I really liked this story and it was a great way to discuss feelings with my daughter.

At the moment we are going through a phase where every morning she tells me that she doesn’t like school, having had a problem with some boys at the end of last term (now resolved) and we have a chat and then she goes and has the best day when she is there.

This was another way for us to talk about how she feels about school and also to show that other children also feel the same and have worries, concerns, some are anxious, but then some area how she used to be and happy to go to school. This would be a great book for schools as well as those looking to go to school for the first time too, its shows children that they are not alone.

I loved the illustrations as well, it is 4.5 stars from me for this one, rounded up to 5 stars for Amazon and Goodreads – very highly recommended!

A dog that drives the school bus (don't ask) borrows the skills of a furrapist, another dog that is able to help kids boarding the bus identify their emotions, and when they're all on board decide whether they want to be lumbered with them all day or swap them for something better through positive thinking and suchlike. It's all done so simply, it may indeed be done too simply – the way we're introduced to the driver dog first, for no real reason, and the repetitive manner of this, may put anyone off coming to this lesson just a few months late. But catch the right mind at the right level of innocence, and this may a sterling opportunity to get them to recognise and shrug off less than ideal moods and mindsets. After all, it's always been too easy to say things like 'turn that frown upside down!' – it's something more to be able to actually work through that.

This is the second in a great children's series to teach kids how to deal with their thoughts and ways of thinking from a young age. They can of course be read separately although Ralphy himself features very little in this one so on its own it may seem weird for the title to be Ralphy and not Jackson Johnson. The first book dealt with being nice to yourself and positive self-talk while this one (obviously) teaches kids about how to deal with their feelings.
Set during the bus journey on the first day of school I thought it was perfect to show the range of emotions kids can feel because that's a day when even though all the kids are physically experiencing the same thing, they will all have varying emotions about it. I thought it was great that the book explains that it's okay to feel any of the different emotions, but teaches a way to stop feeling like that if you choose you don't want to be feeling that way anymore.
The illustrations were once again gorgeous. Not too busy to be distracting or overwhelming and I loved the physical embodiments of the different emotions. Definitely a great one for the children.

In Ralphy's Rules for Feelings, we see kids getting on the bus as it is their first day of school. With that comes all different kinds of emotions from the kids, but with the help of Furrapist Jackson Johnson, the kids are able to identify their feelings and what they can do to change it.

This book was absolutely adorable!
Me and my 3 year old daughter read this together.
With Her being autistic she really struggles with emotions and feelings, so this story was not only helpful but fun along the way.
We really loved the illustrations in the story and she had so much fun trying to guess the emotion as they got on the bus.
As a mom teaching your child how to take charge of your feelings and change what you feel can be difficult, but this book was a great way to help both her and I.
I can confidently say we will be rereading this for many nights to come.

This basic, generic and repetitive book did not appeal to my pupils at all. I have used lots of stories and books in my sessions that deal with big feelings and this is nowhere near the standard that I would find useful.
A few of the pictures are quite nice. The message of the book is to change the way we think to change the way we feel. This assumes that young children can always articulate why they are feeling emotional or anxious when, in my experience, most of the time this isn't the case.

Ralphy's Rules for Feelings
by Talar Herculian Coursey
Great concept for social emotional learning. will suggest it to principals and teaching staff at the schools I am at. It sees this as a great potential for teaching in classroom situations. Teachers can easily adapt this concept for the classrooms.
Children are encouraged to share their emotional state. They are encouraged and entreated to join the bus ride with their current emotional state. They are told that they can leave that feeling on the bus or take it with them. A great concept for the classroom. Not only acceptance, and clear understanding that emotions do not have to change, but you are encouraged to choose how you see the emotion.
The concept of looking at your reasons for your emotional state is also new. The idea of looking at your thoughts on why you're feeling something, and your choice on what would change that feeling is very open and accepting. Having the child decide what will change their emotional state is very empowering. I think it can be adapted into a classroom, where they are in charge and responsible for their emotional feelings. The open ended questions are very informative and helpful for teachers to enable social emotional change, and refocus children in negative emotional states, without neglecting or ignoring their feelings.

A cute and informative book to help kids learn about feelings and how they can cope with different emotions. The book focuses on feelings kids might experience about school but can be easily understood in other contexts as well.

The one thing that felt a little weird was the dog who is a "furrapist". For a book that helps normalize emotions, I wish it would have used the term therapist and helped normalize that concept as well.

Thanks NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

I read this with my 6 year old and he loved it! He was joining in by the end with the repetition. It really helped to understand some of his feelings and that he doesn't have to feel that way.

Do you remember your first day of school? The first time you did something on your own, away from your parents? Those days can be frightening. This book offers up ways to help children (and probably some adults, as well) deal with the feelings such events can conjure up.

Don't let the book's surface simplicity fool you. It's subtle message may be delivered by cute pups and children, but they are clear and right to the point. All of us, no matter our age, have feelings. That's okay. In fact, it's normal. It's how one deals with them that make the difference. The book makes no promises to simply wave a magic wand and bad feelings disappear forever, oh, wouldn't that be nice, but it shows simple ways even children can take control of their bad feelings and direct their thoughts to more positive ones. Simplistic though some of the suggestions may appear to us more cynical adults, giving the child a measure of control is important.

The illustrations are simple with no distracting backgrounds. That allows the child to focus on the words, the advice being offered by the Furrapist. I love the word play and so will children. Ralphy brought along a friend, Furrapist Jackson Johnson, who also happens to be an adorable dog, to assist him in assisting the children this go-round. Hard not to at least conjure up a tentative smile when looking at the adorable drawings. I liked that each emotion was "carried" by the child in question. Each emotion was represented by an emoji surely familiar to today's media savvy child. This also allowed the child to either embrace their emotion or set it aside easily depending upon their learning to guide their mind to less negative thoughts. Remember, not all emotions are negative, so they may opt to hang onto positive feelings, ie happiness or comfort.

Through it all, Furrapist Jackson reminds them that having even negative feelings is okay. We all have feelings, good or bad. It's how we handle them that makes all the difference. That's an important concept for children who may fear being different or not knowing how to do something, something even as simple as choosing a seat on the bus. The book gives them ways to work through these feelings. Thanks #NetGalley and #PurpleButterflyPress - #IBPA for giving me this sneak peek. I loved Ralphy's first book and was delighted to receive this update on his efforts to provide help. Looking forward to his next adventure/effort.

A concise way to show young kids what emotions look like, validate them, and give them tools to move past big emotions. I like how each emotion is depicted in the book to give the reader a visual representation. I like that all the big emotions are validated and the characters are invited to hold those emotions and then leave them if they choose. I like the way the “furrapist” gives the children tools to work through their big emotions.

had so much fun reading this book, the story is so adorable and the illustrations were so well done and charming, there’s so many little details in every page that I couldn’t stop but be mesmerized by it all. I will definitely be recommending it! Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this early copy

Ralphy and Jackson Jonson are dogs who help wit feelings and dealing with emotions. All different types of feelings come onto the bus and they give strategies for helping cope with the feelings. there are a lot of words on the pages and no real story. I don't think kids would enjoy this one.

I thoroughly enjoyed "Ralphy's Rules for Feelings." This book beautifully addresses the complex topic of emotional intelligence in a way that's accessible and engaging for kids. The story of 'Furrapist' Jackson Johnson and Ralphy the cute pup is not only heartwarming but also educational. It provides valuable lessons about recognizing and managing our big feelings, which is especially crucial for young children.

The first day of school can be a daunting experience, and this book offers a comforting and practical guide for kids on how to navigate their emotions. I appreciate the message that children can choose their emotions and decide how to respond to them, giving them a sense of control over their feelings. The bus ride to school serves as an excellent backdrop for this journey, making the lessons relatable to everyday situations.

Overall, "Ralphy's Rules for Feelings" is a delightful and valuable resource for parents and educators to help children develop emotional intelligence. It's a four-star rating from me because it beautifully combines storytelling and education, making it a must-read for kids as they learn to understand and manage their emotions.

I have read one of the Ralphy books before, and was pleased to have the opportunity to review another. In this book, Ralphy is driving the school bus, and is accompanied by his friend Jack Johnson.

The latter is a furrapist, and is thus well placed to help the children on the bus to recognise and deal with their emotions on the first day of school.

The way in which the furrapist interacts with the children is nicely done. And the techniques he teaches to help them regulate their anxiety and sadness - and to recognise positive emotions like excitement - are very effective and simple.

This is an excellent book for any child to read, regardless of whether or not they are good at self regulation already. It also helps that the bus driver and furrapist are very cute!

"Ralphy's Rules for Feelings" by Talar Herculian Coursey is a wonderful book that helps kids understand and handle their emotions. It talks about those big feelings we all have, especially when we start school. The story follows 'Furrapist' Jackson Johnson and Ralphy the pup, who teach kids that they can choose how they feel and deal with their emotions, especially during tricky moments like the first day of school. It's like having a guide on how to have a happier day by taking charge of our feelings. This book is not only fun to read but also gives kids and parents helpful ways to handle emotions in their daily lives.

I really like this short, concise look at the mixed feelings children may have on the first day of school. I read this with my new Kindergartener, and my preschooler who started a new school. They enjoyed the illustrations and were able to identify the various feelings. I liked the verbiage of how feelings can be carried with us, or left behind if we choose. It helped to see the visual emoticon that the children held in their hands as well.

I can see this being used by social workers and children's therapists with positive results. The only quibble I have was that the bus was driven by a dog and he brought on a therapy dog, though they looked identical. My kids asked who was talking to the children, and I had to explain it was the therapy dog. Otherwise, they understood and enjoyed the book completely.

📱E-Book Review📱

Ralphy's Rules For Feelings
Talar Herculian Coursey

🌟🌟🌟🌟

This is the second Ralphy book and having read Ralphy's Rules for Living The Good Life a few months ago, and loving it, I was really pleased to see another edition out already!

This book deals with feelings.
It explains that it's often very hard for people (especially children) to explain how they're feeling and to understand what makes them feel a certain way.
This is a brilliant explanation that it's ok to feel these feelings, but also ways in which we can change our thinking to help change how we are feeling.

There's so much around at the moment about mental health and how we can maintain a healthy lifestyle and healthy mind. So it's great to have this clear and concise explanation in a form that makes it accessible and enjoyable to read and share with your little ones.

I love the illustrations and the idea that the feelings are shown as emojis.
It's a given that all children are far more savvy with technology nowadays and so this gives them a clear and recognisable view of these feelings.
It's also great that the children get to "carry" these feelings and then are able to choose to just leave them behind as they change their mindset.

Another really great read and another book to have on every bookshelf, both at home and in schools/clinics.




💕Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my ARC copy - this is my honest review 💕

Omg! This book is everything!
This book will teach a lot to kids who are attending school/daycare for the first time.

The book features different kids who have different feelings on their first day of school. This book is one amazing example that our feelings are valid and others feel similarly. I feel this book will help a lot of kids out there.
I find the writing fun and perfect for the target audience.

The illustrations are just perfect.

Thank you, Purple Butterfly Press, for the advance reading copy.

This was such a cute read! I loved everything about it. The kids feelings and how they expressed themselves was awesome and I loved how Ralphy talked them through feeling better about themselves. I loved that he explained to them how you think affects how you feel. A great read.