Do you remember being embarrassed by your feelings? How about when you farted? Ever let a toot go and hope no one realized it was you? Or perhaps you cried or yelled in front of everyone and later regretted it? Feelings can be very hard to navigate especially when you are young. Today I get to share with you a book that normalizes all feelings. The book is Feelings Are Like Farts by Christopher Willard and Tara Wosiski and illustrated by Toshiki Nakamura. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
From the Publisher:
Feelings and farts are facts of life.We all have them! And we have to live with them, even when they’re inconvenient, unpleasant, or surprising.
They might come out of nowhere! It's definitely not a good idea to hold them in for too long. But among friends and family, they are usually no big deal.
Striking a perfect balance of funny and factual, this charming picture book encourages young readers to accept their emotions (and their farts) without shame, even when they really stink.
From Me:
Now we all know kids in the age range love bathroom talk! The title is enough to get them interested but the humor in the book will have the laughing. The words and situations described will have them remembering their own feelings and struggles with them. Then on top if it all the book will help normalize those feelings and talks about how you have to just get through them because they will go away just like farts do.
The kids and feelings in this book are diverse. The book reminds us that feelings can be small or big and can change or happen at any moment sometimes without warning. The book also stressed the importance of talking about your feelings and letting them out. After all, if you hold in your feelings or your farts you may have an explosion which will be worse and more embarrassing in the long run.
The illustrations are very simple and mostly in gray scale. Color is used to show the emotions. There is blush and confetti. The emotions however are also shown in the facial expressions. This book is amazing for helping kids learn to express their own feelings and read others. It is mindfulness based, and it shows in some of the pages. The authors both teach and work with mindfulness. I love how the book is a resource to help kids learn how to communicate their feelings in a respectful and helpful way.
