What Was I Scared Of?


Dr. Seuss - 1997
    Finally, when the two find themselves hiding from each other in a Snide bush, the terrified narrator realizes, "I was just as strange to him as he was strange to me."  This little Seussian gem, plucked from the back of The Sneetches and Other Stories, shines on it own as it delivers a timeless message about fear and tolerance.

Llama Llama Misses Mama


Anna Dewdney - 2009
    . .It’s Llama Llama’s first day of preschool! And Llama Llama’s mama makes sure he’s ready. They meet the teachers. See the other children. Look at all the books and games. But then it’s time for Mama to leave. And suddenly Llama Llama isn’t so excited anymore. Will Mama Llama come back?Of course she will. But before she does, the other children show Llama Llama how much fun school can be!Activities for Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna DewdneyWatch a Video

Zoo Day (Day Series by T .M. Kaht Book 3)


Tina Marie Kaht - 2014
    Wild animals burst from every page with a chance to learn something new about each one!

Eric


Shaun Tan - 2008
    We found it very difficult to pronounce his name correctly, but he didn’t mind. He told us to just call him ‘Eric’.”As charming as he is curious, by the end of his stay this intriguing house guest will capture your heart. This story is from Shaun Tan’s award-winning collection Tales from Outer Suburbia.

Willow Finds a Way


Lana Button - 2013
    That is, until Kristabelle starts using the powerful threat of un-inviting children from her “fantastic” birthday party to keep them in line, and Willow decides she's finally had enough. Surprising everyone, even herself, Willow steps up and bravely does something shocking, and it changes the entire dynamic of the classroom. This child-friendly and relatable story about bullying is elegantly told with honesty and heart. The simple artwork by Tania Howells beautifully captures the subtleties of the story; the children are the main focus of the spare illustrations, allowing their body language and facial expressions to leap off the page and showcase exactly how they're feeling. This is a book that will have young children on the edge of their seats at storytime, deeply sympathetic to the dilemma faced by Willow and her classmates. What makes this book particularly helpful is that it presents a model for how any child, even a shy one like Willow, can find his or her own way to deal with a bossy or bullying classmate. It offers a pitch-perfect lesson on how to stand up for yourself, terrifically aligning with character education lessons on courage. The empowering message here also helps promote individual self-awareness, self-esteem and good decision making.

Hortense and the Shadow


Natalia O'Hara - 2017
    She hates her shadow, and thinks her shadow must hate her too. But one cold, dark night, when bandits surprise her in the woods, Hortense discovers that her shadow is the very thing she needs most.

Wallpaper


Thao Lam - 2018
    It tells the story of a young girl whose family moves into a new house. Outside, she can hear other kids playing, but she’s too shy to say hello. So she picks at the old wallpaper in her room―revealing an entryway to a fantastic imaginary adventure world behind the walls.

Count on Me


Miguel Tanco - 2019
    For some, it's music. For others, it's art. For our heroine, it's math. When she looks around the world, she sees math in all the beautiful things: the concentric circles a stone makes in a lake, the curve of a slide, the geometric shapes in the playground. Others don't understand her passion, but she doesn't mind. There are infinite ways to see the world. And through math is one of them.This book is a gorgeous ode to something vital but rarely celebrated. In the eyes of this little girl, math takes its place alongside painting, drawing and song as a way to ponder the beauty of the world.

Simon's Hook: A Story about Teases and Put Downs


Karen Gedig Burnett - 1999
    The fishing analogy that worked for her students can now help other children deal with teases and put-downs.

Chowder


Peter Brown - 2006
    Chowder is a hilarious and heartwarming story that introduces an endearing new character: a weird but completely loveable bulldog who learns to make friends by being true to his quirks.

Grumpy Monkey Freshly Squeezed: A Graphic Novel Chapter Book


Suzanne Lang - 2021
    Features hilarious dialogue, multiple panels per page, and a longer storyline to keep kids laughing all the way to the end!It's Wednesday! Which means it's time for Jim Panzee's weekly Wednesday walk. He wakes up, stretches a little, grabs his stress orange, and sets off. Jim's favorite part of the walk is the blissful silence. When he's alone, he can hear all the jungle sounds. Until . . . his best buddy, Norman, decides to join him. And before he knows it, Jim is followed by every animal in the jungle. It's all just too much. Now Jim and his not-so-helpful friends are on a quest across the jungle to find another stress orange before it is too late!A warm and funny chapter book graphic novel about how to handle all of life's ups and downs from the creators of the #1 New York Times bestselling Grumpy Monkey.

No Reading Allowed: The WORST Read-Aloud Book Ever


Raj Haldar - 2020
    And sometimes two words that sound alike can be spelled completely differently. Ptolemy the pterodactyl is back to show us all how absurd and fun language can be when homophones, homonyms, and tricky punctuation are at play!No Reading Allowed allows children and their parents to laugh together while also learning something new. Perfect for baby gifts, birthday gifts, teacher gifts, and anyone who finds humor in the absurdity of the English language.

Argyle Fox


Marie Letourneau - 2017
    As soon as he builds a card tower, climbs into a giant spider web, or takes up his pirate sword, here comes the wind: Woosh! Mama Fox tells grumpy Argyle that if he thinks long enough, he will come up with something to do. Following his mother's suggestion and inspired by her knitting, he works all the pieces of his day together and creates the perfect solution. The story of Argyle teaches that failure is often a path to success and celebrates perseverance, creative thinking, and an old-fashioned springtime activity.

You're Here for a Reason


Nancy Tillman - 2015
    If you think you're not I would just say that perhaps you forgot . . . a piece of the world that is precious and dear would surely be missing if you weren't here.Every person matters. Here, national-bestselling and beloved author Nancy Tillman shows readers how each of us fits into life's big picture, and how the world would be incomplete without you in it.

I Walk with Vanessa: A Story about a Simple Act of Kindness


Kerascoët - 2018
    I Walk with Vanessa explores the feelings of helplessness and anger that arise in the wake of seeing a classmate treated badly, and shows how a single act of kindness can lead to an entire community joining in to help. With themes of acceptance, kindness, and strength in numbers, this timeless and profound feel-good story will resonate with readers young and old.