When I Feel Happy: (First Feelings)
First Feelings Series
What’s inside...
This charming picture book explores the emotion of happiness through a sweet story about a character who discovers the joy in the small things and shares that happiness with others. Additionally, it is part of a series that focuses on major emotions experienced by young children, using non-gendered characters to illustrate and identify feelings, and suggesting coping strategies. The series aims to develop empathy, resilience, and a positive sense of self, with advice from Dr. Kathryn Lester, a developmental psychology expert.
Series reading
Non-Sequential
Age
1-3
Length
12 pages
Text complexity
Discussion points
What makes you feel happy just like the character in the book?
Can you think of a time when something small made you really happy?
How do you think the animals in the story show they are happy?
What would you do to make your friends feel happy?
Why is it important to share our happy moments with others?
Tip: Role play these questions
Use expressive facial gestures and tones while reading to mirror the emotions from the book, making the reading session more immersive.
After reading the book, encourage your child to draw a picture of their happiest moment, reinforcing the positive feelings discussed.
Relate personal experiences or family stories that align with the happy moments in the book to help the child connect with the story on a deeper level.
Praise your child for expressing their feelings and thoughts during the discussion, fostering an open and supportive communication environment.
Ask your child to tell the story back to you or to a sibling, focusing on the happy parts, to enhance their understanding and recall of the story.
Key lessons
Example Lesson: Understanding Emotions
Explanation: This book creates a storyline around the character's experiences with happiness, providing children with relatable scenarios to comprehend this emotion.
Real-World Application: Children can learn to recognize and articulate when they feel happy in their day-to-day activities, helping them communicate their emotions more effectively.
Example Lesson: Expression of Happiness
Explanation: The illustrations and text guide children on how the character expresses joy through various actions, teaching kids that showing happiness is healthy and normal.
Real-World Application: Kids are encouraged to express their joy openly whether through smiling, laughing, or participating in activities they enjoy.
Example Lesson: Social Interaction
Explanation: The book depicts the character interacting with friends while feeling happy, subtly teaching the social aspect of sharing joyous moments with others.
Real-World Application: It nudges children to share their happy moments with friends and family, fostering positive social interactions.
Example Lesson: Appreciation of Little Things
Explanation: The narrative focuses on finding happiness in simple moments, which guides children to appreciate small, everyday experiences.
Real-World Application: This can help children develop gratitude and take pleasure in simple aspects of daily life, enhancing their overall emotional wellbeing.
Example Lesson: Connection Between Activities and Emotions
Explanation: Through engaging storytelling, the book shows how different activities can impact emotions, pointing out the cause and effect relationship.
Real-World Application: Children can learn to identify what activities make them happy and seek them out, thereby managing their emotional state more actively.