Feeling your feelings The head-to-toe science of emotions

When someone is nervous, their stomach may clench; when they're angry, their feet may stomp. This book presents the simple science behind these physical reactions in a way that is [that's ]approachable for young readers, sprinkled with light jokes and playful puns to keep the material fun. Covering body parts from head to toe, each two-page spread focuses on a different part and can be read independently or in sequence, making it flexible for a variety of reading experiences. Cartoon illustrations accompany the text, highlighting emotions and movements while adding visual humor that will capture children's attention. Beyond being entertaining, this book introduces basic concepts of physiology and emotional awareness, encouraging children to notice how their own bodies respond to feelings. This creative, informative, and highly engaging book combines science and humor, making it a valuable addition to both early childhood and nonfiction collections. Young readers will enjoy exploring their bodies while learning about the science behind their emotions.

An examination of the back-and-forth communications between brains and body parts that go into expressing emotions. Kyi starts at the bottom and goes up--beginning with the claim that humans everywhere, and some animals, too, stomp their feet when angry. She also reports on experiments that have found that subjects could distinguish through their soles aggressive, tender, or neutral steps. Similarly fascinating insights accompany ensuing examinations of signals sent or expressed by kneeling or knocking knees, gut feelings, heartache, laughter and voice tones, blushes, nail biting, wrinkled noses, and more. Along the way, she explains the roles of adrenaline, dopamine, and other chemical messengers as she traces connections with nerve pathways in brains and spines that receive and carry responses to outside stimuli. The author reassuringly notes the "neuroplasticity" of these connections, and though she doesn't mention how they adapt to autism or other neurological conditions, she does feature a revealing discussion of how spinal injuries can lead some people to feel and express emotions differently. In keeping with the narrative's light tone, Nicholls supplies cartoon images of personified inner organs and a diverse set of young people in appropriately expressive poses. An eye-widening overview. (glossary, sources, further reading, index)(Nonfiction. 8-11) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.