This is the story of Color Monster who wakes up confused because he’s experiencing a jumble of emotions from happy to sad and calm to scared. A little girl comes to his aid and helps him understand each feeling by likening them to various colors. When Color Monster is able to makes sense of how he feels, he is more mindful and better equipped to thoughtfully manage his emotions.

It’s not a stretch of the imagination to figure out the premise of this children’s book by Anna Llenas. It’s about emotions. How we equate these emotions with colors makes it easy for children to understand and relate how they feel. But here’s what I really love about this book—it’s an outstanding communication tool. I’ve read the criticisms and respectfully disagree on the fact that it is too simplistic. In my opinion, this is exactly what makes this book great.

We visual communicators love any tool that helps us express our emotions and that is exactly what this book can do. Imagine a child unwilling to go to school and not able to stay how they really feel. Using the Color Monster as a metaphor can help both the caregiver and the child identify a starting point for communicating what is the cause behind the emotion. Oh, and the art is very cute!