117
people found this helpful, as of 2023
ranked #234,852 most helpful
out of 571,544,897 reviews
★★☆☆☆
Good concept but is lacking
The way the author describes how some basic emotions feel to a child is very nicely written. Simple, clear language, and spot on. It gives the child a great way to verbalize an emotion when parents ask “what’s wrong?” or says “use your words”. It’s a vitally important skill for a child learning to identify and manage emotions.
Understanding how they feel and learning to describe it is a big step for a child, but it’s only the first step. What are they supposed do do about it?
I am very disappointed with the book overall because there’s a monster of a disconnect. The author identifies several emotions and assigns each one a color. At the end of the book each emotion is shown in its own bottle. However, the author doesn’t explain to the child HOW they are supposed to get past an emotional episode, especially an uncomfortable one. No suggestion are given to help a child learn strategies to overcome an episode. HOW does a child put an emotion in a bottle?
Isn’t the concept of “bottling up” one’s emotions an undesirable strategy for dealing with emotions when a child is fearful, angry, frustrated, etc.? Is the author suggesting that is the way for a child to manage their emotions?
I am returning this book. There are really good books to help kids learn ways to manage situations where they are fussy, angry, sad, frustrated, etc., such as “B is for Breathe”.
