♦This post contains affiliate links. You don’t pay any extra, and I make a small commission.♦

♦Please see my Disclosure tab for more information.♦

Book Review of Elmer's Feelings by Kari Milito

I have two sons. They’re amazing boys; they’re smart, handsome, and kind. My boys are kind of big now (16 and 18), but they still have feelings (a lot of them!). Sometimes I think raising older kids is harder than raising younger kids. It’s different because they don’t need all the physical help anymore, but now it’s emotional help and support that they need. I wish this book had been around when they were little so that I could have helped them better understand and deal with their feelings when they were younger. Elmer’s Feelings by Kari Milito talks about feelings, especially boys’ feelings.

Blurb:

“Elmer’s excited and ready for his first day of school. But things don’t go at all like he imagined, and it’s causing lots of different feelings. Will he be able to sort through them all and find a way to have a better second day?”

My Book Review:

This is such a cute book! Before I get to that, however, I want to let you know that Kari is a friend of mine. Our boys played soccer together for a couple of years when they were younger. They’re both 18 and kind of grown-up now, but we had some fun times sitting in the freezing rain and snow and hot sun cheering our boys on! I promise to be honest in my review, though.

Boys and feelings. Haha! That’s a tough one. Even though I think things are starting to turn a little, there is still a predominant feeling out there that boys and men can’t have feelings. They always need to be tough and not let those feelings show. This feeling is erroneous, but it is still out there. So how do we change it?

Enter Elmer the Elephant. Elmer goes to school on his first day and things definitely do not go as planned. It turns out to be a pretty bad day. He runs home after school, slams the door, and runs up to his room. Haha! Sounds like my teenagers some days. It seems like Elmer’s feelings are getting the best of him. Elmer’s mom goes to check on him and reminds him that

“it’s okay to feel your feelings, but don’t get stuck on them too long. See what each feeling has to tell you and then send it on its way.”

This is such good advice. Everyone should be reminded of this every now and then. I think it’s especially good for children to hear. Yes, you will have feelings, and yes, it’s ok to feel them, but feel them, learn from them, and then move on. I really like this lesson.

The rest of the story goes on to talk about Elmer’s second day, and how he chooses to make things better. I think this is one of the most valuable lessons children can learn—you get to choose to make things better. Don’t be a victim, don’t wallow in self pity or get angry; choose to make your situation better. If you’re waiting for someone else to save you then you may be waiting for a long time. This is what Elmer does, and he has a much better experience the second day.

This is a really cute book. Feelings can be hard to discuss, but reading the story and then talking about them makes it much easier. What makes it even more fun is the little matching game at the end. You match how he’s feeling at different times in the story with the feeling word. There’s also a reflective page where you can discuss what he did the second day to make his day go better. The illustrations and cover art in Elmer’s Feelings are adorable too. I think this would make a great addition to any home, classroom, or school library.