There’s nothing wrong with feeling cranky, crabby, or frustrated sometimes. It’s a normal and expected part of life for everyone! But for younger children, understanding these often confusing emotions can be difficult.
These stories help young readers understand their feelings with compassion for themselves and for others. Featuring comforting characters in relatable situations, these titles about frustration help develop social-emotional learning skills.
They are also a great way to spend time together when your child needs to feel seen and heard during cranky moments. Perfect for read-aloud time, these titles will help your child grasp what they’re feeling and show them that everyone feels frustrated sometimes.
For example, Grumpycorn is about a unicorn who has writer’s block and gets frustrated with himself. But with teamwork and support, he triumphs over those grumpy feelings.
In Sometimes I Grumblesquinch, Katie tries to suppress her feelings of annoyance towards her little brother. But when all her feelings bubble up to the surface — and she can't grumblesquinch them down — she learns how to accept and acknowledge all her feelings (even the unpleasant ones).
Find more expert-approved kindergarten books, tips, and resources at our guide to getting ready for kindergarten.
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