Big Feelings Kids Book PDF, Emotional Regulation Picture Book, Frustration and Transitions Story, Neurodivergent, Ages 6-9, Tom and the Wave

A gentle picture book about big feelings and transitions for children who feel things quickly.

A gentle picture book for the child who feels things quickly. His wave is still his.

Meet Tom. Tom feels things quickly. When something matters, the feeling can rise through him fast, like a wave getting higher. It isn't a real wave. It's a feeling. He knows the start: heat in his face and a push in his arms. One day at school he is finishing a drawing of a rocket, and the flames are just how he wants them. Then the teacher says, "Time to pack away now, Tom. We'll finish tomorrow." The heat climbs fast. "But I'm not done!" The words come out bigger than the moment. Afterwards, Tom doesn't know where to put the leftover wave. His teacher crouches beside him and says, "That rose fast." She doesn't tell him to stop. She stays. Tom puts one hand on his chest, and at home he shows his dad the picture and says, "It came up fast, like a wave." His dad stays until the last of the push eases. Tom still feels things quickly, but now, when the heat starts to climb, he can put his hand on his chest and say, "Wave." A little tortoise hides on every story page and on the cover, and a rhyme at the start of the book invites your child to find him, at their own pace.

"Tom and the Wave" is a gentle story about a feeling that rises fast and the grown-ups who stay beside it, and an easy way for grown-ups to talk about what it feels like when a feeling comes up bigger than the moment. Many children who feel things quickly and strongly, who find it hard to stop in the middle of something that matters to them, or who aren't sure what to do with a feeling once the moment has passed may see themselves in Tom, including autistic children, children with ADHD and other neurodivergent children.

A story for every way to be.

WHY FAMILIES LOVE IT
- Your child sees a big feeling told through the body, step by step: heat in the face, a push in the arms, and a wave that rises high and then slowly settles.
- Tom's word, "Wave," is a short word your child can borrow to name a feeling as it starts to climb.
- The grown-ups stay: Tom's teacher crouches beside him and stays while the wave is still moving, and at home his dad stays too.
- The moment at the heart of the story, being asked to pack away before a drawing is finished, is an everyday moment many children know.
- Finding the little tortoise on every story page is a quiet game to enjoy together or alone, with a Find the tortoise page to tick off each one.
- The activity pages invite your child to pick words they can say, notice where a feeling shows up in their body, find the tortoise, and colour Tom and his wave.
- For grown-ups: a note with 5 simple tips and 3 questions to talk about together, in easy, everyday words.

WHAT'S INSIDE
- Tom's story, 12 story pages: the rocket drawing at school, the moment it's time to pack away, the wave of feeling, the teacher who stays, and showing his dad at home
- 4 activity pages to print and enjoy together: What can I say? (cut-out cards with words to borrow, plus a card for your child's own words), How does my body feel? (colour the places on Tom where a feeling shows up, and choose how high the wave is), Find the tortoise (tick a box for every tortoise you spot, with an answer key), and Colour Tom and his wave
- A family page, Our wave notes, to write down a time a feeling rose fast and what helped it settle
- A note for grown-ups: 5 simple tips, 3 questions to talk about together, and an Every child is different box
- A little tortoise on every story page and on the cover, and a rhyme at the start that invites your child to find him
- Soft, warm, golden-lit artwork of a sunny classroom, Tom's bedroom, a park, a cosy living room at home and a sunny park path, with the feeling shown gently as a soft glow around Tom and a few curved lines as it rises
- 24 pages, as 3 PDF files (about 9 MB each): a digital version for reading on screen (16:9), plus A4 landscape and US Letter landscape versions for printing

AGES: 6–9. A shared read-aloud for younger children and a read-alone for confident readers.

HOW TO DOWNLOAD: This is an instant digital download. Nothing will be posted to you. Once your payment is confirmed, Etsy emails you a download link, and you can also find your download under You › Purchases and reviews › Download files. We recommend downloading on a computer or tablet web browser.

HOW TO USE AND PRINT: Read the digital version on a tablet or computer, or print at home or at a print shop. To print, choose the file that matches your paper: A4 or US Letter, both landscape. It prints best in colour with 'Fit to page' selected. The activity pages can be printed as many times as your family needs.

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED: No printed book or physical item is sent. The files are PDFs and can't be edited. This listing is for home use only and does not include a classroom, school or therapy licence.

REFUNDS: Because this is a digital file you receive instantly, we're unable to offer returns, exchanges or refunds once it has been downloaded. If something isn't right with your file, message us on Etsy and we'll put it right.

LICENCE: This file is for home and personal use only. Please don't resell, share or upload it, and don't use it in a classroom, school or therapy setting without written permission from NeuroSpark. To ask about a licence, message us on Etsy. A classroom and therapist licence is coming later as a separate listing. © 2026 NeuroSpark Books.

This book is a story for families to share. It is not therapy, and it is not medical or professional advice. If you have concerns about your child, please talk to a qualified professional.

Also from NeuroSpark Books: Annie and the Full Sky