Reading: A Kid’s Book About Emotions by Nakita Simpson: S2 Ep6

What Are Emotions and How Do We Work Through Them?

In honor of Black History Month, a topic to honor and teach everyday, we continue to elevate Black voices, this time reading, with permission, from A Kid's Book About Emotions by Nakita Simpson. 

This interactive book allows readers to color along with the story to bring their emotions to life. There is no right or wrong way to feel emotions, and we uncover all the feels in this episode. We invite you to read along with us, and find this and other important stories at www.AKidsBookAbout.com. 

To find more great stories for kids at A Kid's Book About  and excerpts from this conversation between Cyla and Nakita on IG at @akidsbookabout

All affiliate funds raised through this link are used to donate books from A Kid’s Book About series to fellow listeners and school libraries in neighboring communities.  Click here for 25% off your first 3 books! 

Transcription:

[1[1:01] What's up, everybody? What's up Cyla?
Hey, Mom. Fam.. you've been working too many auditions today.
I've got audition cukoo.
Um all right, well, here we are with another episode during Black History Month.
And today we're gonna be showcasing a book by a very talented black author.
Nakita Simpson. I love you, Nikita.
She's so creative. She has put together a really fun interactive book, a kids book about emotions, about emotions.
And what's really interesting about this book is the entire book is a coloring book where you fill out your own emotions and your own experiences.

[1:51] She encourages this and drawings and written out words, and it could be as messy as you want it to be.
Yeah, because feelings are messy. Yes, emotions.
They're not all organized on a shelf like my mom is.
Yeah, Your mom organized emotions room right there. Much more emotions, air, much more messy. Just like you're pushing room and not like mom's organized shelves.
Trust me. Mom's emotions or not organized either. In fact, these days they feel like a mess.
Like a bunch of potion bottles shook up with the oil in the water and the baking soda and the chemicals and the glitter color.
You're making me feel guilty with all the things I'm doing. E love your potions.
And they are They're just like emotions, which is also just like the colors that you drew in this book.
If yeah, they're very messy. It's like I like made like I have, like, these glittery pens and they, like, spread around easily because they weren't drying when I was coloring on this.

[3:04] And then I realized I'm just gonna wipe him off because, like, I needed to start over anyway, because I thought it was not.
I thought it wasn't ready, so I tried to wipe it all off and and when I was trying to do that with one of the parts, it turned into, like, this mega watercolor.

[3:22] Thing. Yeah, it looks really cool. Actually, it's like tied. I'd watercolor now.

[3:27] Yeah, You have to check it out. Friends, if you want to see what the actual book looks like.
And Silas. Awesome. Happy accident. Watercolor picture well posted on our instagram account at she sounds like me.
Check on that. When you get a chance and and be sure to give us a follow, we show some behind the scenes of what goes on in the show and also showcase beautiful illustrations by talented artists, mostly female.
We love to continue to elevate, uh, and kids.
Yeah, elevate not only each other's voices and creative on creativity, but artistry just like you. Salad and your artistry, my little artist.
So well, you don't. Yeah, that's right.
You are my little mess maker. In my very organized world, it's a balance.
So we had the opportunity to sit down with Nakita Simpson, the author of this book.
And actually, when this podcast episode launches, which would be Tuesday, February 16th, two days after Valentine's Day.

[4:33] Your interview with Nikita is going live on a kids book about on their instagram page, as well as they feature conversations with kids and authors and use.
You happen to be chosen as one of those kids that get to interview these authors, so tying it into our show and our program.

[4:52] We haven't expanded Interview with Nikita coming next week on the podcast on she sounds like me.
So today we're just going to read the book to you. And if you can imagine what this beautiful book looks like, it's a hardcover book, high quality stuff from a kids book about.
It's one of those, like waxy yeah, that covers a little waxy, so like, but it's dry now and it looks so cool.
So again, you got to check it out on our instagram page. And then within the book, there is more awesome pages, just of beautiful creative graphics that could be filled in at any time.
Ah, very interactive book. Like we mentioned, Nikita put together some great questions for both grown ups and kids alike, and these books are meant to be read with a grown up and a child in your life.
So read together. They are their best read together. Because what kids are ready?
That's what they say. And that's one of the reasons we just love what they're doing at a kids book about. So if you're alone right now, go grab someone else to listen.
Go grab. Somebody else will pause. Go ahead and press pause.
Well, hang, we'll be chilling.

[6:03] Okay, got somebody great. Let's dig in.
So a kids book about emotions this'll Book is colored by me, Cyla and Nikita has a dedication.
And it says to my mom, who's done everything she can to make sure I always have a safe space in this world with her.
I love that, Nikita. It's one of the things I loved about you the most is your respect and appreciation for your mother, and we all go away improved.
Figure out next week why she dedicated this book to her mother on the next steps on the next episode, which I'm excited.
Yeah, so, um, as a grown up, Iet's hard for me to describe my emotions.
And, man, can we go through him in a single day?
So the introduction is this. The most powerful way people make connections today,
is through our emotions by seeing them and others and ourselves when we're little emotions, conf feel like a lot to process, so it doesn't hurt to have some practice in expressing them so we can learn how to navigate them in the future.

[7:15] Emotions change and grow over the years, and so does our understanding of them.
So this book is just a helpful for kids as it is for grown ups, which is why the activities are made for everyone reading.
There's no wrong way to color or right how we feel inside or outside this coloring book, so don't be afraid to get messy.
I wrote this book as a tool to help grown ups and kids talk about their emotions, what they mean and how to express them in a healthy and safe way.
So color right doodle and express how you feel and explore your wonderful range of emotions.
I wonder what you're feeling today. What are you feeling today? Me?
Yeah, I'm feeling exhausted. To be honest, it's been a long day.
I feel stressed. Do you? I feel I feel I was I feel a little stressed. Where do you feel stressed?

[8:13] Work. I don't know, Like, I honestly feel stressed, but I don't really feel stressed.
Like, does it make you may? Being anxious is the word for yeah, Like a lot kind of going on there are swimming through your bubble.
Yeah, me too. Girl. It's like a potion.
It's kind of like a potion again. A lot of things and the thing. And then what's in this?
What is this called anxious?
Call it anxious, anxious bubble juice. If I asked you to describe your emotions, could you?
Honestly, sometimes I don't even know what I'm feeling.

[8:51] Me neither, ***. Sometimes I feel so happy that my cheeks hurt like I'm I burst from excitement,
Other days I feel a little hopeless and sad Can't wait for the day, The end,
But most days I have so many emotions I can't even count them,
And they don't just come one at a time But all at once have you ever felt sad, Angry, disappointed, heavy and tiger death all of the same time? Yeah.
Uh huh. Right now. Currently present state.
Continue. Okay, sometimes I don't know how to talk about my feelings about I can usually draw them so I made this a coloring book.
Let's see if you could describe your emotions now, but with a drawling draw. How you feel here.
Feel free to use any and all colors to express you how you're feeling.
I want to pause and I want you.
If you're near a piece of paper and some colors draw a beautiful picture or a whole lot of,
tiny, messy pictures of your emotions, or if you're not near some paper or colors, think pause and think.

[10:13] And reflect on what your emotions are. And if you can't count them, that's all right.
If you can't understand them, that's all right. We'll learn how to do more of that in this.

[10:25] Okay? Continuing. So what? Even our emotions are the things we feel, things that we make happen or things that happen to us.

Emotions Episode continues..

[10:37] Emotions are how you feel and react to the things around you and what's happening inside of you.
This convene when someone is nice to you and it makes you feel happy or when someone hurts you and you feel pain or sadness, it can even be when someone gives you a gift and you feel nervous or guilty.
That's weird, right?
Mhm. Have you ever felt guilty when someone has given you a gift?
Yeah, definitely, Really. Actually, when they someone's given me a gift and I have nothing for them, you're right.
That is a nervous he guilty feeling. It's messy. Oh, yeah, it's not feeling for sure. I totally have something for you to let me go. Get it?
Totally. I am never going back there. Well, there are times that you can have certain emotions, but don't know why nothing happened. But for some reason you're jealous.
You're scared or feel like crying.
Emotions are complicated.

[11:41] And on this picture, something I really like. Is it a giant, bubbly maze?
Um, that you have to get from emotions to our complicated.
It's a very complex maze. Mm.
So it says right down some emotions you felt today. Instance, You're just reading along with us. Maybe just same out loud or Sam to your friend or whoever you're listening with. Or maybe just down on that same paper, you just go on right?
If you were any room surrounded by people, how would you feel?
I'd feel like I just, like, pulled up someone's shoulder and like, stand on it and like, I'm gonna be Oh.

[12:23] That's how you would feel if you were in a room full of people. Yeah, of course.

[12:27] Of course. So you feel like a superstar in a room full of people, which is totally your personality type and mind, to be honest, like we're pretty extroverted in that way.
I don't know if I'd sing, but I'd definitely be on the mic.
Some kids get elated when they're in a crowd of people like you, Cilla.
Belated means really happy, by the way.
But other kids in the same situation can feel super anxious and overwhelmed.
Which emotions do you think is right? Neither. Neither. I'm here to tell you neither.
How about this? All of them are right.

[13:07] Actually, there is no right or wrong way to feel.
That's the cool thing about emotions. Everyone feels differently, like there's no right or wrong answer on how to feel on something, right? So someone can feel great about getting ice cream.
Someone can feel like I don't like ice cream, which I think is crazy.
But I don't really like ice cream either, So I agree. Sort of. What? Hold on a second.
Roll back. The tape. You don't like ice cream?
Literally silent. Like 20 minutes ago, You just told me that your favorite dessert place was to ice cream places. Have you gone mad? I haven't been to any other desert place. Okay, but that's ice cream as a dessert.
Okay, once pro yo. But still anyway, back to porn. Accuse book.
Everyone feels differently. What matters is how we act with our emotions.
You're not going to stuff them all in the attic in a box in the attic?

[14:08] No. Wow. But we do. Sometimes I'm not.
Well, Sometimes you could go digging around the attic and the box falls down, hits you in the copy, and then you're a mess of emotions.
Trust me, it's called teenage years.
Also adult Ng s. Oh, what are you and your grown up feeling when you listen to us? Read this book.
Can you talk about some of the feelings you're having? Right now?

[14:39] Let’s pause this video.

[14:43] It's not Video actually paused this podcast episode, Whatever we're on right now and talk about it.
Talk about it together, kid and grownups pause.
Okay and back. Emotions aren't just complicated.
A lot of the times they could be kind of scary.
They don't always feel like sunny days. They could be really hard, like when your parents yell at each other or when apparent leaves.
Or when your friends leave you out or you move and you don't have any friends when you get a bad grade and you're grown up is disappointed in you.
And then there's the big stuff. Bullying, getting made fun of not liking yourself, not fitting in feeling misunderstood, feeling guilty and feeling lost.

[15:38] Yeah, those are big, big emotions, and they are scary.
Sometimes when I have these kinds of emotions, I try to pretend like they don't exist, like putting a box in the attic and forgetting I bury them deep down so they can't come out.
And when someone asked how I'm feeling, I say things like I'm fine or I'm OK.

[16:05] I say that every day. Do you really?
There is no stopping me with saying either one of those well, and sometimes it's just easier. I think.
Obviously we're pausing and this is not part of the book. But it's interesting to point out that sometimes it's just easier to say I'm fine, okay, even when you're not, because it's hard to put emotions into words.
And I think that's exactly what Nikita is getting at here in her book and hoping to share that.
This is normal for everybody to feel kids and adults, you know, definitely.
And after a while I might even convince myself that I'm fine or okay.

[16:45] But the truth is, I'm not sure how to explain what I'm feeling or what to do about exactly what we just said.
It's like it's easier to say, Leave me alone kind of when you're saying like I'm OK, I'm fine like nothing, no big deal.
So I keep all my emotions bottled up inside me until they all come out in unexpected ways, like yelling or getting angry, and I end end up hurting the people around me.
Sometimes I even end up hurting myself.
It's like a big emotion monster.
This page asks you to draw your emotion monster on What would it look like?
So think about that in your head for a moment.
Minds like dark and green and free and big googly eyes and crazy gnashing teeth.

[17:39] And maybe antenna mine looks more like a giant slimeball blob.
Yeah, like goo peeing, gluey and sticking. Do all the things that touches totally.
We shouldn't be scared of our emotions or our emotion monsters.
I'll tell you a secret if you get really good at what I'm about to tell you next, it'll be better at this than most grown ups.
But first you've got to know that it's okay to feel.

[18:07] That comes before anything else. You gotta give yourself permission to have emotions, to feel all the feels.
And once you've given yourself the right to do that, here comes the secret talk.
You have to talk. Talk about your emotions.
It might seem easy and like anybody could do it. But it's not.
It can be really hard. It can be uncomfortable, skerry and make you feel vulnerable.
Vulnerable means putting yourself out there and being open to whatever happens.

[18:45] Like there's giant Bigfoot walking around the town and I'm all vulnerable.

[18:52] I get squashed. Yeah, yeah, you get squashed, I go e don't think she meant that, but that's a good analogy. Okay, give me that.
But when you talk about your emotions, something incredible happens.
You construct toe, understand them, and when you understand your emotions, they don't feel so scary anymore. And you can become friends with your big hairy glob e stickies tacky, googly eyed emotions monster.

[19:26] Don't believe me thin. Try it.

[19:29] Find someone safe that you trust either a grown up or a friend and talk to them.

[19:35] Put down words or pictures or anything that describes how you're feeling. And don't worry whether it just makes sense or not.
Just talk in his book allows you a really great creative, safe space to write those down in.
But if you have a journal at home, you could do that, too, or just a scrap piece of paper, anything that made it easier for you.
And don't stop there. Ask other people how they're feeling and keep talking.
Be a safe person for them to share their emotions with.

[20:08] And if they don't want to share, that's okay, too.
It's up to them. Remember emotions air complicated and weird sometimes, but we all feel them, and talking about them can help make them less confusing for kids and grown ups.

[20:28] The end. But there's more. She gives us Ah, whole glossary of emotional names.
Yeah, toe help. Find the right word at how you feel and you.
And on that page there's, Ah, big blank spot that says, Write your own emotions,
like you can create your own emotion, like with a mix of like happy and a different emotion.
Combine them or write how you just feel today.

[21:02] And write your own emotions that, like our things like that. Yeah, I love it.
Right. Your home story.

[21:16] I don't know why I just broke out into song, but you did on.
Now I'm going to play it back in the car tomorrow when this podcast launches.
Well, I've really enjoyed reading this book with you, Cilla. Here's the Outro.

[21:38] Just so everyone listening can have a little bit closing thoughts from the author. Nakita-simpson.

[21:45] Now you have a couple of handy words and exercises for your kids to help them share what's going on inside their hearts and minds.
So we sure to put them into practice the next time anyone is struggling to understand their emotions, kids grown up or otherwise, talk it out, draw it out, paint or color it out, invite them into the process of expression.
There is no one way to talk about our emotions.

[22:10] All roads lead feelings heard, understood, loved and seen.
And with that, that's the end of our show for today, we want you to tune in next week and we're going to giveaway. Another blank copy of this book.
Yes, we are actually we're going to give away a kid's book about emotions to the first person that can email Hello at she sounds like me,
a picture of their emotion monster.
If you send us a picture to hello at she sounds like me dot com, we will share your picture on social media.
We will talk about you and an upcoming podcast, and we will set and give you a shout out, and we will send you a book, a blank book, a blank book of colored in yourself.
Book a kids book about emotions by Nakita Simpson And remember, every emotions are different.
All emotions air so and they're all totally fine.

[23:17] Yeah, and totally okay to feel even all at once.
So next week, join us for an interview with the author Nakita Simpson in honor of Black History Month.
But remember every day should we should be learning about black history, about history of all people, but elevating black voices,
and making sure that stories were told especially with people that have been oppressed, is important for not only has grown ups for for our kids, too.
So check that out and then also check out our friends at a kids book about.
They've started a new podcast, and so check out their podcast.
Shout out to our friends over there. We may have some special things in the works with our friends over there. But also silent is interviewing Nakita Simpson on a kids book about I g in a live video happening today.
November 16th. So thanks for joining us, everybody.

[24:14] We'll see you later and feel all the feels Feel them all Have a great one. Thanks.