Harper Handles Big Feelings: Lessons for Littles on Anger, Worry, Frustration, and Other Emotions

by Jayme Yannuzzi, John John Bajet (Illustrator)

Overview

A heartwarming storybook that takes toddlers on a journey through a full range of emotions and teaches them a simple calming rhyme to manage their big feelings.

Does your toddler have feelings so big it feels like their body could burst? Harper, a young tiger who experiences a whirlwind of emotions on her first show-and-tell day at preschool, can absolutely relate! In Harper Handles Big Feelings, author Jayme Yannuzzi crafts an engaging and empathetic story that helps your child identify a range of core and complex emotions, from anger, sadness, and happiness to frustration, worry, and pride. Coupled with an easy and effective calming rhyme for managing big emotions that repeats throughout the story, Harper Handles Big Feelings will give your little one a strong foundation for emotional intelligence and resilience as they grow.

Harper Handles Big Feelings features:

• A full range of emotions, including excitement, anger, happiness, sadness, frustration, pride, disappointment, jealousy, worry, and calm, to help toddlers better identify how they are feeling—and make them feel seen.
• Practical coping skills to manage big feelings. A simple calming rhyme that repeats throughout the story teaches your child to stop, check on themself, and take deep breaths.
• Vivid—and relatable—illustrations. Beautiful, detailed illustrations depicting Harper’s every emotion help kids see themselves in Harper and identify the way different feelings look and feel.
• A bonding opportunity for you and your child. Reading this story together—at bedtime, story time, or anytime—and talking about all that Harper experiences will help you connect with each other.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593886144
Publisher:	Zeitgeist
Publication date:	07/08/2025
Pages:	28
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 7.97(h) x 0.65(d)
Age Range:	2 - 4 Years

About the Author

Jayme Yannuzzi, MA, holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in elementary education. After teaching first and second grade for eight years, she now creates and shares hands-on activity ideas, printables, and resources for toddler and preschool parents through her website, Teach Talk Inspire. Jayme is passionate about play-based learning; she runs toddler playgroups throughout her home city of Tampa, Florida, for families and young kids. Jayme is also the author of 100 First Words for Toddlers, 100 First Animal Words for Toddlers, and My Preschool Reading Workbook.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Harper Handles Big Feelings is a sweet and relatable story about the power of self-regulation. Jayme guides the reader through the very real and complex emotions that children experience throughout the day. The adorable Harper empowers young learners to identify and connect to their own feelings and use the book’s age-appropriate calm down rhyme to support themselves during times of big emotions. This book is a powerful resource for families, educators, and therapists alike.” —Gina Gendron, MSEd, CAGS ECE, sensory play advocate and early childhood educator

“Harper Handles Big Feelings is a must-have for your home and school bookshelf! The soft and calming illustrations invite caregivers and children to cuddle up and talk through the story together. As a childcare professional and parent, the real-life examples in the book are often present in my daily interactions with young children. Kids will relate to Harper as they work through similar frustrations and worries, such as learning to put on their coat or waiting for a parent to return. This book is a rich addition to the social-emotional picture book category.” —Kayla Souza, MEd, preschool owner

“Harper Handles Big Feelings is a must-read for all little ones. Children will easily see themselves in Harper and the relatable obstacles she faces—and see how, by learning simple calming techniques, they can learn to conquer their big feelings. This story is a fantastic resource for parents and early childhood caregivers and educators in teaching little ones how to navigate their emotions.” —Marla Lind, MEd, mom of three