Is this book too 'woo-woo' or religious?

Not at all. While Shambhala has Buddhist roots, this book is entirely secular. It focuses on psychology and simple biological grounding techniques like breathing and touch.

Will a 3-year-old actually sit through the exercises?

The exercises are very short—think 30 to 60 seconds. They are designed for short attention spans and usually involve a physical action (like a hug or a hand movement) to keep them engaged.

Does this work for kids with ADHD or sensory processing issues?

Actually, yes. The focus on 'Kind Body' and physical grounding can be very helpful for kids who feel 'bouncy' or overwhelmed, though you may need to tweak the 'Kind Touch' parts if your child is touch-sensitive.

Is it a 'one and done' read?

It's better as a reference. You'll likely read the main story a few times, but the exercises in the back are meant to be revisited whenever things get stressful.

It's OK – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

It's OK

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

book2023

88%

WISE Score

A gentle, practical toolkit for teaching your kid that having big feelings doesn't make them a bad person.

It's OK

book

2023

88%

WISE Score

A gentle, practical toolkit for teaching your kid that having big feelings doesn't make them a bad person.

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Screenwise Verdict

It’s OK is less of a storybook and more of a mental health maintenance tool for the preschool set. In a world where kids are often told to 'calm down' or 'be nice,' this book actually shows them how to do that by being nice to themselves first.

It's published by Shambhala, so it has that clean, mindful aesthetic you’d expect. It’s the kind of book you keep on the shelf for those specific nights after a playground meltdown or a sibling rivalry explosion. It’s short, effective, and doesn't talk down to kids.

Age Fit

Perfect for the 3-7 crowd. Toddlers will like the rhythm and the 'hand on heart' action, while older kids can actually start to internalize the self-compassion scripts.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

It is entirely focused on emotional regulation and self-compassion. It models a healthy internal dialogue that most adults are still trying to figure out.

Imaginative

While it's a nonfiction 'teaching' book, the exercises like 'Hugging Breath' and 'Kind Body' invite kids to use their bodies and minds in creative, grounding ways.

Safe

100

As safe as it gets. No surprise triggers, just a gentle exploration of universal human emotions.

Enriching

Extremely high utility for developing emotional intelligence. It provides a concrete script for kids to use when they're overwhelmed by jealousy or anger.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Normalizes 'negative' emotions like jealousy and anger, taking the shame out of the equation.
Practical affirmations give kids a literal script to follow when they feel like they're losing control.
Includes 10 specific exercises that go beyond the story, offering physical ways to calm down like 'Hugging Breath.'
Beautifully simple enough for a 3-year-old to grasp but profound enough for a 7-year-old to actually use.

⚠

What to Watch For

It is a instructional book, not a narrative journey. If your kid is looking for a high-stakes plot, this isn't it.
The 'hand on heart' technique is the core of the book; if your kid is sensory-averse to touch, you might need to adapt the physical cues.

Conversation Starters

"Which of those big feelings—sad, angry, or jealous—is the hardest one for you to feel?"
"Do you think it's helpful to know that even grown-ups feel these things sometimes?"
"Which of the 10 'Kindness' exercises felt the best in your body?"
"What's a kind thing you could say to yourself next time you make a mistake?"

Deep Dive

The 'Anti-Shame' Manual

Most kids' books about feelings focus on identifying the emotion—'This is Joy, she is yellow!'—which is fine for vocabulary, but doesn't do much when a kid is actually in the middle of a jealousy spiral because their friend got a bigger scoop of ice cream. It's OK moves past identification into actionable self-compassion.

The genius of this book is the repetition of the phrase: 'Then I remember that everyone feels angry sometimes.' It breaks the isolation of a tantrum. By shifting the focus from 'I am a bad kid for being angry' to 'I am a kid feeling a feeling that everyone feels,' it lowers the emotional stakes immediately.

More Than Just Words

The second half of the book is where the real value lies. The 10 exercises—Kind Voice, Kind Body, Kind Touch, etc.—are essentially mini-meditations for kids. They are short enough to hold a 4-year-old's attention but structured enough to actually change their physiological state. If you’re looking to build a 'calm down corner' or just want a better way to handle the 'terrible fours,' this is a solid addition to the rotation.

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