'Ik Voel, Ik Kan' Boek

My toddler actually pauses mid-tantrum to flip to the page with the sad face and pat it, which feels like a tiny miracle. The sturdy cardboard pages are easy for her little hands to grip, and the simple wording gives us a way to talk about feelings without it getting preachy.

The thick pages have survived countless tantrums and tosses across the room, and my little one actually sits still while we flip through the emotion scenes together. It’s become our go-to calm-down tool before naps, and I’ve noticed him pointing at the faces when he’s frustrated now.

My two-year-old grabs this book off the shelf every morning, and the simple emotion scenarios finally give us a way to talk about why he’s frustrated. The pages are thick enough that he can turn them himself without ripping anything, which is huge for us right now.