Families who loved My First Book of Emotions for Toddlers by Orlena Kerek MD often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Reach for this book when your toddler is experiencing overwhelming physical reactions to their emotions, such as tensed muscles during a tantrum or wide eyes during a scare. While many books focus on naming feelings, Dr. Orlena Kerek goes a step further by helping children connect their internal physical sensations to the vocabulary of emotion. It serves as a practical toolkit for kids who are just starting to realize that their bodies and minds are connected. This board book covers six core emotions: fear, anger, joy, sadness, disgust, and surprise. Using age-appropriate language and vibrant illustrations, it explains not just what a feeling is called, but what it looks like on a face and how it feels inside the body. It is an ideal choice for parents who want to move beyond simple 'happy/sad' binaries and begin building a robust emotional vocabulary for children aged one to three.
