Booklist Advance Review of Don't Sweat It: How to Navigate Big Emotions

Cute, colorful monsters help kids manage big feelings in this selection from the Life Works! series (4 titles). Adopting a reassuring tone, the conversational text asks readers to think about instances when they’ve experienced strong emotions, and then offers tips for shrinking those feelings back down to size.

Listening to your body, meditating, taking a break, asking a trusted grown-up for help, and showing empathy all feature here. Kids will respond to the quirky illustrations, which combine cheerful backdrops and cartoon monsters with expressive photos of children, and speech-bubble conversations between the monsters help clarify concepts from the text.

Questions are often put to the reader, helping them to consider their own feelings and understand what steps they can take if they ever feel overwhelmed. A very useful and approachable choice for SEL collections.