An Emotional Menagerie: Feelings from A to Z

An imaginative and engaging exploration of childhood emotions through poetry and evocative illustration.

Emotions are like animals:
No two are quite the same.
Some are quiet; some are fierce;
And all are hard to tame.

Children experience all sorts of emotions: sometimes going through several very different ones before breakfast. Yet they can struggle to put these feelings into words. An inability to understand and communicate their moods can lead to bad behavior, deep frustration, and a whole host of difficulties further down the line. Like adults, they need help to recognize and verbalize their inner state. The greater their emotional vocabulary, the more likely they are to grow into happy, healthy, and fulfilled adults.

An Emotional Menagerie is an emotional glossary for children. A book of 26 rhyming poems, arranged alphabetically, that bring our feelings to life—Anger, Boredom, Curiosity, Dreaminess, Embarrassment, Fear, Guilt, and more. The poems transform each emotion into a different animal to provide a clear and engaging illustration of its character: how it arises; how it makes us behave and how we can learn to manage its effects. Boasting a rich vocabulary, the poems also give children a wide variety of options for describing their feelings to others.

Filled with wise, therapeutic advice, brought to life through musical language and beautiful illustrations, An Emotional Menagerie is an imaginative and universally appealing way of increasing emotional literacy.

• AN EMOTIONAL GLOSSARY FOR CHILDREN: with 26 rhyming poems, arranged alphabetically.

• ILLUSTRATED BY RACHAEL SAUNDERS: whimsical and humorous full color illustrations throughout.

• TEACHES CHILDREN EMOTIONAL LITERACY: through imaginative poems connecting different animals to common emotions.

• IMPROVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS: by helping children articulate their feelings.

• FOR AGES 5 AND UP

ISBN-13: 9781912891245

Media Type: Hardcover

Publisher: The School of Life

Publication Date: 04-06-2021

Pages: 60

Product Dimensions: 9.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)

Age Range: 5 - 11 Years

The School of Life is a global organization helping people lead more fulfilled lives. Through our range of books, gifts and stationery we aim to prompt more thoughtful natures and help everyone to find fulfillment.The School of Life is a resource for exploring self-knowledge, relationships, work, socializing, finding calm, and enjoying culture through content, community, and conversation. You can find us online, in stores and in welcoming spaces around the world offering classes, events, and one-to-one therapy sessions. The School of Life is a rapidly growing global brand, with over 7 million YouTube subscribers, 389,000 Facebook followers, 174,000 Instagram followers and 166,000 Twitter followers. The School of Life Press brings together the thinking and ideas of the School of Life creative team under the direction of series editor, Alain de Botton. Their books share a coherent, curated message that speaks with one voice: calm, reassuring, and sane.

Read an Excerpt

I is for Insecurity

If Insecurity was an animal,
It would wear a plastic cone,
Avoiding other animals
So they don’t laugh, or groan.

It starts when there’s some part of us
That we’ve grown to dislike:
When we don’t like our hair, or clothes,
Or weight, or skin, or height.

You could say you’re UNCONFIDENT
Or that you’re feeling MEEK.
Where once you felt bold, now you’re shy,
Where once felt strong, now weak.

Our self-worth’s often changeable;
It shifts from day to day.
It’s easy to let doubt creep in
And worry have its day.

And yet our worth in other’s eyes,
Tends to be much more stable.
Our friends remember our true worth,
Even when we’re unable.

To shed our Insecurity,
Hold tight to the above:
See yourself through friendly eyes;
Remember you are loved.

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Table of Contents

A is for Anger
B is for Boredom
C is for Curiosity
D is for Daydreaming
E is for Embarrassment
F is for Fear
G is for Guilt
H is for Happiness
I is for Insecurity
J is for Jealousy
K is for Kindness
L is for Loneliness
M is for Melancholy
N is for Naughtiness
• is for Obsession
P is for Panic
Q is for Quarrelsomeness
R is for Remorse
S is for Shyness
T is for Tranquility
U is for Uncertainty
V is for Vulnerability
W is for Worry
X is for eXcitement
Y is for Yearning
Z is for Zeal Show More