Book details

  • Genre:children's nonfiction
  • Sub-genre:Disabilities & Special Needs
  • Age Range (years):0 - 7
  • Language:English
  • Pages:24
  • Paperback ISBN:9798317839079

Feelings That Matter

By Deanna Szente

Overview


Feelings That Matter is a heartfelt children's book that gives a voice to the big emotions kids often don't know how to express. Told through the eyes of a young child, this story gently explores what it feels like to grow up alongside a sibling with autism. While love is always present, so are confusion, frustration, and moments of feeling overlooked. Through honest storytelling and relatable moments, children are reminded that it is okay to have big feelings and that their emotions matter too. This powerful story helps families start meaningful conversations about empathy, understanding, and emotional awareness. It offers comfort to children who may feel unseen and provides parents and caregivers with a tool to better support every child in the family. Perfect for siblings of children with additional needs, as well as classrooms and therapy settings, Feelings That Matter is a touching reminder that every child deserves to feel heard, valued, and understood. Because no feeling is too small to matter.
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Description


Feelings That Matter is a heartfelt and honest children's book that gently explores the big emotions kids experience but don't always know how to express. Through the eyes of a young child, this story follows life alongside a sibling with autism, capturing the complex mix of love, joy, confusion, frustration, and moments of feeling overlooked. While the bond between siblings is full of care and connection, the emotional reality of growing up in a family with different needs can sometimes feel overwhelming and difficult to understand. This story creates space for those feelings. With relatable moments and thoughtful storytelling, Feelings That Matter helps children recognize their emotions and understand that it is okay to feel deeply. It reassures them that they are not alone in their experiences and that their feelings are just as important as anyone else's. At the same time, this book offers parents, caregivers, and educators a meaningful tool to open conversations about empathy, emotional awareness, and understanding within the family. It encourages connection, helping adults better support children who may be quietly carrying emotions they do not yet have the words to express. Inspired by real life experiences, this story was created with one goal in mind: to help children feel seen, heard, and valued. It shines a light on the sibling experience in neurodiverse families, a perspective that is often overlooked, yet deeply important. Perfect for families, classrooms, therapists, and anyone supporting children through big emotions, Feelings That Matter is a powerful reminder that every child's voice deserves to be heard and every feeling deserves to be acknowledged. This is more than just a story. It is an invitation to connect, to listen, and to understand. Because every child matters, and every feeling matters too.
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About The Author


Deanna Szente is a children's book author, mother, and advocate for emotional awareness and neurodiversity who is dedicated to helping kids feel truly seen, heard, and understood. Inspired by her own family's experience raising neurotypical children alongside a sibling with autism, she brings real-life emotions and powerful moments to every page. With Feelings That Matter, Deanna gives a voice to the often-overlooked feelings of siblings, helping children feel less alone while giving parents a meaningful way to start important conversations at home. Perfect for families, classrooms, and caregivers, her work is a heartfelt reminder that every child's feelings deserve to be recognized and valued. Because every feeling matters and every child deserves to be seen.
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