Picture Books

Stock LOW due to some unusually large orders. More stock due mid-July. Check out our stockists page for shops near you which may have How Do I Feel in stock.

Finalist in the New Zealand Children & Young Adults Books Awards 2022

Storylines Notable Books 2021 - Non-Fiction Winner

#1 NZ Bestseller

International orders can be placed via Book Depository or Amazon. All Australian orders can be ordered from us with a flat $12 shipping fee.

Available on Kindle Fire for colour E-Readers

With 60+ definitions to help improve emotional literacy. This HUGE hardcover book with over 140 pages, is all about our children learning to recognise and label emotions and feelings.

Join Aroha and her friends as they share how different emotions might feel in the body and how each emotion might be helpful. This emotions dictionary is all about helping children find the words for how they truly feel. Learning to recognise and label our emotions correctly is such an important skill for life. 

Giving our children this language helps to build emotional literacy. It is a gift to give children the tools to know how to recognise what they truly feel and that is it okay to feel all emotions. When they know that no emotion is ‘good’ or ‘bad’ and that all emotions provide messages, then it takes away any attachment to that emotion being part of who they are.

We may have experienced this ourselves being labelled ‘naughty’ or ‘out of control’ due to feeling angry a lot. However, this behaviour is just a way for a child to communicate. Diving deeper into why they are acting that way, why they may be feeling the things they are, can help us find some answers with our child. It can also help us find ways to help them empower themselves with tools to feel better.

Use this book to start conversations about different emotions. If you can, give examples of things you have experienced. When you see a child experiencing an emotion, help your child label it. “Are you feeling ... right now?”

This book can be used with children from 5 years of age up to 100+ as everyone might get something from the book. 

There are over 200 emotions and so we couldn't include them all in just one book, however, this book is the most extensive book about emotions for children.

Hardcover - full colour

Pages - 145

Size - 216mm x 280mm (Landscape)

Recommended Age - 5 years - 100 years+

NOW IN STOCK - STOCK SELLING FAST! 

This book will pair up perfectly with How Do I Feel? A Dictionary of Emotions. 

Recipient of a 2022 Contestable Fund Grant from Copyright Licensing New Zealand.

We all experience emotions. Big ones, small ones, joyous one and uncomfortable ones. Each emotion is simply energy that travels through us. When they do, they are trying to give us a message to help us. Never feel bad about experiencing an emotion. All emotions are healthy and normal. It is what you do with the emotions that is important. You can learn more about yourself and what you need through the messages that emotions provide us.

When an emotion comes to visit us, sometimes it can feel overwhelming. Certain emotions can make us react in ways that we might regret. We might say something we don’t mean. We might lash out at someone when we don’t actually want to hurt them. Sometimes they bubble up and can feel like they are about to burst out of us. It can be hard to know what to do when we are feeling intense emotions inside. This is why it is a great idea to learn ways to release emotions safely from our bodies, so we don’t end up hurting ourselves or others.

Emotions are energy that flows into our bodies and should flow back out again. This book is all about ways to allow emotional energy to flow out in healthy and safe ways that you can try. See which ones you like best and work for you.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "As a parent educator I am always looking for tools and ideas that can help parents and kids with understanding and accepting big feelings. I absolutely adore this book and would recommend it to any parent looking to increase their child’s and their own vocabulary around emotions and in turn resilience in the face of challenging times. This is one of the biggest gifts we can give to our kids, and this book is a fantastic way to give kids resources and ideas for managing their feelings. It just might even help us as adults too!” - Genevieve Muir, Connected Parenting

Paperback - full colour

Pages - 64 Size - 210mm x 265mm (Landscape)

Recommended Age - 5 years - 100 years+

AS SEEN ON NEWSHUB AND THE CAFE!

AS HEARD ON RADIO NZ, THE HITS & THE NUTTERS CLUB!

New Zealand Best Seller

International orders can be placed via Book Depository or Amazon.

Aroha’s Way is a bestselling picture book for children around uncomfortable emotions; fear, apprehension, worrying thoughts and nervousness with ways to manage them.

Free book reading on our YouTube channel!

Here are just a few reviews:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “My five-year-old boy enjoyed the book upon first reading. The next day, I found him reading the book by himself during a stressful moment: "I'm looking for one of Aroha's Ways to calm myself, Mum." Clearly, the message got through. Thank you!” Paula

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “A beautiful, precious book, easy to follow and written in a way that is understandable and relatable. My 3 almost 4-year-old moko enjoyed it, and it created further kōrero and questions between us. I wish there were books like this when we were growing up!” Keriana

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “My 7-yr old struggles with anxiety - so much so that it affects her breathing every time she gets slightly stressed. We had previously tried talking it through and belly breathing exercises. But it took this book - and Aroha showing her the way - before she really opened up and practiced these techniques. The book is such a beautifully written and illustrated piece - it's easy for both of us to read. The notes at the back really got the conversation flowing too. Thank you for this book. I was finding it difficult to get through to my daughter. Obviously she needed to see it through Aroha's eyes first to normalise her own emotions.” Kim

About the book:

Come along on a journey with Aroha, as she wards off nervousness, fear, worrying thoughts and apprehension, with simple, yet effective tools that everyone can use.

From award-winning New Zealand author and illustrator, Craig Phillips, creator of
The Adventures of Jack Scratch and Giants, Trolls, Witches, Beasts (winner of the Russell Clark Award for Illustration at the New Zealand Book Awards 2018).

“Aroha’s Way is a beautiful, descriptive and relatable book – an important book – helping children to normalise, understand and even develop their own tools for dealing with their feelings.” – Jenny Palmer, Author of Feel a Little.

This beautiful picture books takes children on a journey through emotions associated with anxiety and shows simple yet effective ways to help manage them.  Aroha shows children a tool that she uses for each emotion which includes; movement or exercise, belly breathing or diaphragmatic breathing, mindfulness and connecting with others and sharing our worries.

At the back of the book, there is a section for parents and/or teachers to explore the tools in more depth.  This section expands on the beautiful poem and opens up conversations with our children.  Asking questions around those emotions to make it easier for children to recognise the emotion, and then a simple way to manage it.

At Wildling Books we believe these tools will be invaluable for children and can be used for a lifetime.

We would like to give a big THANK YOU to Like Minds, Like Mine in helping to make this book possible.

Paperback - 36 pages

Size: Landscape 210x225

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REVIEWS:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

Dr Hinemoa Elder, MBChB, FRANZCP, PhD - "An exquisitely moving read.  This book will help empower our tamariki mokopuna."

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Jimi Hunt - "In order to change our culture of greatly increasing mental illness, we need to tell stories ... this is one of those stories.  Beautifully told and illustrated, it is another tool in the education of our young people in how to deal with emotions and increase their mental fitness."

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dr Suzanne Henwood, mBraining4Success - "This is a beautifully illustrated and cleverly written book to help children find a way back to calm."

NOW IN STOCK!!!

International orders can be placed via Book Depository or Amazon.

Another stunning picture book with a new technique from the Wildling crew to help younger children find calm through the rollercoaster of emotions they can experience.

Teaching children mindfulness through the senses at a young age can help them build confidence, learn to cope with stress and realise they can overcome challenging moments in their life.

The fun ‘Five, Four, Three, Two, One’ rhyme is an easy way for children to remember to use their senses to find their way back to calm.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Another gem in the Wildling Books series, Finding My Calm is a must-have resource to top up your wellbeing toolkit. Empowering parents and teaching children ways to cope with their big feelings, this is a gorgeous book with a powerful and grounding message for our wee ones. As a mental health advocate and a māmā, one of my aims is to help children to identify emotions and learn ways to manage them; this book does just that.” – Rebekah Ballagh, counsellor, author and illustrator, Journey to Wellness.

Paperback

40 single pages

Recommended age: 3-8 years

International orders can be placed via Book Depository or Amazon.

Free book reading on our YouTube channel!

Ziggy decides to plant sunflowers in autumn, but everyone knows sunflowers don't grow in winter.  Or do they?

Sunflowers Don't Grow in Winter is a true story of hope, determination, and a little boy's love of sunflowers.

Search and Find - on each spread, children will need to find the three B's - a bee, a butterfly and a bird.

At the back of the book, learn how to grow your own sunflowers and how our thoughts are like seeds.

Recommended age: 4 - 10 years

Paperback

Based on a true story.

Written by Emily Holdaway from the wildly popular New Zealand blog, Raising Ziggy, now Officially Em. 

Illustrated by Craig Phillips - international multi-award-winning illustrator.

International orders can be placed via Book Depository or Amazon.

Aroha knows that nature is there for you and for me. Spending time out in nature makes her feel all kinds of wonderful emotions. Throughout Aroha Knows, Aroha and her friends experience our amazing world and this picture book explores how it can benefit our wellbeing.

From the creators of bestselling Aroha’s Way and Let It Go, Aroha Knows encourages children to feel connected to and find meaning in nature.

With every copy of Aroha Knows sold, Wildling Books will donate 20c to Trees That Count helping Kiwis to plant more native trees.

“We love how Aroha learns to appreciate the world around her through this beautiful story. It’s our hope that, with every book helping to plant a native tree, many tamariki can learn to love and care for our precious environment.” – Adele Fitzpatrick, CEO, Trees That Count

At the back of the book join Aroha and her friends as they look at ways to become Guardians of the Earth.  They look at planting trees, saving seeds, composting and more.

Learn with Aroha! The wonderful Greening Taupō has created some wonderful connector resources for teachers and homeschooling families to use, based on Aroha Knows. Simple ideas and activities to get kids connecting with nature 🌳💜

Finalist in the 2021 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults - Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Award for Te Reo Māori.

2022 IBBY Honour List for Translation (New Zealand). These books are considered to be outstanding for the quality of writing, illustration and translation. Important considerations in selecting the Honour List titles are that the books represent the best in children's literature from each country, and that the books are recommended as suitable for publication throughout the world. 

Aroha's Way Te Reo Māori Edition - Listen to the story on our YouTube Channel

International orders can be placed via Book Depository or Amazon.

NĀ KARENA KELLY I WHAKAMĀORI

Nau mai, hoake tātou ko Aroha, i a ia e kaupare ana i te taiatea, i te mataku, i te māharahara, me te anipā, ki ana tukanga māmā ka taea e te katoa.

Nā te ringatuhi rongonui nō Aotearoa, nā Craig Phillips, nāna ngā pukapuka o The Adventures of Jack Scratch me Giants, Trolls, Witches, Beasts (te toa i te Tohu Whakaahua o Russell Clark ki te New Zealand Book Awards 2018).

“He huia kaimanawa tēnei pukapuka, he tino rauemi hoki, hei āwhina i ngā tamariki, me ngā whānau katoa. Ka titia ēnei kōrero ki te ngākau. “ – Stacey Morrison

Paperback - 36 pages

Size: Landscape 210mm x225mm

IN STOCK NOW!!!

This board book is a simplified version from the best-selling book, How Do I Feel? A Dictionary of Emotions for Children. It helps to introduce our little wildlings to emotions and how they might look, using other toddlers so they can recognise themselves in the illustrations, which is very important.

When we help young children label their emotions, it helps them to understand and manage what they are feeling and to improve their emotional literacy as they grow.

When big emotions come to visit, use the simple belly-breathing tool at the back to help your child find their way back to calm. This is a simple yet effective tool in helping children manage big emotions. Used regularly it can really help a child to learn to manage and regulate their own emotions over time.

The board book covers just ten emotions, we picked the ones that toddlers might experience and resonate with, and they are:

I feel ...

Silly, Angry, Curious, Sad, Excited, Scared, Happy, Frustrated, Shy, Confused, Loved

The last page covers a simple way to blow big emotions away with deep breathing.

ISBN 978-0-473-58097-1 (board book)

DIMENSIONS: H170MM X W170MM

SPINE WIDTH: 13MM

EXTENT: 24 Pp