Sophy Williams (text) and Gavin Scott (illustrator), Feelings are Wild, Albert Street Books, July 2023, 24 pp., RRP $19.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781250343239
Feelings Are Wild is a delightful children’s book that combines animals, counting, and emotions. The colourful illustrations and rhyming text make it a perfect invitation for kids to explore and express their feelings in a safe and enjoyable way.
The book takes young readers on a journey from one grumpy koala to ten excited quokkas, while also acknowledging a range of emotions in between, like nervousness, restlessness, and worry. The second half of the book is flipped to show more ‘positive’ feelings such as bold, proud and peaceful. The book portrays the ups and downs of different emotions, and ways that negative emotions can be turned around. This can be a valuable lesson for children as they learn to cope with their own emotions.
The illustrations of young animals are very cute and effectively portray the feelings of the characters. The book shows a range of typical childhood settings and scenarios such as walking to the park, having a bath and snuggling up with a parent at bedtime. It is best suited to children aged 3-5.
Reviewed by Laura Holloway
