Emotional picture books · Ages 4 to 10
A sad child doesn't need cheering up. They need someone to sit beside them.
Stories to read aloud, open conversations and keep company with the emotions that are hard to name. The first one, «Sadness and Love», comes with a guide for families and eight activities.
What research knows about emotions, told with the warmth a child needs.
The English edition is in preparation. The Spanish edition, «La tristeza y el amor», is coming soon on Amazon · Paperback €9.90 · 46 pages
- Family guide included
- Eight activities
- Free printables
- Ages 4 to 10
- 46 full-colour pages
Naming what we feel
Putting words to sadness, anger or fear helps them stop being something to be ashamed of. The story names them without correcting them.
Reading together, unhurried
A close voice and a quiet moment. Nothing needs fixing: being there is already company.
Talking afterwards
Eight activities to keep talking at home or in the classroom, each at the child's own pace.
The body first
Sadness is not explained: it is felt in the body.
A knot in the throat, an empty pond in the chest, heavy feet. Children don't always say «I'm sad»: sometimes they say «my tummy hurts» or lose their appetite. The story starts there, with what the body notices before words do, and the guide explains how to keep company with it.
See the family guide
Who it's for
A book to keep company, not to solve
It will help if…
- You are with a boy or girl aged 4 to 10 who has lost someone.
- They have moved, changed school or miss a friend.
- You want to talk about death without lying and without frightening.
- You are a teacher or psychologist looking for material to start the conversation.
It is not for you if…
- You are looking for treatment or a diagnosis.
- You are facing a recent traumatic loss: that calls for a professional, not a story.
- You want a book that distracts the child from what they feel.
This story keeps company, but does not replace the help of a professional.
After reading
Eight activities to keep talking
Drawing, breathing, writing a letter, keeping memories. Choose the one that fits what the child needs today; each one can be printed.
The treasure chest
Keep what we have lived as a treasure.
See the activity →
Turn your whirlwind into harmony
Draw, breathe and transform the strokes in your own way.
See the activity →
The emotional swing
Notice how we feel and what we need at each moment.
See the activity →
The trunk of calm
Find what comforts and calms us.
See the activity →
Who writes them
I translate emotions into stories with heart
I'm Sofía Bayona Beriso, a Full-Time Associate Professor and researcher in technology applied to health, neuroscience and psychology. I was awarded a Marie Curie fellowship to do research at Imperial College London, where I also completed a Master in Education. Some stories reach where explanations cannot.
I write so that grown-ups and little ones can talk about what they feel, and so that no child has to go through sadness alone.
Read more about meBefore it is published
Read the story before anyone else
I will send you the story as a PDF before its launch. Once the book is published, if you feel like it, you can leave your honest opinion on Amazon, whatever it is. It is voluntary, with no rush and no commitment. And I will email you on launch day.
I'd like to read it firstFree resources
The eight activities, ready to print
Each activity, explained step by step, as a PDF. I will send them now and let you know when the book is out. They don't have the warmth of the book's illustrations, which is something else: a small emotional treasure to keep.