FEELINGS ARE LIKE FARTS

Emotions and flatulence are a lot more similar than you might think.

“Farts and feelings. Everyone has them!” But don’t worry—“just like your farts, your feelings will pass!” The silliness of the book’s subject matter makes it a clear attention-grabber, playing into children’s general interest in all things scatological. Though funny, many of the comparisons are also rather insightful: “You might wish they were private, but they don’t always come out that way.” “If you pay attention to your body, it might tell you what is coming.” The authors also offer useful advice: Talk to someone you trust if your farts or feelings hurt, refrain from holding them in for too long, and find a safe place to let them out. The softly rendered illustrations are tactfully done—no potty humor here. The images are mostly in shades of gray; Nakamura uses color sparingly and to great effect, playing up the pink on characters’ cheeks or for bright, squiggly lines signaling an outburst. Children of varying skin tones and ethnicities are represented. Some scenarios may require an adult to help explain the connection between emotions and farts.

An unconventional but useful primer to help youngsters make sense of overwhelming feelings.