Here Design's new interactive book helps children talk about feelings through graphics

Split into two sections – the top half shows eyes of different shapes and sizes, while the bottom has a variety of mouths – each page within uses visual symbols as a way of expressing emotion, enabling children to find the right combination to reflect how they feel.

On the inside cover are suggestions of sentiments to explore, such as 'How are you when you’re hungry?', giving adults new ways to actively engage with young children without needing to read a full-length story.

"We wanted to create a book that wasn’t language-specific," explains Caz Hildebrand, creative partner at Here Design. "By removing any unnecessary words, the book acts as a means of expression for young and non-verbal children, helping them explain feelings that are sometimes difficult to articulate.

"It needed to be fun and engaging, with simple graphics that children could relate to and understand. The challenge was how to reduce the volume of information on each page but still deliver a way to convey complex emotions. The mix-and-match pages allow the reader to share their ideas without using language and leave it to their own imagination to fill in the gaps."

How Are You Today? is the latest children's book in the Penguin by Design series, released by Ladybird Books. Discover more at www.penguin.co.uk.