Ezekiel's Volcano by Ana Angelica Teodoro , edited by Emma Dryden and illustrations by Yogita Chawdhary

Ezekiel's Volcano by Ana Teodoro, Edited by Emma Dryden and Illustrations by Yogita Chawdhary
Publisher: Barnes and Daughter Press
Published:  July 15th, 2026
Format Read:  E-book
Number of pages:   34 pages
Source: Books Forward and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review
Opening Line:  "Mrs. Barnes had always dreamed of being a teacher."

It's the first day of first grade, and Mrs. Barnes is meeting her new students.  Everyone is excited, especially Ezekiel.  He's energic and sometimes his feelings bubble up so quickly they feel like a volcano ready to erupt.  To help the class manage those big emotions, Mrs. Barnes teaches them a Rainbow Breathing strategy.  With a pause, a slow breath in and out, and a gentle arm movement tracing the arc of a rainbow, the children learn a simple way to calm their bodies and steady their feelings.        

Ezekiel's Volcano was written by educator and assistant principal Ana Angelica Teodoro.  I love how the story pairs a physical movement with deep breathing to help reduce stress.  The reciting of the seven colors reminded me having my kiddo sing "happy birthday" while brushing their teeth to make sure that they got the full two minutes in.  The book supports social- emotional- learning, self-regulation, empathy, conflict resolution, and emotional resilience.  It not only teaches children about feelings, but it also gives them a practical coping strategy they can use when they're overwhelmed.  The strong visuals also help children recognize what anger looks like while reassuring them that it's okay to have big emotions.  The acknowledgement section at the beginning of the book provided some wonderful sentiment with the author thanking her parents, husband, former teachers and students.  This would make for a wonderful read aloud in a classroom.