I Am Okay to Feel

October 1, 2022
Queer Eye star Karamo Brown and his son Jason "Rachel" Brown affirm that all feelings--even negative ones--are OK. A round-faced boy with brown skin, big brown eyes, and a bright smile walks outside, talking with his dad about feelings. With the son's speech printed in blue and Dad's in black, the boy announces that he's happy and shows it by jumping and spinning while Dad dances. The book's palette, which often reflects the boy's emotional state, shifts drastically when a thunderstorm blows in as the sky swirls with patterns in deep blue and purple, and a thick yellow lightning bolt blasts through--a dramatic scene that represents the boy's perception of the turbulent weather as he sits on the ground crying, hugging his knees. Dad assures him that it's all right to feel and express fear and helps him calm these negative emotions by encouraging him to stretch and breathe deeply. While the book's lesson is conveyed in a slightly heavy-handed manner, it's a good message, and readers will appreciate seeing a story that centers a Black father and son dispelling the stereotype that men and boys--especially those of color--don't or shouldn't express emotions. The backmatter includes an emotion wheel with the boy showing a range of facial expressions, accompanied by activities and questions. The acronym "FEEL OKAY" offers opportunities to practice discussing emotions. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A useful primer for socioemotional growth. (authors' note) (Picture book. 4-7)

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October 31, 2022
Netflix’s Queer Eye culture expert Karamo Brown and his son, Jason “Rachel” Brown, follow up their previous collaboration by focusing on big feelings and emotional intelligence. Told through dialogue between the two brown-skinned figures as they enjoy an outdoor stroll amid people shown with varying skin tones, the story sees young Jason shift from
sun-shining happy to storm-cloud-level stressed, worried and fearful about making it home. As the external and internal storms grow, and the child identifies, names, and communicates his feelings, his father acknowledges his emotions, assures him he’s not alone, and guides him through coping mechanisms, including grounding exercises. Debut illustrator Cerna’s textural illustrations visualize the book’s ups and downs. It’s a heartfelt, useful text for socioemotional learning and self-knowledge that gently focuses on emotional discussion between a father and son. Ages 4–8.

Starred review from October 28, 2022

PreS-Gr 2-Brown serves up a gem of a book: a father and child, both Black, the child deliberately nongendered, focus on handling emotions. As a perfect day in the park turns stormy, the child gets scared and needs to cope with the large emotional shift. The father responds deftly. Rather than snapping at his kid to suck it up and just not be scared, he demonstrates the key questions to ask kids when they're grappling with feelings. "What is in your head?" "Why does the storm scare you?" These are followed by grounding exercises to keep panic from overtaking the child completely. The calm delivery and love between the two characters shine. The use of light and dark in the illustrations is cozy, cocooning, and safe. As the child feels more secure, warmth fills the page. While the story itself offers amazing resources and strategies for handling big emotions, extended recommendations and sources from professionals at the end are also critical to the book's worth. VERDICT An absolutely essential text to support emotional health in parents and children alike.-Cat McCarrey

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