Ida’s really big feelings
by Karen Bartlett Durack

---

Starting school for the first time is always both exciting and scary, especially when you have just moved into a new neighbourhood the third week of September. Ida and Momma move from the country to a small city for the first time. The challenges Ida faces are enormous along with missing her animal friends on the farm. Ida is experiencing unbearable pain but for Momma she is experiencing elation. Ida has trouble expressing her pain partly because Momma is so happy and partly because she does not have the tools yet to handle these strong emotions. This pain reveals itself when Ida gets into trouble at school. Ida’s new teacher, Ms. Kay, tries to help her and Momma identify feelings using her special , beautiful, coloured, emoji apron. Can Ida explain what she is feeling to Momma? Will her anxiety get the best of her? Ida’s really big feelings is an educational, relatable, and entertaining story about anxiety, first days of school, and emotional regulation. A fun and easy guide for children on how to help dissolve big feelings.

---

Karen Bartlett Durack is a mother of four and has worked in education for over thirty years, with a focus on early childhood education. One day, Karen saw an ad for The Institute of Children’s Literature Ohio and decided to give writing a try. She discovered a passion for the written word and continues to write short stories for Institute contests. In her spare time Karen loves playing instruments and singing for young children. She also enjoys reading, baking,cooking, knitting, sewing, sketching, painting, acting, and getting active with yoga, swimming, and skating. Karen was born in Newfoundland but resides in Toronto with two of her children and a cat named Tabitha.

---

Contributors

Author

Karen Bartlett Durack

Illustrator

Afton Jane