Picture Books on Delicate Emotions

Picture books can help parents introduce complicated and sensitive feelings to their kids. Do you feel lonely? I’ve got a book about that. It might even help you feel a little less alone just by reading it. Are you hard on yourself? I’ve got a book about that. Maybe it’ll remind you that it’s okay to make mistakes. (Maybe it’ll remind the parents reading it, too.)

Here are some beautiful and gentle books that take on those feelings.

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes (1991)

Chrysanthemum loved her name until a classmate makes fun of it. Then she feels embarrassed, ashamed, and self-conscious. For every kid with the “weird” name, this book is for you. Henkes’ watercolor and ink drawings capture Chrysanthemum’s worries and joy.

Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat (2014)

Beekle is an imaginary friend without a real kid. His feelings of loneliness and incompleteness lead him to take a journey to find the kid meant for him in the world. A great book about taking action to reach your goals and about reaching out to make connections. Santat uses color in his illustrations to convey the separation between the real and the imaginary and the connections between people.

The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles by Michelle Cuevas and Erin Stead (2016)

A lonely man makes it his job to find messages in a bottle and deliver them to the intended recipients. He sees how much pleasure these connections bring the recipients and regrets that the messages are never for him. When he uncorks a message about a party with no clear destination, he searches for its the person is it meant for and at last finds the community he seeks. Done in woodblock prints, oil pastels, and pencil, Stead’s illustrations are transporting.

Accident by Andrea Tsurumi (2017)

An armadillo causes a spill and runs away embarrassed. On the way to the library (deemed the perfect hiding place), the animal finds others who have messed up. The cartoon-like drawings add a lighthearted feel to the mayhem. One of the spreads is reminiscent of a Richard Scary cross section. All is resolved in the end when the armadillo is taught that accidents happen, and that’s okay as long as you work to make it better.

Away by Emil Sher and Qin Leng (2017)

This clever book about the anxiety felt before going to sleep-away camp is told entirely in sticky notes. Skip is clear that he’s not going to go to camp. His mom gently reassures him that camp will be a lot of fun. Leng’s ink and watercolor illustrations capture the energy and worry that Skip feels without being overwhelming.

Sometimes It’s Nice to Be Alone by Amy Hest and Philip Stead (2023)

Hest and Stead have created a sweet book about the pleasures of being alone and the delight of sharing experiences with a friend. With a repeating refrain of questions asking what will happen if a friend joins in, it reminded me of Mercer Mayer. Stead’s illustrations get a bit grander when the main character is joined by her friend, depicting the power of imagination and company.