Book Review: Bella and Bird Explore Sadness by Deana Plaskon PLUS A Giveaway! #BellaAndBird ~

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by The Children’s Book Review. I received a copy of the book to facilitate my review and/or a promotional giveaway item. All opinions expressed are my own.

Book Information

Title: Bella and Bird Explore Sadness

Author: Deana Plaskon

Illustrator: Lea Marie Rivotti

Publisher: Bella and Bird Books (2026)

ISBN: 979-8987268452

Age Range: Ages 5–10 (32 pages)

Series: Bella and Bird — Emotion Explorers

Synopsis:

Molly cried. She really cried. When Molly comes into the pasture, gloomy and sad, Bella, the wise horse, and Bird, the wisecracking barn swallow, step in to help. Together, the friends set out to explore why Molly is sad and offer valuable lessons and better ways to cope. By the time Molly leaves the pasture, she’s gained new insights, is in better control of her feelings, and has tools to take along with her.

Bella and Bird Explore Sadness provides a foundation for readers to explore, understand, and effectively manage sadness, and serves as an invaluable tool for starting honest conversations about big emotions.

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org

About the Author

Deana Plaskon is an award-winning children’s author, educator, and licensed mental health professional. Bella isn’t just a storybook character — she’s Deana’s real-life Gypsy Vanner horse, and Bird is inspired by the barn swallows that gather Bella’s mane to build their nests.

After Hurricane Ian, Deana saw how deeply children were affected by fear, sadness, uncertainty, and change — an experience that inspired the Bella and Bird Emotion Explorers series, blending engaging stories with practical emotional intelligence tools.

Website: bellabirdbooks.com

Connect: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

My Review

I absolutely love Bella and Bird Explore Sadness by Deana Plaskon. It’s such a sweet, thoughtful book that approaches a big emotion in a way that feels gentle, comforting, and easy for children to understand. I really appreciate how the story reminds kids that it’s okay to feel sad and that their emotions are something they can talk about and work through, rather than something they need to hide.

One of the things I especially love about Deana’s books is that she has created several stories that explore different emotions children may experience as they grow. I’ve also read Bella and Bird Explore Anger, and I truly appreciate the way both books give children a safe and relatable way to recognize their feelings and learn how to navigate them. Having books that focus on specific emotions can be such a wonderful resource for parents, caregivers, and teachers.

This particular book does such a beautiful job of focusing on sadness. It gives children language and reassurance around an emotion that can sometimes be difficult for them to express. I love that it doesn’t try to dismiss sadness, but instead helps children understand that it’s a normal feeling and that it’s okay to ask for comfort and support when they need it.

Overall, I think Deana has created something really special with the Bella and Bird series. These are the kinds of books I truly appreciate because they aren’t just enjoyable stories—they can also help children develop emotional awareness and give grown-ups an easy way to start meaningful conversations about feelings. Bella and Bird Explore Sadness is a beautiful addition to the series, and I would definitely recommend it to families looking for gentle, age-appropriate books about emotions.

Giveaway Details

Big feelings, big prizes! Follow along on this virtual book tour and enter to win one of five signed copies of Bella and Bird ExploreSadness by Deana Plaskon.

Feeling extra lucky? One grand prize winner will take home the complete set—signed copies of all three books in the series: Bellaand Bird Explore Anger, Bella and Bird Explore Sadness, and Bella and Bird Explore Happiness.