Home / Toddler / Toddler Learn & Play 10 wellness books that help toddlers deal with big emotions Your little ones have big feelings, and these books are full of simple self-soothing and coping skills they’ll use now and for years to come. By Amber Guetebier June 22, 2022 @crystalmariesing/Twenty20 If you have a toddler, you know the array of big emotions they can express in a day, not to mention in five minutes. From unbridled enthusiasm to tears and tantrums, it’s all part of a toddler’s emotional journey. One way to help kids this age is to normalize those emotions and offer them relatable, repeatable self-soothing and coping techniques, like calm breathing and little rhyming affirmations. Related: 15 TV shows about kindness for kids The following books for toddlers feature plenty of these, from Cookie Monster using belly breathing to stay patient to a ninja dealing with anxiety. You’ll find these books a comfort to your children and yourself. Pull these books out for bedtime reading or even when your little one needs a reset. Add these books to your cart to give them a gentle reminder on how to deal with their big emotions. Here are 10 wellness books for toddlers: I Am! Affirmations for Resilience by Bela Barbosa, illustrated by Edel Rodriguez Teach your toddlers mindfulness with this brightly colored book featuring ten different emotions, each one followed by an exercise and an affirmation. Encourages toddlers to recognize emotional responses in their bodies and teaches affirmations for calmness, bravery, and more. SHOP AMAZON SHOP BOOKSHOP Breathe Deep, Little Sheep: A Calm-Down Book for Kids by Jessica Lee, illustrated by Lucia Wilkinson An early guide to self-soothing, the book demonstrates how to work through common anxious situations by pairing adorable illustrations of baby animals with simple coping suggestions. The little rhymes become mantras for you and the kids to repeat when situations come up in real life. SHOP AMAZON SHOP BOOKSHOP Anxious Ninja: A Children's Book About Managing Anxiety and Difficult Emotions by Mary Nhin, illustrated by Jelena Stupar Told with humor and cute ninja illustrations, this book teaches children that having anxiety is normal and shows clever ways to cope with feeling anxious. All the books in Mary Nhin’s creative Ninja Life Hacks series tackle common issues young children face and teach positive coping skills. SHOP AMAZON SHOP BOOKSHOP The ABCs of Calm: Discover Mindfulness from A-Z by Rose Rossner and Brooke Backsen, illustrated by AndoTwin A soothing board book that teaches critical social-emotional skills to help children learn to calm themselves down in anxious situations. Brooke Backsen is a pediatric occupational therapist and yoga instructor, so her suggestions are practical and easy for kids to follow. SHOP AMAZON SHOP BOOKSHOP Mindfulness Moments for Kids: Breathe Like a Bear by Kira Willey, illustrated by Anni Betts The board book version of this popular book for kids teaches toddlers how to control their breath, just like the sweet little bear in the book, and use breath control to soothe themselves to sleep, calm anxiety, and gain control of their bodies when emotions are running high, no matter where they are. SHOP AMAZON SHOP BOOKSHOP I Feel Sad: Why do I feel sad today? by DK Part of DK’s First Emotions series aimed at normalizing emotions; this one stars a relatable little cloud character. Babies and toddlers learn that sadness is an emotion everyone feels. It gives toddler-specific examples of situations that can make us feel sad (a broken toy, a friend is leaving) and suggestions for helping to cheer yourself up. SHOP AMAZON SHOP BOOKSHOP Calm with the Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle Instead of following the familiar caterpillar on his trek from egg to beautiful butterfly, kids will follow him on a mindfulness journey, learning how to use breathing techniques to regain focus as they process confusing emotions and big feelings. SHOP AMAZON SHOP BOOKSHOP Being Patient with Cookie Monster: Sesame Street Monster Meditation by Random House Editors Based on the popular Sesame Street Monster Meditation video made in collaboration with Headspace, a mindfulness app, this board book shows kids how to stop and take big belly breaths when things get overwhelming. The first of six books in the Monster Meditation series focuses on patience: Cookie Monster learns a calming game to help him wait patiently for his cookies to finish baking. SHOP AMAZON SHOP BOOKSHOP I Am Human: A Book of Empathy by Susan Verde, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds A sweet board book that shows very young children that everyone makes mistakes. It teaches compassion and kindness when making decisions and encourages children to act with empathy for themselves and others to make good choices. SHOP AMAZON SHOP BOOKSHOP The Feelings Book by Todd Parr Todd Parr’s board books have become staples in every toddler-parent bookshelf for almost twenty years, thanks to his ability to illustrate realistic situations with a combination of quirk and compassion. The sweet humor and simple text stay with kids as they face those situations in the real world. In this one, he helps kids and their parents discuss the gamut of emotions we all feel. SHOP AMAZON SHOP BOOKSHOP Related Stories Toddler Learn & Play 7 positive phrases to boost your toddler’s brain development Motherly Stories ’90s summers were the best summers—here’s how to recreate the magic Toddler Learn & Play 35 sensory play activities to stimulate your toddler’s beautiful brain