I Am Okay to Feel
Age range 4 to 8
An empowering picture book that invites us to explore and embrace our emotions from Karamo, talk show host and culture expert of Netflix’s hit series Queer Eye, and Jason Brown, featuring illustrations by Diobelle Cerna, and expert-vetted resources.
A father and son are caught in a storm and must learn to navigate the uncertainty together in this poignant picture book by talk show host and beloved Queer Eye star Karamo Brown and his son Jason 'Rachel' Brown, perfect for reassuring young readers in times of stress.
I Am Okay to Feel empowers children to talk about their emotions and anxieties, with the reassuring message that 'I am okay to feel and heal'. Paired with back matter and resources developed with psychologists, this picture book offers a loving framework for how to identify and express feelings in a healthy way, providing the tools to build emotional intelligence at a formative age.
'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.' — School Library Journal, starred review
'A heartfelt, useful text for socioemotional learning and self-knowledge that gently focuses on emotional discussion between a father and son.' — Publishers Weekly
'Queer Eye star Karamo Brown and his son Jason ‘Rachel’ Brown affirm that all feelings—even negative ones — are OK...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...A useful primer for socioemotional growth.' — Kirkus Reviews
Karamo Brown is an American television host, television personality, activist, and author. He currently stars as the culture expert in the hit Netflix series Queer Eye. He is the recipient of the 2018 Human Rights Campaign Visibility Award.
Jason "Rachel" Brown is a rising young star in Hollywood who studied dramatic and comedic acting at the University of California, Los Angeles. He often draws on his own life to entertain and inspire, including his experience connecting with his father, Karamo Brown, at the age of ten.
Diobelle Cerna is an artist and designer based in the Philippines. This is her debut picture book.
