Rainbow In My Heart

By Jessica Urlichs & Rebekah Ballagh

A gentle, engaging story that helps tamariki begin to understand the many feelings that live inside them.

Through rhythmic, flowing language and beautiful illustrations, this book introduces emotions as colours of the rainbow - giving children a simple, visual way to notice, name, and talk about how they feel. For many tamariki, emotions can feel big and confusing, and this story offers a reassuring way to make sense of them.

The connection between colours and feelings is especially powerful. It gives children an accessible starting point for emotional language - whether they’re feeling “blue,” “yellow,” or something in between - and creates natural opportunities for kōrero together.

With thoughtful notes and conversation starters at the back, this book supports parents and caregivers to gently extend those conversations and deepen understanding over time.

How this product supports tamariki:

This book helps build early emotional literacy - supporting children to recognise, name, and express their feelings. You might read it together and pause to wonder aloud: “What colour do you feel today?” Over time, it becomes a shared language you can come back to in everyday moments, especially when emotions feel big or tricky.