Picturebook Reviews: Helping Young Children Navigate Big Feelings

For Mental Health Awareness Month, we consider how picturebooks serve as essential resources for supporting emotional development in the Early Years. Reviewer Meg Barclay examines titles that explore "big feelings" — from anxiety and anger to joy and sadness — offering gentle narratives that help children aged birth to five understand and regulate their emotions. These carefully chosen books provide accessible frameworks for discussing mental health with young learners, normalising emotional experiences through the power of storytelling. Picturebooks represent a vital component of early intervention and prevention strategies, equipping families, childminders and nursery practitioners with shared language to support wellbeing. By embedding emotional literacy in everyday reading, these resources align with Early Help approaches that prioritise building resilience before difficulties escalate to statutory services. They also complement the work of children's centres and family hubs in giving every child the best possible start in life. For Lead Members overseeing children's services, understanding the value of such cultural resources highlights how educational provision supports wider safeguarding and mental health agendas. Investing in high-quality literature that addresses emotions during the Early Years establishes protective factors for individual children whilst potentially reducing future demands on specialist support services.