Charlie’s Balloons: A Story of Big Emotions

Charlie’s Balloons is a story about Charlie who has big emotions. Balloons are used as a tool to illustrate big emotions by comparing the emotions with balloons. Difficult emotions are represented by heavy, droopy balloons filled with water, and positive emotions are shown as lighter balloons that can easily float up and away. This representation of emotions can help young readers in visualizing what they feel.

Charlie guides children and their caregivers through the world of highly sensitive feelings in a gentle manner. Several everyday scenarios are introduced where samples of a range of feelings express how Charlie is affected by them. Happy feelings balance the range of emotions introduced and reflect Charlie's experiences in positive circumstances, enjoying hugs from her little sister and playing in the park with friends.

Sometimes the everyday feelings can become overwhelming, but Charlie knows to reach out to her parents at these challenging times. She has a list of calming activities that help the balloons become lighter. She is aware that she experiences her emotions more intensely and thinks of it as a super-power which heightens her other abilities. Élodie Duhameau’s pictures complement the text well by illustrating the emotions discussed in the book with bright and colourful images.

Following through Charlie’s story with a caregiver can emphasize the points in the book. As everyone’s circumstances vary, children can add to the story with their own experiences and then create a list of calming activities of their own.