在2024年5月的心理健康關注週期間，英國麥當勞推出了一項別具意義的活動。他們移除了兒童餐盒上的微笑圖案，以傳遞一個重要訊息：「不用一直保持快樂也沒關係」。
這項創新源於一項調查結果：近半數（48%）的英國兒童對於要一直保持快樂感到壓力，即便他們內心並不真的感到開心。為了鼓勵孩子們表達真實感受，麥當勞不僅推出了無笑臉的限量版包裝盒，還提供了"情緒貼紙"，讓孩子們可以選擇符合當下心情的貼紙貼在盒子上。
這個舉動引發了我們的思考：在這個強調正面情緒的社會中，我們是否給了孩子足夠的空間來體驗和表達各種情緒？認識、接納並適當表達各種情緒，對孩子的心理健康和社交能力發展至關重要。
今天，Wave 精心挑選了10本優秀的情緒主題繪本。這些繪本通過生動有趣的故事和精美的插圖，幫助孩子認識不同的情緒，學習如何表達感受，並找到適當的方式處理複雜的情緒狀況！
1. 《愛哭公主》
作者：賴曉妍, 賴馬
《愛哭公主》是台灣繪本大師賴馬的經典之作，講述了一個愛哭的小公主在生日派對上因為一個意外而大哭的故事。這本書以幽默風趣的方式探討了"公主病"、挫折忍受力和情緒控制等常見的兒童成長問題。通過生動有趣的插圖和引人入勝的情節，故事不僅娛樂性強，還巧妙地提供了解決這些問題的方法。它幫助孩子學會控制情緒，增強挫折忍受力，同時也引導家長如何理解和應對孩子的情緒問題。這本書非常適合親子共讀，能幫助孩子產生同理心，解決成長中的小煩惱。
2. 《心情不好的小金》(Grumpy Monkey)
作者：Suzanne Lang
這本書講述了小金剛無緣無故心情變糟的故事。儘管朋友們試圖讓他開心起來，小金還是保持著壞心情。這個故事教導孩子，有時候心情不好是正常的，不需要強迫自己或他人立即變得開心。書中生動有趣的插圖和幽默的情節，讓孩子明白接納自己的情緒是很重要的。
3. 《顏色妖怪》(THE COLOR MONSTER)
作者：Anna Llenas
《顏色妖怪》是一本充滿創意的情緒繪本，通過不同的顏色來代表各種情緒。書中的妖怪需要整理自己混亂的情緒，將快樂、憂傷、生氣、害怕和平靜等情緒分類。這本書利用生動的立體場景和鮮艷的顏色，幫助孩子識別並理解不同的情緒。
4. 《Today I Feel Silly & Other Moods That Make My Day》
作者：Jamie Lee Curtis
書中的主角每天都有不同的心情，從傻里傻氣到暴躁易怒，再到興奮雀躍或悲傷低落。通過押韻的文字和誇張有趣的插圖，這本書鼓勵孩子認識並接納自己變化多端的情緒。它教導孩子情緒是流動的，每種情緒都是正常的，值得被理解和表達。
5. 《In My Heart: A Book of Feelings》
作者：Jo Witek, Christine Roussey
這本精心設計的情感探索繪本，通過富有詩意的語言和充滿想像力的插圖，帶領讀者探索各種情感。書中描述了不同情緒在身體中的感受，如幸福時心如氣球輕盈，悲傷時心如大象沉重。每一頁都有一個特殊設計的心形，隨著情感的變化而改變大小和顏色。這本書不僅幫助孩子認識抽象的「感受」概念，還教導他們如何用詞彙準確表達自己的情緒。
6. 《露比的煩惱》(Ruby's Worry)
作者：Tom Percival
《露比的煩惱》講述了一個快樂的小女孩露比，突然發現自己有了一個揮之不去的「煩惱」。這個煩惱越來越大，直到露比無法忽視它的存在。通過與一個有相似經歷的男孩交談，露比學會了如何面對和處理自己的煩惱。這本書以溫和而有力的方式，教導孩子認識焦慮情緒，並鼓勵他們與他人分享自己的感受。它強調了談論煩惱的重要性，是幫助孩子應對日常焦慮的優秀工具。
7. 《My Many Colored Days》
作者：Dr. Seuss
這本由著名兒童文學作家Dr. Seuss創作的繪本，以獨特的方式將顏色與情緒聯繫起來。書中用不同的顏色和動物來代表各種情緒狀態，如「有些日子，一切都是亮黃色。我跳得高高的，像一隻黃色的鳥。」通過簡單而富有想像力的文字和生動的插圖，這本書幫助幼兒認識並表達自己的情緒。
8. 《野獸國》(Where The Wild Things Are)
作者：Maurice Sendak
這本經典繪本講述了小男孩Max在被罰禁閉後，幻想自己航行到野獸國的冒險故事。在那裡，Max成為野獸之王，盡情發洩自己的憤怒和不滿。最後，他意識到家的重要性，回到了有媽媽愛的地方。這個故事巧妙地展示了孩子如何通過想像力來處理複雜的情緒，特別是憤怒和孤獨感。它鼓勵孩子面對並接納自己的「野獸」面，同時也強調了家庭愛的重要性。
9. 《菲菲生氣了：非常、非常的生氣》（When Sophie Gets Angry - Really, Really Angry...）
作者：Molly Bang
這本獲得凱迪克銀牌獎的繪本，生動地描繪了小女孩菲菲極度憤怒的情緒。通過戲劇化的描述和鮮艷的紅色插圖，書中展現了憤怒情緒的強烈和破壞性。故事鼓勵讀者理解憤怒是正常的情緒，同時也教導如何適當地處理這種強烈的感受。
10. 《魔法抱抱》(The Magic Hug)
作者：郭飛飛
《魔法抱抱》講述了一隻小恐龍因為生氣而變成噴火龍，燒毀了家人心愛的東西的故事。當小恐龍感到孤單和內疚時，家人給了他一個充滿愛的擁抱，化解了他的憤怒。這本書以溫馨可愛的方式，教導孩子如何處理憤怒情緒，強調了家人之愛的重要性。故事鼓勵父母在孩子鬧脾氣時，先給予擁抱和理解，而不是責罵，這種方法有助於建立孩子的安全感和自信心。
讓孩子擁抱情緒多樣性
通過閱讀這些繪本，孩子們可以學會：
- 識別並命名不同的情緒
- 理解情緒的多樣性和變化性
- 接納自己的情緒，不強求改變
- 學習適當表達情緒的方法
- 培養同理心，理解他人的情緒
就像麥當勞兒童餐不一定要叫「快樂兒童餐」一樣，我們的孩子也不需要一直保持快樂。讓我們攜手幫助孩子擁抱情緒的豐富多彩，培養他們成為情緒智商高、心理健康的個體。這些繪本將是我們的得力助手，為孩子打開一扇認識情緒世界的窗戶，讓他們在成長的道路上更加從容自信。
McDonald's Happy Meal Doesn't Always Have to Be Happy! 10 Picture Books Teaching Kids to Accept Emotional Diversity!
During Mental Health Awareness Week in May 2024, McDonald's UK launched a meaningful campaign. They removed the smile from their Happy Meal boxes to convey an important message: "It's okay not to be happy all the time."
This innovation stemmed from a survey finding: nearly half (48%) of British children feel pressured to be happy all the time, even when they don't genuinely feel that way. To encourage children to express their true feelings, McDonald's not only introduced limited-edition boxes without smiles but also provided "emotion stickers," allowing children to choose stickers that match their current mood.
This initiative prompts us to reflect: in a society that emphasizes positive emotions, are we giving children enough space to experience and express various emotions? Recognizing, accepting, and appropriately expressing different emotions is crucial for children's mental health and social skill development.
Today, Wave has carefully selected 10 excellent picture books about emotions. Through vivid stories and beautiful illustrations, these books help children recognize different emotions, learn how to express their feelings, and find appropriate ways to handle complex emotional situations!
1. "The Crying Princess"
Author: Lai Xiaoya, Jimmy Liao
"The Crying Princess" is a classic work by Taiwanese master illustrator Jimmy Liao. It tells the story of a cry-prone princess who bursts into tears at her birthday party due to an accident. The book humorously explores common childhood issues such as "princess syndrome," resilience, and emotional control. Through engaging illustrations and captivating plots, the story not only entertains but also cleverly provides solutions to these problems. It helps children learn to control their emotions, enhance their resilience, and guides parents on understanding and dealing with children's emotional issues. This book is perfect for parent-child reading, fostering empathy in children and addressing small troubles in their growth.
2. "Grumpy Monkey"
Author: Suzanne Lang
This book tells the story of a little gorilla who suddenly becomes grumpy for no apparent reason. Despite his friends' attempts to cheer him up, the little gorilla maintains his bad mood. The story teaches children that it's normal to feel down sometimes, and there's no need to force yourself or others to be immediately happy. The book's lively illustrations and humorous plot help children understand the importance of accepting their emotions.
3. "The Color Monster"
Author: Anna Llenas
"The Color Monster" is a creative emotional picture book that represents various emotions through different colors. In the book, the monster needs to sort out its jumbled emotions, categorizing happiness, sadness, anger, fear, and calmness. Using vivid 3D scenes and bright colors, this book helps children identify and understand different emotions.
4. "Today I Feel Silly & Other Moods That Make My Day"
Author: Jamie Lee Curtis
The protagonist in this book experiences different moods every day, from silly to cranky, excited to sad. Through rhyming text and exaggerated, fun illustrations, this book encourages children to recognize and accept their ever-changing emotions. It teaches children that emotions are fluid, and every emotion is normal, deserving to be understood and expressed.
5. "In My Heart: A Book of Feelings"
Authors: Jo Witek, Christine Roussey (Illustrator)
This carefully designed emotional exploration picture book uses poetic language and imaginative illustrations to guide readers through various feelings. It describes how different emotions feel in the body, such as happiness making the heart feel light as a balloon, and sadness making it feel heavy as an elephant. Each page features a specially designed heart that changes size and color with different emotions. This book not only helps children understand the abstract concept of "feelings" but also teaches them how to accurately express their emotions using vocabulary.
6. "Ruby's Worry"
Author: Tom Percival
"Ruby's Worry" tells the story of a happy little girl, Ruby, who suddenly finds herself with a persistent "worry." This worry grows bigger and bigger until Ruby can't ignore its existence. By talking to a boy with a similar experience, Ruby learns how to face and deal with her worries. This book gently yet powerfully teaches children to recognize anxiety and encourages them to share their feelings with others. It emphasizes the importance of talking about worries and is an excellent tool for helping children cope with daily anxieties.
7. "My Many Colored Days"
Author: Dr. Seuss
This picture book by renowned children's author Dr. Seuss uniquely connects colors with emotions. It uses different colors and animals to represent various emotional states, such as "Some days are yellow. I am a busy, buzzy bee." Through simple yet imaginative text and vivid illustrations, this book helps young children recognize and express their emotions.
8. "Where The Wild Things Are"
Author: Maurice Sendak
This classic picture book tells the story of a little boy named Max who, after being sent to his room, imagines sailing to a land of wild things. There, Max becomes the king of all wild things, fully venting his anger and dissatisfaction. Eventually, he realizes the importance of home and returns to his mother's love. This story cleverly shows how children can use imagination to deal with complex emotions, especially anger and loneliness. It encourages children to face and accept their "wild" side while also emphasizing the importance of family love.
9. "When Sophie Gets Angry - Really, Really Angry..."
Author: Molly Bang
This Caldecott Honor book vividly portrays the extreme anger of a little girl named Sophie. Through dramatic descriptions and bright red illustrations, the book shows the intensity and destructiveness of angry emotions. The story encourages readers to understand that anger is a normal emotion while also teaching how to appropriately handle such strong feelings.
10. "The Magic Hug"
Author: Guo Feifei
"The Magic Hug" tells the story of a little dinosaur who turns into a fire-breathing dragon due to anger, burning his family's beloved possessions. When the little dinosaur feels lonely and guilty, his family gives him a loving hug, dissolving his anger. This book teaches children how to handle angry emotions in a warm and adorable way, emphasizing the importance of family love. The story encourages parents to offer hugs and understanding when children throw tantrums, rather than scolding, as this method helps build children's sense of security and self-confidence.
Embracing Emotional Diversity
Through reading these picture books, children can learn to:
- Identify and name different emotions
- Understand the diversity and variability of emotions
- Accept their own emotions without forcing change
- Learn appropriate methods of emotional expression
- Cultivate empathy and understand others' emotions
Just as McDonald's Happy Meals don't always have to be called "Happy Meals," our children don't need to be happy all the time. Let's work together to help children embrace the rich diversity of emotions, nurturing them to become individuals with high emotional intelligence and good mental health. These picture books will be our valuable assistants, opening a window for children to understand the world of emotions, allowing them to grow more confidently and comfortably.
Source：
https://imaginationsoup.net/books-kids-emotions-feelings/
