• Age: 1 to 3
• Grade: p

A thoughtful story for babies and toddlers with a sweet surprise ending.

The toad feels bumpy, like a gnarly tree. The duckling feels fuzzy, like grass reaching for the sun. One by one the hedgehog discovers the textures of his animal friends. But how does the hedgehog feel himself?

Award-winning author/illustrator Rebecca Bender's How Do You Feel? will charm readers with its lyrical text, endearing animals, and surprise ending. The board book's raised textures make it perfect for sensory exploration with little ones. It also opens the door for parents to talk about how they and their child feel—in every sense of the phrase.

"A puffy, cheery cover framed in soft purple....[C]lean, uncluttered, sturdy pages with plenty of white....The tone is set for this toddler-friendly book that introduces a few animals and how they feel....A charming, smart, and attractive book."—Kirkus Reviews

Rebecca Bender is a well-loved author-illustrator of children’s books as well as an art director and designer. Her picture books include Not Friends, Don’t Laugh at Giraffe, Giraffe Meets Bird, Peach Girl (illustration), and How Do You Feel?. She has also illustrated the chapter books Slug Days, Penguin Days, and Duck Days. Rebecca’s awards and honors include the OLA Blue Spruce Award, a Cooperative Children’s Book Center best-of-the-year choice, and a Toronto Public Library best-of-the-year selection. Rebecca graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design at the top of her class, earning the Medal for Illustration. She lives in Burlington, Ontario, with her husband and two children.

Rebecca Bender's profile page

• Commended, Best Books for Kids & Teens selection

Praise for How Do You Feel?

2017 Canadian Children's Book Centre Best Books for Kids & Teens selection

"A puffy, cheery cover framed in soft purple....[C]lean, uncluttered, sturdy pages with plenty of white....The tone is set for this toddler-friendly book that introduces a few animals and how they feel....A charming, smart, and attractive book."—Kirkus Reviews

"This is great for very young children and especially good for students learning English. There are lots of new adjectives and similes that students will enjoy learning."—Youth Services Book Review

"The small trim size and padded hardcover format make it perfect for little ones, who may even be inspired to find new ways of expressing how they feel in every sense of the phrase."—Midwest Book Review

"The ending of the book is a nice surprise – switching from a focus on physical feelings (e.g., soft, gnarly) to emotional feelings. This may allow parents an opportunity to discuss the differences in what or how a child might be 'feeling' and that both types of feeling are important."—CM Magazine

"The uncomplicated poetic descriptive text is paired with charming colourful and whimsical illustrations rendered with acrylics and coloured pencil. An added feature for babies is padded covers."—Resource Links

"[A] sweet children's book with acrylic and colored pencil illustrations."—Brigham Young University, Children's Book & Media Reviews

"This is a lovely story for young children, as it explores the complexities of the world in a simple format. Few will have experienced physically touching all the varieties of animals in the story, and Bender creates an opportunity for children to use the natural world around them to build richer experiences to add to their imaginary worlds."—Canadian Children's Book News

"Pajama Press has started putting out these lovely padded-cover books for preschoolers that are so much more inviting to hold than ordinary board books. With its soft, cushioned cover, the parade of animals within and the repetitive text, How Do You Feel? will become a popular read-aloud book for parents and teachers of preschoolers and kindergarteners."—CanLit for LittleCanadians

"I love the double meaning of the question (because anything that teaches that a single thing can have two realities is important), and that the answers to the questions are all about words and similes. The whole book is about connection, and it’s sweet and lovely, and also powerfully subversive in the most important way."—Pickle Me This

"The illustrations are delightfully soft..."—Picture Book Play Date

"Use this captivating book to inspire your own metaphorical statements."—Imagination Soup