I Snoop On My Feelings - Melissa Winn

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Author: Melissa Winn

Illustrator: Ekaterina Putilova
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Rating: 4 stars.

A nice little story to help children recognise ‘feelings’ through the signals of their body.

A little boy is playing when his mom comes and tells him that they are moving to another city. Through the various reactions his body generates (heart pounding, cheeks flushing, skin tingling,…) at this news and the aftermath of the move, he understands the various feelings he is capable of, ranging from fear to surprise to shyness to even love. (I certainly didn’t expect a first crush to be part of a children’s picture book, but it sure was cute to see the little fellow’s love-struck eyes! 😄)

The idea behind the story is quite simple yet it works well. Children find it tough to express how they feel, so such books, hopefully, will help them understand their own needs and emotions and communicate better. It will also help them manage their emotions when a negative emotion threatens to take over.

The text is written in simple rhythmic prose in AABB scheme. The language level is mostly manageable for its target audience of 3-5 years old. There are a couple of nice discussion resources and activities at the end of the book.

The illustrations are nice and bright. They almost pop off the page because of the vivid hues. The little boy and his pet cat are drawn in a quirky way but they still steal the show with their expressions. The only sketch I didn’t like was the illustration of the mother – why did she have to be sketched like a blonde bombshell in a cleavage-revealing and figure-hugging outfit? She looks so out of place in this story.

Overall, definitely a helpful book for little ones that combines entertainment with education. Recommended for sure. It will work especially well in schools and libraries and will be a helpful aid for children’s counsellors as well.

My thanks to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for the DRC of “I Snoop On My Feelings”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. The book is available on Kindle Unlimited.

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