Fuzzy Feelings (Michelle Mackintosh, illus Cat Rabbit, Little Smith)

Michelle Mackintosh and Cat Rabbit’s Fuzzy Feelings has a resonant line on the cover that sets the emotional tone for the book: “When you have big feelings, everything can be fuzzy”. The story uses a grey cat to explore the tangled emotions a young child might experience and gently suggests that feelings are better expressed than hidden. Inevitably, those emotions can pop out, threatening to unravel her day, as mirrored in the illustration of a loose stitch on her jumper. As the cat tries to work out how to behave, such as whether it’s okay to be shy in a new place or playful in a classroom, she becomes anxious. Gradually, though, she learns to navigate her feelings and recognises that emotions can coexist: frustration and pride can sit side by side when learning to tie shoelaces. Utilising felt cut-outs and soft materials, Cat Rabbit’s signature artwork does much of the storytelling, with minimal text allowing visual cues to lead. The book closes with a direct question to the reader – “What are your Fuzzy Feelings today?” – alongside a wheel of possible feelings that readers aged 3 and up may ignore or struggle to express. The open ending invites discussion about emotional “weather”, while the tactile, handcrafted illustrations remain adorable.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Thuy On is an arts journalist, editor, critic and poet. She has three collections of poetry published. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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