complex feelings, helping young children to identify and articulate their own emotions.
  • Perfect for: Young children who are learning to describe their feelings and those who appreciate interactive, die-cut pages.

• Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang, illustrated by Max Lang
  • Genre(s): Picture Book, Humor
  • Synopsis: Jim the monkey wakes up in a bad mood, and his friends try to cheer him up, but sometimes, it's okay to feel grumpy.
  • Why we recommend this book: It teaches kids that it's perfectly normal to have bad days and that emotions are temporary and manageable.
  • Perfect for: Children who are dealing with cranky days and parents looking for a fun way to discuss emotions with their kids.

• The Way I Feel by Janan Cain
  • Genre(s): Picture Book, Emotional Learning
  • Synopsis: The book explores a variety of emotions, from joy to sadness to excitement, through engaging and colorful illustrations.
  • Why we recommend this book: It's great for teaching children the names of different emotions and what might cause them, encouraging emotional intelligence from a young age.
  • Perfect for: Preschoolers who are starting to recognize and name different feelings and anyone who enjoys playful artwork.

• When Sophie Gets Angry — Really, Really Angry... by Molly Bang
  • Genre(s): Picture Book, Emotional Learning
  • Synopsis: Sophie gets angry and runs away to the forest where she calms down and is able to return home peacefully.
  • Why we recommend this book: It provides a realistic portrayal of dealing with anger and offers a positive example of how to handle intense emotions.
  • Perfect for: Children who are learning how to manage feelings of anger and parents who wish to discuss coping mechanisms with their kids.

Educational Books About Emotions for 2-Year-Olds

• My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss, illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher
  • Genre(s): Picture Book, Emotional Learning
  • Synopsis: This book uses vibrant colors and engaging rhymes to describe different feelings and moods associated with each color.
  • Skills and subjects this book improves: Emotional recognition, color identification, rhyming skills
  • Why we recommend this book: It's a visually stimulating book that helps children connect their feelings with colors, making it easier for them to express their emotions.
  • Perfect for: Young readers who enjoy rhythmic texts and vivid illustrations, and those beginning to explore their emotions.

• Today I Feel Silly: And Other Moods That Make My Day by Jamie Lee Curtis, illustrated by Laura Cornell
  • Genre(s): Picture Book, Emotional Learning
  • Synopsis: The book takes readers through the emotional roller-coaster a child experiences, showcasing a variety of feelings from silliness to anger.
  • Skills and subjects this book improves: Emotional awareness, vocabulary related to emotions
  • Why we recommend this book: It's great for helping children understand that it's normal to experience a wide range of emotions, all in one day.
  • Perfect for: Kids who experience swift changes in mood and parents who want to teach their children about emotional fluidity.

• Lots of Feelings by Shelley Rotner
  • Genre(s): Picture Book, Emotional Learning
  • Synopsis: This book showcases various emotions through simple text and clear, diverse photographs of children's faces expressing different feelings.
  • Skills and subjects this book improves: Emotional recognition, empathy, interpersonal skills
  • Why we recommend this book: It uses real photos, making it easier for toddlers to relate to and mimic the emotions they see.
  • Perfect for: Toddlers learning to read facial expressions and those in diverse classrooms or social settings.

• The Feelings Book by Todd Parr
  • Genre(s): Picture Book, Emotional Learning
  • Synopsis: The book vividly illustrates a range of emotions that children experience, from being scared to being proud, in a simple and reassuring way.
  • Skills and subjects this book improves: Emotional literacy, self-expression
  • Why we recommend this book: It encourages kids to express their feelings openly and reassures them that all feelings are valid.
  • Perfect for: Young children who are just starting to talk about their feelings and parents seeking to encourage emotional openness.

• Glad Monster, Sad Monster by Ed Emberley and Anne Miranda
  • Genre(s): Picture Book, Emotional Learning
  • Synopsis: Monsters demonstrate different emotions such as happiness, sadness, anger, and fear, helping children understand and manage their feelings.
  • Skills and subjects this book improves: Emotional identification, coping strategies
  • Why we recommend this book: It provides an engaging, monster-themed approach to discussing feelings, complete with masks that children can wear to express each emotion.
  • Perfect for: Children who love interactive reading experiences and those learning to articulate and manage their emotions.

Challenging Books About Emotions for 2-Year-Olds

• The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld
  • Genre(s): Picture Book, Emotional Learning
  • Synopsis: When something terrible happens, Taylor doesn't know where to turn until all the animals come and go, but the rabbit listens quietly and helps Taylor process the emotions.
  • Why this book is challenging: It tackles complex emotions like loss and recovery in a subtle way that requires young readers to engage deeply with the character’s feelings.
  • Why we recommend this book: It teaches empathy and the importance of being a good listener, skills that are crucial but often challenging for toddlers to grasp.
  • Perfect for: Young children experiencing emotions related to loss or change and those who need a gentle introduction to emotional processing.

• The Feel Good Book by Todd Parr
  • Genre(s): Picture Book, Emotional Learning
  • Synopsis: Vibrant illustrations accompany a list of things that make various characters feel good, encouraging children to think about what makes them happy.
  • Why this book is challenging: The abstract concept of happiness linked to various activities and states of being can be a complex idea for toddlers to understand.
  • Why we recommend this book: It promotes positivity and self-awareness by encouraging children to identify what makes them feel good.
  • Perfect for: Toddlers beginning to explore the concept of happiness and parents who want to discuss emotions in a positive, uplifting way.

• Visiting Feelings by Lauren Rubenstein, illustrated by Shelly Hehenberger
  • Genre(s): Picture Book, Emotional Learning
  • Synopsis: This book encourages children to treat their feelings like guests, acknowledging them and possibly learning why they are there.
  • Why this book is challenging: It introduces the practice of mindfulness to children, asking them to observe and interact with their emotions in a non-judgmental way.
  • Why we recommend this book: It helps build emotional intelligence and self-regulation skills by teaching children to recognize and manage their feelings.
  • Perfect for: Children who are learning to navigate their emotions and parents interested in introducing concepts of mindfulness.

• When Sadness Is at Your Door by Eva Eland
  • Genre(s): Picture Book, Emotional Learning
  • Synopsis: This book personifies sadness, suggesting ways to deal with the emotion by treating it like a visitor—acknowledging its presence and finding ways to live with it.
  • Why this book is challenging: It deals with the abstract concept of managing rather than dismissing feelings, which is a sophisticated emotional skill.
  • Why we recommend this book: It offers a compassionate approach to dealing with sadness, helping children understand it’s okay to feel sad sometimes.
  • Perfect for: Young readers who might be feeling overwhelmed by their emotions and caregivers who want to help them understand and accept their feelings.

• The Color of Us by Karen Katz
  • Genre(s): Picture Book, Emotional Learning, Cultural Awareness
  • Synopsis: A mother and daughter explore their neighborhood and the variety of skin colors they see, celebrating the diversity and beauty of human tones.
  • Why this book is challenging: It introduces concepts of diversity and self-acceptance through the lens of color, which can be a nuanced subject for young children.
  • Why we recommend this book: It enhances emotional and social intelligence by promoting inclusivity and self-esteem.
  • Perfect for: Toddlers beginning to notice and question human differences and those in diverse environments.

Exercises to Develop a Good Reading Habit

Hey there! If you're looking to introduce books about emotions to your 2-year-old, you're on a fantastic path. Reading can be more than just storytelling; it can be a tool to help your little one understand and express their feelings better. Here are some fun exercises to enhance your reading sessions and make the most out of books about emotions.

• Picture Pointing
  • What it is: Point to different pictures in the book and ask your child to name the emotion.
  • How it helps: Enhances vocabulary related to emotions and aids in emotional recognition.
  • Tips: Keep the mood light and playful to maintain their interest in the activity.

• Expressive Reading
  • What it is: Read the book using different voices to convey different emotions.
  • How it helps: Demonstrates how tone can affect emotional expression.
  • Tips: Exaggerate emotions while reading to make it fun and engaging for your child.

• Emotion Matching
  • What it is: After reading, help your child match characters with corresponding emotional expressions.
  • How it helps: Reinforces understanding of emotions through recall and association.
  • Tips: Use facial expressions yourself to make the matching game more interactive and understandable.

• Story Role-Play
  • What it is: Act out scenes from the book with your child, taking on different roles.
  • How it helps: Encourages empathy by experiencing different perspectives.
  • Tips: Use simple props or costumes to make the role-play more exciting and memorable.

• Draw the Feelings
  • What it is: Have your child draw scenes or characters from the story based on how they think they feel.
  • How it helps: Allows creative expression of emotions and reinforces comprehension of the story.
  • Tips: Provide a variety of colors and ask why they chose specific colors for specific emotions.

Incorporating these exercises into your reading time can not only make learning about emotions fun but also deepen your child’s understanding and empathy from a young age. So, grab some books, and let’s make reading an emotionally rich adventure for your toddler!