What Are They Feeling?

The adventures of an empathy detective.

It’s important to think about what others might be feeling, so we can understand the people around us better and be a good friend. But sometimes it can be difficult to guess what someone else might be feeling, or their emotions may not be what we expect.

An illustrated guide to the feelings of others, What Are They Feeling? takes children on an exploration of the feelings of others. One of the great challenges for children is working out what is really going on in the minds of other people. Is someone angry or sad? What might they need from us? Why are they being unfair to us or suddenly so encouraging and kind?

In a light-hearted but profound way, this book takes us on a journey around the challenges and importance of empathy. We learn how better to ‘read’ others and to adjust our behaviour to what is really going on around us. With humour and compassion, it shows us all – whatever age we happen to be – a way to become the more thoughtful, emotionally intelligent people we long to be.

We follow Detective Feelings as they look for clues about how someone is feeling through their expression, body language and the situation. Are they smiling or frowning? What is happening around them? Has someone else been telling a joke or saying something a bit mean? We discover why empathy and sympathy are important, and how you can feel empathy for someone when you may not share the same experiences or problems as them, such as having to move to another country, or starting a new school.

Vibrant and amusing illustrations by award-winning illustrator Daniel Gray-Barnett bring the adventures of Detective Feelings to life.

260 x 230 mm | 60 pages | 25 colour illustrations