When I Feel Sad (The Way I Feel Books) - Children's Emotional Learning Book for Social Skills Development - Perfect for Preschool, Kindergarten & Parenting

I chose this book to help my niece and nephews cope with their daddy's long-term visits to cancer clinics; his cancer became very aggressive just after I ordered it, and it ended up arriving just two days after his death. Later that week, the kids were having a hard day, and we all snuggled on the couch for some story time. I was amazed at how well the little ones (4 and nearly 3) identified with the emotions displayed by the book's characters. By the end of the book, the children were smiling and ready to play independently.The gentle artwork is really lovely; the book walks through multiple situations that might spark feelings of sadness, but does not wallow at any point, and has a satisfying conclusion: even though I am sad for awhile, I don't have to be sad forever. The coping techniques shared in the book are easily followed by any young person (and are great ideas for grown-ups, too!), and because the artwork is so clear, even non-readers can "read the pictures" and walk themselves through to a feel-better conclusion.I'd recommend this book for children in the 2 to 7 set; it could be pretty easily read independently by solid young readers, too. Even if your family has not had a significant emotional loss, I'd recommend it for intelligent emotional learning.