Knowing how to process feelings and emotions from an early age has been widely recognized as having a strong impact on how children build relationships with others and welcome empathy, fostering socioemotional skills essentials to face contemporary challenges that involve conflicts at small and larger scales. In this light, teachers play a fundamental role in helping children to identify and understand feelings and emotions, so that they can deal with them harmoniously and learn to live together in peace with each other, respecting everyone.

In line with the above, this paper investigates the role played by picturebooks to encourage the understanding of feelings and emotions, in primary education, through didactic proposals having at its core shared reading practices and autonomous reading. For the purposes of this study, two picturebooks, by JonArno Lawson are analyzed: Sidewalk flowers and Over the rooftops, under the moon. The theoretical framework of the study draws from research on the importance of using picturebooks to encourage understanding of feelings and emotions from an early age. Furthermore, studies focusing on the role of picturebooks’ illustrations to foster the development of attitudes and values leading to rich and multifaceted ways of looking at the world are also considered. As far as methodology is concerned, the main themes emerging from the picturebooks are analyzed and articulated with meanings conveyed by the illustrations. From this synergy, paths of exploration of both works are suggested, and emphasis is put on potential of the poetic nature of illustrations to unveil a plurality of feelings and emotions.

The analysis carried out shows that the two picturebooks analyzed have ample potential for didactic exploration, enabling children to gain a better understanding of feelings and emotions such as loneliness, joy, sadness, fear and loss. Illustrations play a key role in helping children to identify these feelings and emotions, enhancing interactions with readers, both in shared reading practices and in autonomous reading. Both picturebooks gently offer ways of rethinking how to deal with feelings and emotions, contributing to the development of attitudes and values that foster peace.

Keywords: Emotions, wordless picturebooks, illustrations, early childhood education, primary education.