What to Do Guides for Kids series by Various Authors

Written by psychologists and recommended by the American Psychological Association, these books are designed to be workbooks that kids work on with their parents to empower both kids and the grownups who care for them regarding how to talk bout and handle big emotions. Each book handles a different issue, from what to do when the news makes you scared to dealing with shyness, separation anxiety, anger, phobias, jealousy, and more.

Your Mood Journal by Fearne Cotton

Learning strategies to deal with your emotions is great. But knowing what to do when you feel a big emotion is only ultimately useful if you’re able to recognize which emotion you’re feeling. And that’s hard, even for grownups sometimes. This activity book encourages kids to get familiar with their emotions and how they present themselves so that they are better able to articulate what they’re feeling and begin to understand what kinds of situations cause which emotions to show up.

Draw It Out by Steffanie Lorig and Rosalie Frankel

Developed with the help of 27 mental health experts, this is an activity book for kids to help them learn to express their emotions through art and to encourage discussion.

Wreck This Journal and Wreck This Picture Book by Kerry Smith

Though not necessarily intended to be therapeutic activity books, they might work well as a way for kids to work through negative feelings by taking it out on a book that is intended to get messy and destroyed. (Note: She has several other activity books that, while not on the topic of this list, are too amazing not to mention: Finish This Book, The Imaginary World Of)