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.
Click HERE To Enter To Win Or Click The Image Below
Giveaway ends at 11:30 PM MT on September 24, 2026
13 Comments
gentlebim
I love using animals to explore hard feelings like this. It makes it so approachable and less duanting for the kiddos.
Jess Benoit
The idea that sadness doesn’t need to be dismissed but can be talked through and worked with is such an important message to give kids early. And the fact that the author’s horse and barn swallows inspired real characters in the books makes it feel so personal and grounded. A lovely addition to the series!
Amber
I love a book like this for kids that talks about emotions. Sometimes kids aren’t sure how to react, and stories such as these can help them a ton.
Forever My Little Moon
These books sound great for helping kids learn about and manage their emotions. I wish we had these resources when we were little.
Tara Pittman
I have a granddaughter with the name Bella. This book would make a great gift for her.
Yeah Lifestyle
This would be such a useful book for children to have access to. I can see how helpful it would be but also in a sweet and fun way to deal with sadness.
jerry
I love the gentle way this book approaches sadness, making a difficult emotion easier for children to understand and talk about. Bella and Bird sounds like a meaningful read.
Peachy A.
This sounds like such a sweet and thoughtful book, especially for helping little ones understand and talk about their feelings. I love books that make big emotions a little easier for kids to understand. Definitely adding this one to my list!
Karen
I think what Deana is doing is very important, especially when it comes to exploring different negative emotions like sadness.
LisaLisa
This sounds like such a sweet and meaningful book for children. I love when a story helps little ones understand and talk about emotions like sadness in a way that feels comfortable and easy for them to relate to. Bella and Bird sound absolutely adorable too!
Everything Enchanting
I love how this book gently helps kids process sadness instead of hiding it. Having horse and bird characters guide big feelings makes emotional tools so relatable for children!
jupiterhadley
Sadness and negative emotions are often really challenging for little ones. It’s great to hear about a book that addresses these!
Jenny
It sounds like a lovely book. I think it’s really important for kids to be able to explore a range of emotions.