SuitabookAn Emotional Menagerie – Feelings from A to Z
The School of Life
- Reading
- Read one poem at a time rather than treating the book as a lesson. Pause over unfamiliar feelings, invite disagreement with the animal metaphor, and let the child choose whether to continue.
- Themes
- Naming and expressing feelings: The book presents an alphabetic glossary intended to help children put feelings into words. It treats naming and expression as useful ways to engage with children’s emotional experiences.
- Animal metaphors for emotion: Each emotion is transformed into a different animal whose character, origins and behaviour are explored. The metaphorical approach may invite children to consider feelings as varied and changeable, rather than presenting them only as definitions.
- Worth knowing
- Some feelings may be portrayed as fierce, quiet or difficult to tame, and the book refers to frustration and behaviour. Notice whether its animal comparisons feel illuminating, limiting or emotionally uncomfortable for your child.