cover image In My Heart: A Book of Feelings

In My Heart: A Book of Feelings

Jo Witek, illus. by Christine Roussey. Abrams Appleseed, $16.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-4197-1310-1

Concentric heart-shaped die-cuts are the centerpiece of this elegantly designed book about emotions, first published in France. An expressive pencil-drawn child uses relatable similes and metaphors to describe her various feelings: “Some days my heart feels as heavy as an elephant. There’s a dark cloud over my head, and tears fall like rain. This is when my heart is sad.” A featureless gray-blue elephant sprays water on the girl from its trunk, which swoops toward her from across the spread. Elsewhere, a red cross symbolizes a broken heart in need for healing (dressed as a nurse, the girl wraps the cross with a bandage), and the girl appears as Red Riding Hood, pursued by a wolf, to demonstrate fear. Witek covers an impressive emotional range while Roussey’s childlike drawings evoke each feeling with playful style. Ages 2–4. (Jan.)