Winner ABIA Small Publisher Children’s Book of the Year 2018
Read the full interview after the ABIA awards win here
Included on the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge list.
“My son Oliver received this book as a gift from the ever so lovely Arianna Lomax. To say this has made a dramatic impact on his life would be an understatement. He’s been through a lot in his first 5 years of life and that left me with a little boy who had extreme separation anxiety, anger outbursts, and a general unease. We’ve read this book more times then I can count. It’s opened up an incredible dialogue between the two of us, things I didn’t realise even had an impact on him I learnt did. By opening up this dialogue he no longer has separation anxiety, his outbursts are less and he has tools to deal with his anger. It is now my go to gift for every child over 3. It changed mine and my little dudes life. Thank you ❤️❤️”
“Josh Langley is the Todd Parr of Australian kids books.” “Josh Langley writes amazing, fresh, inspiring books.”
Following from the success of his groundbreaking kids book Being You is Enough which one reviewer called “one of the best self esteem books for kids”, Langley now uses his original style to get kids to make friends with their feelings and emotions.
Everyone has feelings … sometimes we just don’t know what to do with them!
Happy, sad, lonely, angry, anxious, proud, scared – they’re all feelings and emotions and they’re all OK! Yes – every single one of them!
In this bright and heartening book, Josh Langley helps kids get to know and make friends with their feelings.
Bursting with simple and effective ways that kids can notice and handle difficult emotions like anger, anxiety, and loss and also rejoice in the positive feelings such as joy, empathy and happiness, this is a little book with a big message.
It’s Ok to Feel the Way You Do empowers kids to understand and share their feelings so they can enjoy life a whole lot more.
Listen to interview with Josh Langley on Radio 6PR Perth Tonight with Chris Ilsley – listen now
June –
I sat and read the book. ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!! Love the message and the simplicity and the solutions and the warmth and the wonderful illustrations and the bright colours. It is a perfect follow on from “1305” but also a perfect stand alone. You’ve done it again Joshie!!!
Kids Book Review –
Kids Book Review : I am very happy that I have found these two books by Josh Langley. I love how my daughter, who has struggled with reading and emotions, is able to read the messages in this book independently. It has given her an avenue to talk about her feelings and it has uplifted her, knowing that her feelings are OK.
Linda –
Thank you so much for writing this book, it opened the door for communication between my son and the outcome is that it helped him feel ok.
Jules –
these are very important books. I absolutely love them.
Barry –
Being a father of 4 young kids, I love the message you’re trying to get out there.
Dimity Powell – Boomerang Books Review –
Langley’s little books of BIG messages about self-help and self-esteem are house favourites. Neither overtly moralistic nor sermonic, they present beautiful messages of love, understanding and hope, accompanied with novel, cartoon-esque illustrations. This one encourages kids to acknowledge their self-worth and stick by themselves, 100% of the time. It explores feelings, emotions that all kids experience but can’t always name or comprehend. Pride and anger sit side-by-side fear and elation in this little compendium of inspirational explanations that allows kids to recognise and embrace ALL of their feelings, understand their origins and the outcomes of experiencing them. Like life, Langley’s illustrations don’t promise to be perfect and yet, they are; perfectly hued and fashioned with little egos and funny bones in mind. I wish I could draw stick figures as well! In the end we are all full of feelings, not all of them always welcome or pleasant but they are who we are and what makes us uniquely human, nonetheless. I love the take-home idea that if we all made friends with our feelings rather than kept on suppressing or ignoring them all the time, then we’d have much more time for fun. Brilliant! Perfect for 5 – 12-year-olds and those of us big kids who may have forgotten how to feel.
Barbara Braxton –
The bright, bold colours and cartoon-like illustrations will capture the young reader, the text that talks directly to them and the affirmation that feeling feelings is natural and OK will help to empower our young students and help them from feeling overwhelmed even confused. In the past, health curricula have included exploring feelings and children have completed a zillion sentences starting “I am happy when…” but in today’s world we need to take this further and show that feelings are natural, that they are shared, that disappointment and anger are OK and can lead us in a new direction, that everyone has fears and doubts and highs and lows and life is not necessarily the glossed-up television version. Indeed, IT’S OK TO FEEL THE WAY YOU DO.
Michelle –
As a Clinical Child Psychologist I see a lot of kids who struggle to identify and understand their emotions. ‘IT’S OK TO FEEL THE WAY YOU DO’ is an excellent resource to not only help children understand their emotions, but to know that those feelings are OK!- Michelle Taylor BA(Hons) MPsych MAPS, Clinical Psychologist and Director, Blossomtree Psychology
Books and Publishing Australia –
IT’S OK TO FEEL THE WAY YOU DO is a gentle journey through the emotions that everyone feels at some point
‘ReadPlus –
It’s OK to feel the way you do is all about expressing emotions and feelings. It is a beautifully illustrated picture book, covering feelings such as anger, sadness and happiness. Each section explains how the feelings can make us feel and advice is offered for the negative feelings. The coping strategies include remembering happy moments and breathing in and out. This book is a way for children to learn about feelings, to learn how to express and cope. It is a book for children to read with an adult rather than independently so the topics can be discussed. Children could then read it again later.
It’s OK to feel the way you do is an excellent bedtime book or it could be read once a child has calmed after feeling angry or anxious. Families (or classes) could create their own version, recording how they were feeling after different events and what they did to help themselves or their friends feel better. Many children struggle to describe or explain how they feel and this is a lovely way to get a discussion happening when the child is calm and focused. The style of illustrations is aimed at all primary school aged children and the text is aimed at readers aged 7+. Highly recommended for children aged 4+
Kylie Kempster
bs_admin –
Josh Langley is the Todd Parr of Australian kids book
bs_admin –
“Josh Langley writes amazing, fresh, inspiring books.”
bs_admin –
Langley reignites inspirational literature – Good Reading Magazine
bs_admin –
There is not nearly enough of this types of literature on the market for adults and children alike.
bs_admin –
Thank you for creating a book that is inspiring but also easy to read.
bs_admin –
An excellent resource for discussing emotions.”
Books & Publishing
Reviewed by Nicole Madigan Just Write For Kids –
What’s special about Langley’s book is that it uses humour and fun to deliver a serious message; keeping kids entertained through fabulous illustrations, while also providing practical, actionable tips.
Using stunningly quirky, (yet direct and simple) vocabulary, this delightful picture book easily opens the door for discussions about feelings and how to navigate them.
It’s OK to feel the way you do, otherwise you wouldn’t be you will appeal to the youngest readers, right through to older children.
read more here http://www.justkidslit.com/review-its-ok-to-feel-the-way-you-do-otherwise-you-wouldnt-be-you-by-josh-langley/
bs_admin –
“My son Oliver received this book as a gift from the ever so lovely Arianna Lomax. To say this has made a dramatic impact on his life would be an understatement. He’s been through a lot in his first 5 years of life and that left me with a little boy who had extreme separation anxiety, anger outbursts, and a general unease. We’ve read this book more times then I can count. It’s opened up an incredible dialogue between the two of us, things I didn’t realise even had an impact on him I learnt did. By opening up this dialogue he no longer has separation anxiety, his outbursts are less and he has tools to deal with his anger. It is now my go to gift for every child over 3. It changed mine and my little dudes life. Thank you ❤️❤️”
bs_admin –
“This ‘blue book’ has become a constant source of inspiration for him, helping him to cope and manage every situation”- Julie
bs_admin –
“Thank you so much for writing this book, it opened the door for communication between my son and it helped him feel ok” – Linda
Jnr Bookworms –
“One of the best books I have read about feelings and it opened up some wonderful conversations between myself and my son”
Just Write For Kids –
“What’s special about Langley’s book is that it uses humour and fun to deliver a serious message; keeping kids entertained through fabulous illustrations, while also providing practical, actionable tips.”
bs_admin –
“My daughter is very sensitive and is often overwhelmed by her feelings, leading to a lot of crying. I asked her what she thought of this book. She said, “I like how it talks about feelings and it is OK to feel like that. It made me feel happy.”
Kid’s Book Review –
I highly recommend this book for everyone–parents, children, schools, public libraries–anyone or anyplace that involves feelings!” – Sally Fawcett
Michelle Taylor BA(Hons) MPsych MAPS, Clinical Psychologist and Director, Blossomtree Psychology –
As a Clinical Child Psychologist I see a lot of kids who struggle to identify and understand their emotions. ‘It’s OK to Feel the Way You Do’ is an excellent resource to not only help children understand their emotions, but to know that those feelings are OK!
Jnr Bookworms –
One of the best books I have read about feelings and it opened up some wonderful conversations between myself and my son.
Melissa –
To say this has made a dramatic impact on his life would be an understatement. He’s been through a lot in his first 5 years of life and that left me with a little boy who had extreme separation anxiety, anger outbursts, and a general unease. We’ve read this book more times than I can count. It’s opened up an incredible dialogue between the two of us, things I didn’t realise even had an impact on him I learnt did. By opening up this dialogue he no longer has separation anxiety, his outbursts are less and he has tools to deal with his anger. It is now my go to gift for every child over 3. It changed mine and my little dudes life.