Feelings A Story in Seasons
Feelings, A Story in Seasons
Feelings, A Story in Seasons is a beautifully illustrated and written book by Manjit Thapp. When I found this book at Strand Bookstore in NYC, I knew I needed to take it home. I became immediately drawn to the topic of seasons and emotions. Does weather affect your emotions? I know it does for me! There are some books I read that translate your emotions into perfect words. This book, Feelings A Story in Seasons is a perfect example!
The book is divided into four chapters, which are the four seasons. The first chapter, High Summer begins with this quote, “Summer is an open invitation to venture outdoors. The sun bathes the streets in golden light, fueling wild growth and peak activity” Manjit Thapp (2021). Manjit takes the reader on a journey with her about how her emotions are connected with nature and the weather all through illustration and text. As the book progresses, the reader can feel the emotions of the author as the cold weather approaches and how this affects her. I love how she describes “stuck on replay” in the colder weather, which is exactly how I feel when the winter is here and it feels like it will never end!
Feelings, A Story in Seasons is also ideal for those with Seasonal Affective Disorder. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that’s related to changes in seasons — SAD begins and ends at about the same times every year. If you’re like most people with SAD, your symptoms start in the fall and continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody. These symptoms often resolve during the spring and summer months. Less often, SAD causes depression in the spring or early summer and resolves during the fall or winter months.” During the pandemic, these emotions can feel even more intense, since socialization is decreased even more.
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Tips for Teaching Emotions
Feelings, A Story in Seasons can be an excellent tool for teaching emotions. Read this book with your tween/teen and discuss how the weather affects their mood. Discuss the feelings of the character in each of the seasons and talk about your experience. Why does the weather affect our emotions so much? What can we do to work through it? I love how the author describes “taking the time to feel her feelings”. Often, we try to distract ourselves from our feelings by staying busy but that doesn’t work in the long term. It only delays these feelings from being more intense later on. When reading this book, focus on how the nonverbal communication of the main character helps determine her emotions. What are her facial expressions like? How about her body language? I love discussing nonverbal communication with my students.
To learn more about the author and her work, visit her website here.
