An Emotional Menagerie: Feelings from A to Z

An imaginative and engaging exploration of childhood emotions through poetry and evocative illustration.

Emotions are like animals:
No two are quite the same.
Some are quiet; some are fierce;
And all are hard to tame.

Children experience all sorts of emotions: sometimes going through several very different ones before breakfast. Yet they can struggle to put these feelings into words. An inability to understand and communicate their moods can lead to bad behavior, deep frustration, and a whole host of difficulties further down the line. Like adults, they need help to recognize and verbalize their inner state. The greater their emotional vocabulary, the more likely they are to grow into happy, healthy, and fulfilled adults.

An Emotional Menagerie is an emotional glossary for children. A book of 26 rhyming poems, arranged alphabetically, that bring our feelings to life—Anger, Boredom, Curiosity, Dreaminess, Embarrassment, Fear, Guilt, and more. The poems transform each emotion into a different animal to provide a clear and engaging illustration of its character: how it arises; how it makes us behave and how we can learn to manage its effects. Boasting a rich vocabulary, the poems also give children a wide variety of options for describing their feelings to others.

Filled with wise, therapeutic advice, brought to life through musical language and beautiful illustrations, An Emotional Menagerie is an imaginative and universally appealing way of increasing emotional literacy.

• AN EMOTIONAL GLOSSARY FOR CHILDREN with 26 rhyming poems, arranged alphabetically.

• ILLUSTRATED BY RACHAEL SAUNDERS whimsical and humorous full-color illustrations throughout.

• TEACHES CHILDREN EMOTIONAL LITERACY through imaginative poems connecting different animals to common emotions.

• IMPROVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS by helping children articulate their feelings.

• FOR AGES 5 AND UP

About the Author
The School of Life is a global organization helping people lead more fulfilled lives. Through our range of books, gifts, and stationery we aim to prompt more thoughtful natures and help everyone to find fulfillment. The School of Life is a resource for exploring self-knowledge, relationships, work, socializing, finding calm, and enjoying culture through content, community, and conversation. You can find us online, in stores, and in welcoming spaces around the world offering classes, events, and one-to-one therapy sessions.

The School of Life is a rapidly growing global brand, with over 6 million YouTube subscribers, 351,000 Facebook followers, 218,000 Instagram followers, and 163,000 Twitter followers.

The School of Life Press brings together the thinking and ideas of the School of Life creative team under the direction of series editor, Alain de Botton. Their books share a coherent, curated message that speaks with one voice: calm, reassuring, and sane.

Rachael Saunders is a Hampshire-based illustrator with a passion for character design and storytelling. She graduated from Falmouth University with a first-class degree in Illustration and has since worked for a variety of international newspapers, brands, magazines, and publishers on projects of all shapes and sizes. Her clients include Walker Books, Nosy Crow, Anderson Press, Usborne, The National Trust, and The Wall Street Journal. Rachael’s work centers around color, shape, and texture to create images that are vibrant and humorous. She draws inspiration from exploring nature, design, and the rich printed aesthetic of 1960’s children’s books.