- Picture Books
- Ages 4–8
- Everyday Life
The Grand Hotel of Feelings
A beautifully metaphorical emotional-literacy picture book that imagines feelings as hotel guests who all need somewhere to stay. It is especially useful for children learning that difficult feelings do not have to be pushed away.
- Best for4–8
- FormatPicture
- Length32 pp
- Read aloud~6 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Lyrical
- Conversational
Tone
- Gentle
- Warm
- Whimsical
- Thought provoking
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
At the Grand Hotel of Feelings, every feeling is welcome. Some arrive quietly, some make a mess, some stay longer than expected, and some need a little more patience before they are ready to leave. Through the image of a grand hotel where emotions come and go, Lidia Brankovic gives children a concrete, gentle way to think about inner life. The book avoids telling children to fix, suppress, or judge their feelings; instead, it suggests that sadness, anger, worry, joy, and calm all need space. With stylish, warm illustrations and a clear metaphor, this is a strong read-aloud for families, classrooms, and counselling-style conversations where adults want to help children name and accept emotions without making the story feel clinical.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 4–8
- Read aloud · 4–8
- Independent · 6–9
Prose load
Light
Visual support
High
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Excellent
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Bedtime
- Reading together
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
4 / 5 · Bedtime-friendly
Sensitive-child
5 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Emotional literacy
- Feelings book
- Beautiful picture book
- Classroom pshe
- Gentle discussion
Avoid if
- Needs plot driven story
- Wants silly comedy
- Prefers character adventure
Particularly good for children who are…
- Anxiety and worry
- Anger management
- Low self esteem
- Separation anxiety
In the classroom
How it works in school.
A gentle, beautiful picture book where feelings check into a hotel — a lovely PSHE prompt for talking about and accepting emotions.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific delight is the hotel itself — every feeling a guest checking in, some quiet some loud some making a mess and some staying longer than expected, no one being asked to leave. The Brankovic emotional-literacy picture book that doesn't ask children to fix their feelings.
- Being understood finally
- Cosy safety
Why parents love it
The Lidia Brankovic — feelings-as-rooms metaphor giving children a concrete way to think about inner life, illustration stylish and warm. Useful for the difficult-feelings conversation without becoming clinical. Strong shared-read for counselling-style discussions.
- Conversation starter
- Beautiful illustrations
- Bedtime appropriate
- Great writing
About the author & illustrator
Lidia Brankovic.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
Where you’ll find it
On these reading lists.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
When you buy through the links above, we may earn a small commission — it never costs you more, and it never changes the books we choose. How we’re funded →