Picture Books

CPCK’s Social and Emotional Learning Picture Book Recommendations

SELF-AWARENESS

In My Heart; A Book of Feelings by Jo Witek, Illustrated by Christine Roussey
A girl explores the feelings of her heart and describes what she feels when she is happy, calm, brave, hurt, angry, sad, hopeful, silly, shy and proud. This is a perfect book to introduce a conversation about emotions and the purpose they serve as clues to who we are. There is no shame or guilt in feeling any of these emotions. They are all equally a part of this girl’s heart as they are a part of ours.

Made by Raffi by Craig Pomranz, Illustrated by Margaret Chamberlain
Raffi feels different from other kids at school and he is often teased because of it. He doesn’t like loud noises and rough play, he enjoys his peace and quiet. A teacher shows Raffi how to knit and his world changes! Everyone wants to have something made by Raffi and he feels more accepted.

There’s more to being a boy than sports, feats of daring, and keeping a stiff upper lip. A Boy Like You by Frank Murphy encourages every boy to embrace all the things that make him unique, to be brave and ask for help, to tell his own story and listen to the stories of those around him. In an age when boys are expected to fit into a particular mold, this book celebrates all the wonderful ways to be a boy.

Patrick McDonnell shares the inspiring story of young Jane Goodall, the legendary and inspiring conservationist. Me… Jane tells the story of the young Jane Goodall and her special childhood toy chimpanzee named Jubilee. As the young Jane observes the natural world around her with wonder, she dreams of “a life living with and helping all animals,” until one day she finds that her dream has come true.

Corduroy by Don Freeman
A slightly ragged department store bear searches for his missing button in hopes of tidying himself up to be the perfect teddy bear for Lisa. However, Lisa loves him just the way he is! She takes him home, makes him a bed and fixes his overalls for him.

Quiet Bunny by Lisa McCue
Quiet Bunny loves all the colors of spring and wishes his brown and white skin were yellow, blue, or even green. When he realizes that he can’t be any of those colors, owl helps him realize that, that’s why the spring forest is beautiful because they are all different colors.

SELF-MANAGEMENT

Mouse Was Mad by Linda Urban, Illustrated by Henry Cole
This is a hilarious book about a mouse who gets critiqued about the ways he is expressing his anger until he finds his own way to cool down that impresses all of the other animals. This is an excellent book to discuss and learn about the ways to manage anger.

Ruby Finds a Worry by Tom Percival

Meet Ruby—a happy, curious, imaginative girl. But one day, she finds something unexpected: a Worry. It’s not such a big Worry, at first. But every day, it grows a little bigger… And a little bigger… Until eventually, the Worry is ENORMOUS and is all she can think about. But when Ruby befriends a young boy, she discovers that everyone has worries, and not only that, there’s a great way to get rid of them too…This perceptive and poignant story is the perfect springboard for talking to children about emotional intelligence and sharing hidden anxieties.

Don’t Be Afraid, Little Pip by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman
Little Pip has been told he will learn to swim with all of the other penguins his age. He is scared of swimming and his interest in flying becomes the excuse for not learning to swim. When he accidentally falls into the water, he learns to swim and overcomes his fear with the support of a friend.

When Sophie Gets Angry – Really, Really Angry… by Molly Bang
This is a story about a little girl who gets angry when it is time for her to share with her sister. She throws a fit and then takes off into the woods where she takes in nature and finds comfort in the world and is able to calm down. She heads back home and everything is ok again.

SOCIAL AWARENESS

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena

CJ begins his weekly bus journey around the city with disappointment and dissatisfaction, wondering why he and his family can’t drive a car like his friends. Through energy and encouragement, CJ’s nana helps him see the beauty and fun in their routine. This beautifully illustrated, emotive picture book explores urban life with honesty, interest and gratitude.

The Skin you Live In by Michael Tyler, Illustrated by David Lee Cscicsko
Race and skin color can be a challenging subject to bring up with our children though so important. This book can help! It describes the beauty of a variety of skin tones using dessert imagery. Then, it moves beyond skin color to talk about all of the qualities that make a person unique – their imagination, their hopes and dreams.

Who’s In My Family? All About Our Families by Robie Harris, Illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott
A family takes a trip to the zoo and notes all of the different make-ups of human and animal families. It discusses how different families eat a variety of foods and live in varying environments. There are multiracial families, single sex couples, adopted children and stepparents. It makes the point that it’s normal to have all sorts of different kinds of families and family members.

Whoever You Are by Mem Fox, Illustrated by Leslie Staub
A story that takes you around the world to let you know that even though you may look different than others, learn and speak differently, and live differently, that on the inside we are all the same. We all have beating hearts, joys, laughter, pain and tears.

RELATIONSHIP SKILLS

A Pocket Full of Kisses by Audrey Penn, Illustrated by Barbara Leonard Gibson
This is an excellent book for siblings or with only children who feel envious when their parents share their attention with other children. Big brother Raccoon struggles with his younger brother’s need for attention. Mama Raccoon is able to explain, using each of her paws and the sun’s rays, that there is plenty of love for both and between the bothers too.

Too Tall Houses by Gianna Marino
Friends Rabbit and Owl build their homes next door to each other. But when one feels the other’s house is bigger, the other starts building his own. A competition ensues to build the tallest house. In the midst of their building frenzy, both houses collapse and they must consider what to do next. They find that their best solution is to rebuild one home to share together.

Bad Apple by Edward Hemingway
Mac and Will become best friends despite the fact that Mac is an apple and Will is a worm. The other apples in the orchard say that Mac is a bad apple for being friends with Will. Will thinks Mac would be better off without him, but Mac would rather be a bad apple than a sad one.

A Day With No Words by Tiffany Hammond invites readers into the life of a neurodiverse family who communicates just as the child does, without spoken language. This colorful and engaging picture book for young readers shares what life can look like for families who use nonverbal communication, utilizing tools to embrace their unique method of “speaking.”

RESPONSIBLE DECISION MAKING

The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney
This is a particularly interesting “read” with a child since there are no words – only illustrations. Give your child the opportunity to narrate the story and see how they advance the events and interpret the pictures. A lion spares a mouse by not eating him when he encounters him. The mouse promises to help him one day. The lion laughs off his offer figuring he is too small to contribute. But when the lion gets caught in a hunter’s net, the mouse chews the rope and sets him free.

The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
This delightful rhyming tale is about the unlikely friendship and adventures of a snail and whale. When the whale’s life is threatened, the tiny snail uses a unique attribute to attract attention and enlist help to save the whale.

The Day Leo Said I HATE YOU! by Robie H. Harris, Illustrated by Molly Bang
All day Leo’s mom had been telling him “NO!” to everything that he did. Leo gets so angry that he tells his mom, “I HATE YOU!” Mommy does a great job letting Leo know that it’s ok to say you hate certain things, but saying it to people hurts feelings.

We Are Grateful Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell

A look at modern Native American life as told by a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. The word otsaliheliga (oh-jah-LEE-hay-lee-gah) is used by the Cherokee Nation to express gratitude. Beginning in the fall with the new year and ending in summer, follow a full Cherokee year of celebrations and experiences. Appended with a glossary and the complete Cherokee syllabary, originally created by Sequoyah.

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