The Author
Hi! I’m Amy Satkevich —
teacher, mom, and children's book author.
I created There’s an Animal in My Belly! to help young children understand and talk about their feelings in a fun and developmentally appropriate way.
I have spent over 20 years working in education, supporting children with a wide range of learning and emotional needs. As a special education teacher, I see every day how important it is for young children to understand their emotions and feel safe expressing them.
As both a teacher and a mom, I wanted to create a simple tool that helps children name their feelings and start important conversations about emotions.
The Inspiration
R
U
L
E
R
ecognizing
nderstanding
abeling
xpressing
egulating
The Body Animals wasn't created overnight; it was grown from years of observing how children process the world. As an educator and parent, I saw a gap in how we talk about 'big feelings'—often prioritizing quietness over understanding.
I took the wild, untamed energy of the animals and paired it with the complex inner emotions of children. Every character is a reflection of a real emotional hurdle, designed to make the invisible feel friendly and the overwhelming feel manageable.
The idea became my first book, There's an Animal in My Belly!
The Animals Within Me series was inspired by the research-based RULER framework of emotional intelligence, developed by the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence.
These core pillars of emotional growth guided the creation of a step-by-step series that supports children in understanding their feelings from the inside out.
Through engaging stories and relatable animal characters, each book gently leads children through the emotional learning process—helping them recognize, understand, label, express, and regulate their emotions in a way that feels natural, empowering, and developmentally appropriate.
The Vision Behind The Body Animals
Each story brings emotions to life through playful animal characters—helping children recognize what they feel, talk about it, and feel seen.
My goal is to create books that build emotional awareness, confidence, and deeper connections between children and the adults who care for them.
My vision is to bridge the gap between emotional wellness and early childhood education. By turning complex feelings into relatable, concrete experiences, we empower children to understand and navigate their inner world with confidence. Each book is intentionally designed as part of a larger journey—guiding children step-by-step toward emotional understanding and regulation.
The memorable mantras woven throughout each story simplify emotional growth into language children can actually use—turning big feelings into manageable, meaningful moments.
"You are the ringleader ...
Stay wild, my child, and always listen to your belly."