Dancing Words Blog

Category: Emotions

Big Feelings by Alexandra Penfold and Suzanne Kaufman

I am always on the lookout for books about feelings and emotions. To be able to support young students in building their vocabulary, and embodying how different emotions look and feel in our bodies, is a super powerful exploration.

Big Feelings, published in 2021, is expressive in its images and rhyming language. It's a beautiful book to read with preschool and kindergarten age students.

I feel hopeful.

I feel tired.

I feel frustrated.

I feel…inspired.

There are many ways to use the book as a springboard, including:

-For a simple warm up, read the book and then pick out 4 emotions from the book. Try out shapes, gestures, facial expressions, and how your feet show a feeling in a walking pattern, stomping, etc.

-List out all of the emotions from the book and make a group dance or structured improv with the list.

-Create a dance based on the whole book and the text.

December 4, 2021
This is It – By Daria Peoples-Riley

This is It is a wonderful new addition to your dance book collection for children in preschool and grades K-2. The story, with gorgeous illustrations, is a "self pep talk" for a little girl. Words like brave, strong, and warrior fill the pages. "Dance with all your might. Dance like you belong in the spotlight!"

While the basic storyline is about a pending ballet audition, the heart of the book is a rare gem within children's books on dance. It is about feelings and confidence. It is about bravery.

Check it out!

September 8, 2018
Today I Feel…

We have come a long way since my childhood in the 70s, in terms of books and curriculum about social-emotional ideas and learning. However, few picture books exist to offer language and images for young ones. Today I would like to recommend the 2017 English translation of the book Today I Feel: An Alphabet of Feelings by Madalena Moniz.

Use this book with a variety of age groups – from preschool through 3rd grade. The book can inspire an improvisational activity, mirroring activity, or group dance.

The words include:

adored

brilliant

curious

daring

excited

free

There's lots of potential with facial expressions, body parts/whole body movement, dynamic changes, and axial/traveling movement. Seasoned dance teachers could make a playlist and change the music with each new word to further explore the varying qualities and speeds for each idea.

Some of my favorite words in the book are free, grumpy, light, patient, and strong.

I am adding this to my ongoing alphabet book list as well as book list for emotions/feelings.

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November 10, 2017
The Rainbow Book by Kate Ohrt
The Rainbow Book by Kate Ohrt is a unique addition to your collection of books about colors and emotions. If you work with 4-7 year olds, check out this book.

Instead of images of people or animals, the art in the book is a series of paper cut outs, reminiscent of handmade snowflakes or Mexican cutout banners:

Seven colors are represented in the book:
1. Pink
2. Red
3. Orange
4. Yellow
5. Green
6. Blue
7. Purple
The text on each page will inspire an improv, or help you create a group dance. "When I feel orange, I am energetic and strong…..When I feel blue, I am calm and peaceful."

The Rainbow Book will be a great springboard to explore different emotions and different movement qualities with students in preschool, kindergarten, and first grade.

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October 13, 2014
Alphabet Series: The Letter E

When you and your students explore the letter E, some of these books can be springboards and inspiration for improvisations and dance projects.

E is for Earth

My Mama Earth and Earthdance are two books I have highlighted over the past year in the Magic and Whimsy Series. Both books use poetic text to look at many aspects of our world. Both can lead to group dances evoking a feel of awe and wonder about the natural world.

E is for Emotions

Two of my favorite books on emotions are great for dance classes.

On Monday When It Rained, by Cherryl Kachenmeister and photographer Tom Berthiaume, inspires students to explore facial expressions and show how our face changes when we are worried, excited, and confused.

My Many Colored Days, by Dr. Seuss and illustrators Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher, creates a beautiful dance about colors and our associated emotions (happy, sad, mad, busy).

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October 19, 2013
Alphabet Series: The Letter C

When you and your students explore the letter C, some of these books can be springboards and inspiration for improvisations and dance projects.

C is for Clouds

There are three great books about clouds. Little Cloud by Eric Carle can easily turn into a dance exploration, with students shifting shapes and levels; pair this with Sora and the Cloud by Felicia Hoshino. Cloud Dance by Thomas Locker is a picture book for K-5 students about the varieties of cloud formations.

C is for Color

My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss, with illustrations by Steven Johnson and Lou Fancher, is a fun exploration of colors and the emotions associated with each one. This book is a great example of a picture book that so easily "lends itself to movement."

C is for Circle

There are numerous poetry books about shapes. Check out When a Line Bends….A Shape Begins (by Rhonda Gowler Greene and illustrator James Kaczman) and also Shape Me a Rhyme (by Jane Yolen and photographer Jason Stemple). Use the poems specifically about circles to make a new warm up activity with your students.

C is for Carrot

Carrots and dance? Yes, indeed. Jan Peck wrote an amazing variation on the folktale The Giant Turnip. Sweet little Isabelle's dancing is what makes a giant carrot grow. This book is simply wonderful to read to students, to hear about dancing in a magical way. I also have a dance related to this story. Many years ago I made a giant carrot with fabric, about 5 feet high. My students' dancing makes this carrot "grow" as they circle around me and take turns dancing. Check out The Giant Carrot by Jan Peck and illustrator Barry Root.

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October 19, 2013