How do I turn a storybook into a talk about the character’s feelings? 

Parenting Perspective 

Storytime can be much more than just words and pictures on a page; it can become a doorway to emotional connection. When children talk about what a character is feeling, they are able to practise identifying emotions in a safe space, without the pressure of talking about their own experiences. This simple practice helps them to build an emotional vocabulary, empathy, and insight, which are all essential tools for navigating real life. 

Why Stories Are a Safe Space for Feelings 

Children often project their own emotions onto the characters in a story. When you explore a character’s feelings together, you give your child permission to name their own feelings, indirectly. This allows their emotional understanding to grow naturally, without any sense of confrontation or interrogation. 

Instead of asking a direct question like, ‘How did you feel today?’ which can feel demanding, you could ask: 

‘How do you think the bear felt when he dropped his ice cream?’ or ‘What would you want to say to her if you were in the story with her?’ 

These kinds of questions invite compassion and emotional reasoning, rather than defensiveness. 

Choosing Books with Emotional Depth 

It is helpful to select stories that include real-life themes, such as courage, friendship, apology, or fear, rather than only those with perfectly happy endings. A story about a lost toy, a mistake that was made, or an act of kindness provides a rich emotional landscape for you to discuss. 

You can pause briefly while reading and ask, ‘She looks a little worried. What do you think made her feel that way?’ Your tone should always be one of curiosity, not correction. This allows your child to share their thoughts freely without worrying about being ‘right’. 

Keeping the Conversation Light and Natural 

It is important to avoid turning every page into a lesson. Aim to ask just one or two feeling-based questions per story. If your child does not respond, you can simply model the reflection yourself: ‘He seems sad. I sometimes feel that way when my plans change.’ By sharing gently, you show them that all emotions are a normal and manageable part of life. 

Spiritual Insight 

The noble Quran uses stories to awaken reflection, empathy, and moral awareness, inviting the listener to feel before they judge. The method of guiding through stories is therefore a deeply Islamic one, teaching through compassion, not through confrontation. 

Storytelling as a Tool for Reflection 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Aa’raaf (7), Verse 176: 

‘…So relate to these narrations so that they may ponder (on their state of affairs).’ 

This verse shows that stories are divine tools for reflection and growth. In parenting, this means using gentle storytelling to help your child ‘give thought’ to their emotions, seeing their feelings as a natural part of human learning, not as a weakness. 

The Prophetic Mission of Good Character 

It is recorded in Mishkaat Al Masaabih, Hadith 5770, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘Indeed, I was only sent to perfect good character.’ 

Relevance: This Hadith highlights that every prophetic teaching, including stories, aimed to refine character and empathy. When parents use storybooks to help children explore feelings, they are practising this prophetic mission in everyday form shaping the heart through gentleness and reflection. The story becomes not just entertainment, but an act of moral and emotional education rooted in mercy. 

By using storybooks to explore a character’s feelings, you can transform bedtime reading into an experience of compassion. Your child will learn that stories are not just about heroes and happy endings, but about understanding the emotions that live within every heart. 

Over time, they will begin to mirror this awareness in their own lives, noticing when others are sad, scared, or joyful, and responding with a natural sense of empathy. In that simple act of shared storytelling, you are echoing the mission of the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: to perfect good character, one gentle conversation, and one heartfelt story at a time.