Ollie and the Inkstorm: A Big Feelings Story About Anger Calming Emotions: 1

Eight arms. Big feelings. One very inky storm.Ollie the Octopus knows what it is like when anger feels too big to hold. His feelings burst into squirts, squirms and full-blown inkstorms, leaving him frustrated, overwhelmed and alone. But when he meets other sea creatures with big feelings of their own, he discovers he is not the only one. The Big Feelings Club is born.Written by psychologist and mum Joanne Sorley and illustrated by Richard Hoit, Ollie and the Inkstorm is a warm, playful picture book about anger, emotional regulation and belonging for children aged 4-8.Through an underwater story of friendship and understanding, children are invited to notice the signals in their bodies, explore what anger might be telling them and practise a simple calming strategy: tie, untie and breathe. Knot tying and slow breathing give Ollie something practical to try as his inkstorm settles.For parents, carers, teachers and helping professionals, the story opens conversations about frustration, emotional outbursts, empathy and co-regulation. Share it at home, in a classroom calm corner, or in a counselling or therapy setting, and practise the strategy together before the next big-feelings moment.Book 1 in The Big Feelings Club, a picture-book series that helps children explore emotions through relatable sea creatures, gentle stories and practical tools.Every creature had a place. Every feeling could be faced.