#528 - Oh, So Emo! Dealing With Those Big Feelings

by Gayatri and illustrated by Shamika Chaves

“Oh, So Emo! Dealing With Those Big Feelings” by Gayatri and illustrated by Shamika Chaves. Published by Hachette. A thought provoking book about the wheel of emotions that we experience and how to deal with them through the stories of a group of five children.

We experience several emotions which leads us to feel differently in each situation. Some days we might feel ecstatic and soar high while we may not feel anything at all on some other days. Well, this is very much normal and everyone be it adults or children go through these emotions. It is all mapped out on the wheel of emotions. Based on the emotion, we experience different kinds of feelings. The wheel of emotions works like a lantern throwing light on how these feelings affect our thoughts, words as well as actions.

Sku is an unusual sunbird who has a rare talent of being able to figure out who needs his help in dealing with their emotions. He has learnt the secrets of emotions and their resultant feelings from the monk Dorji while in Tibet. He wants to help those who need to learn these secrets. He identifies children like Amit, Susie, Frenny, Moin and Neela who are dealing with different kinds of problems in their lives. He goes on to make a difference in their lives by sharing the secrets of the mind that he has learnt. Read the book to accompany Sku while he decodes the secrets about emotions, feelings and how we need to deal with them effectively.

The book serves as a primer which can be referred to by adults and children alike. It was a thought provoking and engrossing read for me and my almost ten year old. Sku became an endearing character and we were curious to know what he had to say about various emotions and the resultant feelings. Each of the five children were introduced followed by Sku telling them how to deal with their feelings. We loved the way in which each feeling has been explained in a relatable as well as easy to understand manner using four sections called How it feels, Words to use, Sku’s Dos and Affirmation along with a section for readers to jot down their own words which they use to describe these feelings. While some children in the book were aware that they had problems, others had no inkling and seemed to have created walls around them to keep themselves safe and avoid being judged. Through these stories, we became aware of how to deal with feelings that can be confusing or overwhelming at times. It is amazing to see how everything is mapped out on the wheel of emotions which has been depicted on a poster attached at the end of the book. To read the foreword by none other than the Dalai Lama was an enriching experience. This is one of those books that can be picked up several times and read over the years whenever there is a need to interpret and deal with our feelings.

Recommended Age

The book is apt for children aged 10/11 and above.

Disclaimer - We received this book from the publisher, Hachette, for review. Thank you to Tanu, from Hachette, for sending across the book!