Feelings are Wild

'Feelings Are Wild' takes the reader on a counting journey, from one to ten and back again. Along the way we meet some animals with big feelings. The book starts with feelings that could be considered negative e.g. grumpy, nervous, sad and ashamed, but as we reach number ten, and start to count back down, the feelings turn positive, and we experience excited, brave, bold and cheerful animals. This highlights in a subtle way how we can turn around negative feelings into more positive ones.

The illustrations by Gavin Scott are filled with emotion, in a soft painterly style with splashes of colour. We can sense the feelings of the animals, from proud piglets to excited quokkas, they are each captured with a gentle quality. It made me want to reach into the pages and cuddle the cute animals - even the crocodiles!

Counting stories always capture the attention of young readers and make for a fun read aloud, this one has the added benefit of highlighting different feelings and I can see this being a favourite read in a classroom.