Το ξενοδοχείο των συναισθημάτων

by Lidia Brankovic, Τζέμα Δεσύλλα (Translator)

Κάθε μέρα είναι διαφορετική στο Ξενοδοχείο των Συναισθημάτων, γιατί και τα συναισθήματα διαφέρουν… Κάποια είναι μεγάλα, ­κάποια είναι μικρά, κάποια είναι μοναχικά και άλλα έρχονται με τους φίλους τους.
Εδώ μένει ο Θυμός που φωνάζει δυνατά και τραντάζεται όλο το δωμάτιο. Η Λύπη που μιλάει ψιθυριστά και πλημμυρίζει με τα δάκρυά της το μπάνιο. Η Ευγνωμοσύνη που δεν ζητά ποτέ τίποτα. Η Αυτοπεποίθηση που βοηθά να ξεπεράσουμε τις δυσκολίες. Και όταν έρχεται η Αγάπη το ξενοδοχείο γεμίζει φως και γέλιο.

Όποιο συναίσθημα κι αν επισκεφτεί το ξενοδοχείο, όμως, είναι περαστικό από εδώ. Γιατί τα συναισθήματα ταξιδεύουν συνέχεια, σε πολλά διαφορετικά ξενοδοχεία σε ολόκληρο τον κόσμο…

Ένα μοναδικό βιβλίο για να εξερευνήσουν τα παιδιά τον κόσμο των συναισθημάτων.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Mental Health, Emotion

40 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2023

Reviews

[Estíbaliz Montero Iniesta · Rating 4 out of 5]

YOUTUBE / INSTAGRAM 

Me ha parecido un álbum ilustrado encantador e ideal para hablar con los niños sobre las emociones. Pero no solo para que conozcan el distinto rango de emociones que pueden llegar a experimentar, si no para que aprendan a reconocerlas y aprendan como lidiar con cada una de ellas en su momento. Porque, por ejemplo, una de las cosas que enseña este libro es que hay emociones negativas que si se ignoran, se enquistan y desembocan en emociones aún peores.

La manera de presentarlo todo es muy interesante: conocemos a las distintas emociones de la mano del encargado de un hotel cuyos huéspedes son las emociones. Y eso sirve para ilustrar que las emociones vienen y van, que algunas se quedan más tiempo con nosotras y otras menos; que, si se sienten a gusto, ciertas emociones llaman a sus "amigas" para que también se alojen en el hotel... y que, como personas, igual que hace el encargado del hotel, nuestra mejor opción es hacer caso a cada emoción y saber que todas ellas son válidas, y proporcionarles lo que necesiten para que todo marche correctamente y disfrutemos de una salud emocional sana (que no significa no experimentar nunca emociones negativas).

[Mewa · Rating 5 out of 5]

...dokładnie o tym dzisiaj rozmawiałam na terapii. O pogodzeniu się z uczuciami i szacunku do nich. Gdybym książkę przeczytała wcześniej — wszystko byłoby łatwiejsze do poukładania w głowie (:

[Julia]

Kupiłam tę książkę dla dzieciaczka znajomych i moim zdaniem jest absolutnie najlepszą książką o emocjach dla młodszych dzieci z tych, które miałam okazję przeglądać. Metafora hotelu jest doskonałym sposobem na zaproszenie dziecka do bycia otwartym na wszystkich „gości”, którymi są uczucia i do akceptacji tego, że pojawiają się niezależnie od nas, mijają, ale mogą też wracać i jest to częścią życia. Naprawdę bardzo mnie ujęła, a ponadto zawiera piękne ilustracje, które rozbudzają wyobraźnię – w moim odczuciu najlepszą ilustracją jest ta, gdzie przedstawiony został przekrój całego hotelu, a poszczególni goście (emocje) znajdują się w swoich pokojach – daje to gotowy wzór dla dziecka do zapamiętania i przywoływania go w razie potrzeby.

[Tiana Ferenčić · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tuga je tiha i treba je dobro slušati, Ljutnja je gromoglasna, Mir je gost kakvoga svatko od nas želi u svome hotelu, a Zahvalnost ponekad moramo i pozvati da prenoći u našem hotelu.

Tako jednostavna, a moćna slikovnica koja je idealno polazište za razgovor o osjećajima. Za male i velike ljude, za razgovore koje ne znamo kako bismo započeli... :)

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful 😭

[teach_book · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cudowna!!!

[leali · Rating 5 out of 5]

„aber kein Gast wird je abgewiesen. Ich schaffe Platz für alle Gefühle, egal wie schwierig sie sind“ 😭
10/10 Kinderbuch

[Leoniepeonie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely, delightful and lovely. Beautifully drawn, and a perfect little story and meditation.

[Marianna Wróbel]

Clear inspiration by Rumi’s poem. Would be good if author had acknowledged it in any way

[Lonneke Vandervorst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ik vind het idee van het boek en de manier waarop het verwoord wordt erg herkenbaar en mooi.

[Hallie · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10 recommend for fostering emotional intelligence & self awareness.

[Sofia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely simple book to accept, notice and take care of our feelings

[Kinga (oazaksiazek) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jakie to było życiowe 🥹🥹🥹

[SN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very beautiful concept for explaining emotions as ‘guests’ that have checked in at a hotel (‘you’), and how humans can adapt to each one of them and understand their needs and their nature. Lovely picture book, am very happy to have picked it up.

[ATLANTIC BOOK REVIEWS · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the very best picture books I have read that deals with feelings and emotions. The use of hotel spaces for different feelings is absolute perfection. So much context given for difficult feelings and so much affirmation while given rise to those feelings that boost - pride, confidence and joy.
ABSOLUTELY PERFECTION in picture storytelling.

[Froukje · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wat een goede boodschap verkondigt dit boek en het doet het ook nog met mooie plaatjes.

[Natalie Millican · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely precious book that I’ll read with Ruth again and again.

[mOla książkowa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cudowna opowieść o tym co wszyscy nosimy w sobie - o emocjach.

Piękna metafora ludzkiego ciała jako hotelu dla uczuć.

Emocje zdecydowanie traktują swój dom jak hotel i bywają w nim tylko kiedy mają ochotę.

Książka może pomóc młodszym czytelnikom zrozumieć czym są emocje oraz co je charakteryzuje. Pomocna w pracy z dziećmi, chociaż nie ukrywam - i mi pomogła:)

[Suad Shamma · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book with a beautiful premise. Very similar to the concept of Inside Out the movie.

I love the idea of feelings in a hotel, being managed in one way or another. I love how they were depicted and the description of each feeling as a guest at the hotel.

Super sweet and makes for a wonderful gift.
I think every parent should also sit down with their child and go through this.

[Vivian Teo · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I make room for all feelings, no matter how difficult they might be.”

Lidia Brankovic’s The Grand Hotel of Feelings is a wonderfully imaginative picture book that turns emotions into quirky hotel guests, each with their own personality and needs. There’s Anger, who needs space to scream; Sadness, who floods the bathroom with tears; and Gratitude, who quietly sits beside others, often overlooked. The hotel manager learns to welcome each feeling without judgement, showing kids how to listen and adapt to their emotions.

I found myself reading this book more than once just to soak in the whimsical illustrations and the clever way Brankovic brings feelings to life in all shapes, colours, and sizes. It’s a gentle reminder that all emotions are valid and temporary—none are turned away at the door. That message really matters. When kids learn that every emotion is okay—whether it’s joy, anger, or fear—they start to understand themselves better and feel less ashamed of what they’re going through. It helps them build confidence, handle tough moments, and foster emotional intelligence, resilience, and empathy.

This book is perfect for sparking meaningful conversations between parents and kids, especially about the feelings that are harder to talk about. I think this is not just for preschoolers, but one primary school children can also get a lot out of.

Thank you Experal Singapore for sending me this beautiful hardcover picture book!

[Mathew · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a lot of books on feelings at this moment; more so since the close of the pandemic. Some feel a little trite and simplistic where you feel children are being spoken down to rather than up - but not Brankovic's. Beautifully presented in what seems like rich oils, a young character with long, flowing white hair invites us on a tour of their hotel where a range of alien-looking characters come and stay.
The reader soon finds out that these are manifestations of the character's feelings including sadness, anger, peace and others. Each emotion has its own room and each room fits its personality (or doesn't with potential consequences). The protagonist makes it clear that each emotion is welcome at the hotel and each stays for different periods of time.
What, I think, set this above many other versions of this telling was the depth and knowledge Brankovic bestows upon the young character and reader. They understand anger and fear and how they can lead to darker emotions if not attended to and validated.
This is a richly illustrated book with enough depth for readers to take from it at different levels and discuss. It'd be a great whole class text for discussing such things. KS2+

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The manager of a hotel has to deal with some difficult guests - feelings. Some guests need a lot of room to express themselves, and some guests are quieter and more peaceful. No matter what feelings come to check in to the hotel, the manager knows that they are just temporary residents and they will come and go. But gratitude and contentment are always there when the manager needs some help.

This is such a sweet way to explore different feelings and remind yourself that they will just pass through like guests at a hotel. I really loved the wisdom and compassion in this book.

I did not care for the art style. It looks like a child drew the illustrations. It's very imaginative, but looks unpolished. Maybe that is on purpose, to make it look as if a child was the artist.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

[Di · Rating 4 out of 5]

Έξυπνο και χρήσιμο βιβλίο που αφορά τα συναισθήματα και τη διαχείρισή τους, μέσα από την μεταφορά του εαυτού μας ως ξενοδοχείο, το οποίο υποδέχεται όλα τα συναισθήματα σαν πελάτες, το καθένα εκ των οποίων έχει άλλες ανάγκες, συνήθειες και συμπεριφορές, οπότε θέλει διαφορετική αντιμετώπιση.
Σημαντική η επισήμανση ότι κανένα συναίσθημα δεν μένει για πολύ (ελπίζουμε δηλαδή, ιδιαίτερα για τα άσχημα συναισθήματα). Νομίζω ότι βοηθάει τα παιδιά σε μία γνωριμία με τα συναισθήματα.
Η εικονογράφηση εικαστικά δεν είναι κάτι το ιδιαίτερο, όμως είναι έξυπνη, διασκεδαστική και απλή, οπότε είναι νομίζω ότι είναι καλή για παιδιά γύρω στα 5-6 έτη. Θα ήθελα να έχει ξεχωριστή σελίδα για την ντροπή, όπως και για το φόβο, που πιστεύω ότι είναι δύο συχνά συναισθήματα των περισσότερων παιδιών αυτής της ηλικίας.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This picture book is an interesting and refreshing take on emotions. With creatively imagined, surreal artwork, it depicts a hotel where various feelings check in and have their individual needs tended to. What's most astonishing here is how all the emotions are allowed to come into the hotel, symbolically acknowledging the necessity to accept feelings, even the ones that we might prefer to shut down or ignore. There is room for anger, sadness, anxiety, gratitude, and confidence, among others. Narrated by the young hotel manager, this picture book could serve as a place to start conversations about emotions with youngsters, charting a way toward mental health and emotional stability.

[Jacqueline Nyathi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Grand Hotel of Feelings is just like you and me, hosting many different kinds of feelings. And the manager has learnt the needs and characteristics of each feeling, easy or tricky: like how Sadness is leaky and soft-spoken; or how Anger needs to be put in the biggest room available (and never locked away, because she can turn into other difficult feelings). Gratitude and Peace are restful to sit with. Other feelings, like Confidence and Pride help manage the hotel.

Appealing; charming. Thanks to Cicada Books and Edelweiss for access to a DRC.

[Jacob Elswick · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s visually striking and conceptually smart without losing accessibility for kids. The metaphor of a hotel to represent different emotions is creative and beautifully executed. There’s a subtle sophistication here, but it still works for early readers. I can see this opening up thoughtful discussions about feelings without forcing them. The illustrations support emotional depth in a way that’s rare in picture books, and I’d recommend it not just for social-emotional learning, but as a quality read on its own.

[Jared White · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations are a bit too simple and abstract for my taste, but they also work well for the topic and text of this book. It has a slightly whimsical feel, and though they may be a bit simple, the illustrator did do a good job of conveying the various emotions through the characters and the decor of the rooms they were in. The book by itself is likely too abstract to be of much help to kids when talking about emotions, but with some discussion as you read, it could be a good tool to use.

[Mrs Heidrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting idea of personifying emotions and give them a room to stay in the feelings hotel. This book deals with quite a few emotions and might be better for slightly older kids - maybe Gr 2 and up to really get into some of the feelings and the differences between them. Certainly depends on the kids as well of course! Like the idea that the emotions come and go from the hotel and this might be a good way of talking about emotions for some kids.

[Jennifer Landry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stumbled upon this gem via discovering the Felicity rewatch podcast and going on a nostalgia spiral of what that show meant to me. I rewatched S1 ep 1 and immediately googled books like Felicity because I need this in my life—ordered exactly what Google recommended only to find this book is more a children’s book and yet it spoke to me deep in adulthood in perhaps a more profound way. That said, it’s beautiful and has planted me deep in my feelings much like Felicity does. ♥️

[Rita22 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Libro per bambini e per adulti che vogliono fare un ripasso delle emozioni!
È sempre entusiasmante trovare un libro che riesca nella descrizione di emozioni che solitamente non vengono citate e che, strano a dirsi, a volte passano di mente.
Per gli adulti questa lettura potrebbe essere come una piccola meditazione e consapevolezza di tutti gli stati dell’essere.