Mixed feelings

Sure, it's possible to experience unbridled enthusiasm, raw anger, and absolute bliss. But many emotions, Finck (You Broke It!) smartly asserts through minimal text and a series of squiggly-inked, spot-colored vignettes, are a mixed bag. On an opening page, one child is "mostly happy" to be heading out for what looks like a beach day, "but a little sad" about leaving the family dog behind. Another kid feels "stuck inside" as a storm rages outdoors, but is also "getting cozy" thanks to a couch pillow fort. Yet another is "mad at so many things" (people, animals, a sweater, and even a chair)--"and maybe also a little bit hungry." Some spreads play off the central premise by focusing on the jumble of fleeting feelings we all experience, including "just in the mood to pretend to be a horse" and a fervent "like no one ever listens to me." Life, the book assures, is like that: even when one may not "know the words" for a feeling, emotions come and go and blend together. But each one is valid, and discerning them can be part of the experience. Characters are portrayed with a range of skin tones. Ages 3--5. (Jan.)

How do you feel? It's complicated! Going beyond the basics, several racially diverse children discuss the many emotions they experience. A youngster is "mostly happy" to be going on vacation but "a little sad" at having to leave the family dog behind. Another child feels "forgotten-about," "like the whole world is against me," when a caregiver ignores the little one to chat with a friend; the child's tears linger even after the initial upset fades. Finck also explores how it feels to be in the very specific mood to playact as a horse and how being hangry can amplify other negative emotions. Both the text and the deliberately wonky yet controlled cartoon artwork are dryly humorous, at times appealing more to a grown-up's sensibility than a child's. But Finck carefully pays tribute to the depth and breadth of youngsters' emotions, which overall makes for an endearing read. Many little ones will emerge empowered to express their complicated yet universal feelings in equally intricate ways, while adults will be gently reminded of the complexity of children's inner lives, even when they don't yet have the vocabulary to communicate it. A nuanced take on children's emotions.(Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.