What Feelings Do When No Ones Looking [Hardcover]

An unruly cast of emotions come alive in this romping dreamworld, a place Maurice Sendak’s Wild Things could call home

Curiosity, a lithe and floppy-eared creature, perches above the open world and gazes out with a zippy blend of hope, wonder, and longing. From the tip of a chimney, we bound into the quiet and mischievous world of feelings, meeting a troupe of tufted creatures as we go. Sympathy helps snails cross a sidewalk to safety, fear pirouettes in an attempt to camouflage with wallflowers, and pleasure reclines across a doily-donned reading chair, sipping a cup of tea. Elsewhere, our insecurities – pesky, cavorting beings – build intricate cages and stride about with clattering sets of keys. Tina Oziewicz’s words hum with truth, and Aleksandra Zajac’s illustrations bloom and burst with charming details like a sail constructed out of a pair of billowing long johns or a red slipper falling from a contented paw. Taking in the perfect harmony of this book is like taking a long gulp from a trusty thermos and filling up with warmth. What Feelings Do When No One’s Looking surprises and soothes, inspires us to feel. Each feeling described here—gratitude, envy, nostalgia and the like—takes the shape of a quirky monster. A few of the creatures resemble hedgehogs or owls; some have rounded noses and others pointed ones . . . We see Bliss zonked out in an oversize armchair, its frilled ears splayed wide and a beatific smile on its little gray face. Envy wears a spiteful expression as it crushes flowers underfoot . . . [The book’s creators] suggest that while children should beware the negative feelings that lurk within, they should remember that positive emotions are there too, ready to kindle an inner lÎ