Story Tags

How to Say Goodbye

Navigating Emotions

Exploring Emotional Topics Through Picture Books

Discussing emotions with children can be a difficult task to navigate. Children might not know exactly what’s causing these new feelings, or how to process and cope with them. Convincing them to open up can be challenging, but these books will alleviate some of that pressure and will help guide conversations about difficult emotional topics like death, family separation and anger.

don't spill the milk

Picture Books That Span Cultures

Multicultural picture books are important. When young children read these books they realize similarities that they share with people from around the world. Emotions are universal. They promote empathy and the desire to learn about customs and cultures in foreign countries. In today's multicultural world, knowledge of other cultures is not only important, it is essential. We truly live in a global world. 

Boats for Papa by Jessixa Bagley

Saying Goodbye

Death and Grief in Picture Books

When a little one in your life must say goodbye to a relative or to a pet, processing the emotions that come along with the death of a loved one can be a challenge. Authors and illustrators take on this sensitive subject in a myriad of ways, leaving grievers with plenty of options that reflect many experiences. These 10 picture books explore everything from the practical side of death to the stark range of emotions those left behind may feel.

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Peace, Kindness, Unity, Fairness

Children's picture books

The Association for Library Service to Children, committee of the American Library Association, recently put out a list of books to share the message of “creating unity, acting with kindness towards others, and promoting peace." Here are a few of their picture book recommendations. I included one highlighting justice, or fairness, since without justice, there can be no peace.  

The Boy with 17 Senses

Worlds Where Senses Mix, Part One

Explorations of Synesthesia in Children's Fiction

Young people are often taught that humans have five separate senses. However, the neurological condition of synesthesia, in which a stimulus of one sense involuntarily evokes another sense, challenges the assumed universality of distinct senses. Although once thought to be very rare, recent scientific research has found that as many as 4 percent of people have at least one of over 80 kinds of synesthesia.

The Memory of Light by Francisco X Stork

For Those Blue Days

How Young People Experience Depression

We all have bad days. We all get down sometimes. For some of us however, those days might seem to outnumber the good ones, or those down periods might be particularly low. So many folks experience depression in ways that are unique to them. It’s not just adults who go through depression diagnoses and have to cope in a world that seems uninviting; children and teens, too, can feel low and sad and blank inside, even if they might not have the word "depression" to describe how they’re feeling.

The Year of the Dog

It's the Year of the Dog

Celebrate Chinese New Year with these reads for all ages

The Chinese New Year is a time for fresh beginnings, celebrations with friends and family and honoring ancestors. These books will give insight into how Chinese New Year is celebrated, and how centuries-old traditions came to be. The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin

Flower Garden written by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt

Stories of City Living

Picture Books with a City Setting

Buses, trains, buildings, sidewalks, street signs and people (lots of people!)... Such is city life. These are sights and sounds that we experience every day here in Washington, DC. You'll find all of that—and much more—in the picture books listed below. These titles are some of my favorites that take place in a city, and I hope you and your children enjoy them as much as I do.

the doubtful guest

Gothic Fiction for the Whole Family (Part 1: Children)

A celebration of old-world-style scares

It's never too early to introduce your child to Gothic and Modern Gothic literature (or to develop a taste for it yourself). This glorious genre explores negativity in a manageable package. With supernatural elements and an exploration of feelings like unhappiness and loneliness, both Gothic and Modern Gothic literature provide a unique opportunity for readers to explore and discuss some of the more challenging and gruesome aspects of life, and to find ways to cope with scary and negative feelings in their day-to-day lives.

Cover for When's My Birthday?

You Say It's Your Birthday

Books for Young Celebrants

We all have one, and if we're lucky, we have many more. But birthdays seem particularly special for our youngest readers - a time when everything is new and everybody gets to eat cake. Waiting for that one day a year can seem like it takes forever, but a few books on the topic may get your little ones excited to celebrate or stop them from asking about their presents (at least for a few minutes).

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