Topics in the Youth Collection

SEL Topics: Identifying Emotions, Impulse Control, Stress Management.

This book tells its readers about managing emotions and compares them to a puppy that lives in a small girl's brain. The book teaches how to deal with that little puppy and calm it down.

SEL Topics: Self- Confidence, Self-Discipline and Self-Motivation, Goal Setting.

Fauja Singh was born with weak legs and could not walk until he was five years old, but he never lost determination or listened to others. He only paid attention to his mother's words: "you know what you are capable of, today is a day." Despite all the adversity in his life, he managed to be the oldest marathon runner in the world at the age of 100.

SEL Topics: Self- Confidence, Goal Setting.

Acorn is the first one among his friends to jump off his oak tree as he longs for adventure. Having fallen down into a completely new world, Acorn embraces new experiences with a positive attitude and eventually grows into a magnificent oak tree.

SEL Topics: Self-Confidence, Goal Setting, Social Engagement.

In Kai's family, everyone is an amazing dancer and has a dance nickname given to them by his grandfather. It's only Kai who feels lefts out as he is the only one who has no nickname as yet. In fact, Kai doubts whether he even belongs to this family. He decides to learn his family's favorite dance, the Electric Slide, and decides to perform at his aunt's wedding. He practices hard and eventually succeeds to impress his grandfather, earning his own dance nickname.

SEL Topics: Accurate Self-perception, Self-Confidence, Self-Discipline and Self-Motivation, Goal Setting, Relationship Building.

The protagonist and the narrator of this book is proud of everything that he does and which makes his identity strong. The boy has big plans, and his confidence will help him achieve his goals. He is also adventurous, creative, smart, funny, and a good friend, son, and grandson.

SEL Topics: Self- Confidence, Goal Setting.

Rodney is very energetic kid. He doesn't want to be inside at all. On a trip to visit an enormous park, Rodney is completely transformed because he has a lot of space to run and play.

SEL Topics: Identifying Emotions, Impulse Control, Stress Management, Perspective Taking and Empathy, Analyzing Situations and Solving Problems

This story shows the importance of unity. On a hot summer day, a group of animals residing in the grassland argue with each other to claim a single shady spot. Finally, they figure out true meaning of helping each other and being united during adversity, finding a way to share the shade with one another.

SEL Topics: Accurate Self- Perception, Self-Discipline and Self-Motivation, Civic Engagement, Communication, Identifying Problems, Ethical Responsibility.

This is a story about all those adults and children out their who wish to dream big, explore the world and go on adventures. This book tells its readers to make their own story, pass it on to other generations, and reflect back on all the courageous adventures we went on.

SEL Topics: Impulse Control, Stress Management,

A little boy is looking forward to going to the beach until he actually arrives and discovers that it is too loud. His dad helps him cope with it using some coping techniques, and the boy is able to enjoy the beach without being overwhelmed.

SEL Topics: Accurate Self-perception, self-confidence, Self-Discipline and Self-Motivation, Goal Setting, Relationship Building.

Sydney wants to fly--an impossible dream for a hedgehog. Sydney tries a lot of different ways to fly and seeks help from birds and a bat. One day, when Sydney and Taylor come across a drone in their backyard, they figure out how the drone works and even save others from a hawk. Finally, Sydney can fly!

In order to pass time on a long subway ride, Milo imagines the life of his fellow passengers and draws their pictures in his book. He imagines some of them going home to their pets, some live in castles, getting married, and so on. As Milo and his sister reach their destination, he also learns not to judge people by their appearances.

SEL Topics: Identifying Emotions, Impulse Control, Stress Management, Perspective Taking and Empathy, Analyzing Situations and Solving Problems

Taylor builds an amazing block structure, but birds destroy it. A lot of different animals come with ideas about how to help, but nothing soothes Taylor. At the end, the rabbit comes and sits quietly until Taylor comes up with an idea. This story tells us how sometimes we need hugs and patience, not solutions.

SEL Topics: Identifying Emotions, Impulse Control, Stress Management.

It is important in life to sometimes speed up and slow down. A busy boy and his dog learn to slow down despite the busy world.

SEL Topics: Identifying Emotions, Self-Confidence, Relationship Building, Evaluations and Reflecting, Ethical Responsibility, Compassion.

The protagonist of the book talks about different shades of brown that she witnesses around the world. She compares the tone of the shades and give them different personality traits which she also has: amber brown like my hair, radiant brown like my skin, smooth creamy brown like my laughter, thundering brown like my power, and so on. This makes girl more confident that she is beautiful.

SEL Topics: Impulse Control, Goal Setting, Organizational Skills, Teamwork, Identifying Problems.

Annie, Lillemor and Lilianne are best friends. They decide to enter a school talent show as a singing group. All three girls decide on meeting up and jot down a plan. While making a plan they get into an argument for who will be the leader. As they argue, Annie decides to go solo. The girls soon start facing problems and start missing each other, realizing it would be better to work together as a team than alone.

SEL Topics: Identifying Emotions, Impulse Control.

Sadness arrives at a little kid's door unexpectedly as a large green creature. The kid chooses to stay, sit with it, and come up with some activities which they both like to do such as drawing, listening to music, and taking a walk. The next day, the child wakes up to find that Sadness is gone.

SEL Topics: Relationship Building, Teamwork.

A girl has found a new best friend who is smart and giggles at everything. The two friends love to spend time together by running around, sitting under a tree, and quacking like ducks. Even though they have some differences and do not know each other's names, they are still best friends today.

SEL Topics: Identifying Emotions, Self-Confidence.

Bear has mixed feelings: he is glad that he has new attire for his dance classes, but at the same time he is nervous since it's his first day of class. He overcomes his fear and enters the class, where he learns new dance steps and enjoys himself.

SEL Topics: Identifying Emotions, Impulse Control, Perspective Taking and Empathy, Analyzing Situations and Solving Problems

Sun and Moon see the world in totally different ways and have different worldviews. For Moon, life is about getting ready for bed, when the streets are quiet with quiet houses and darkness is everywhere. In Sun's view, people get ready for work and school with busy streets and loud houses with a bright yellow sunshine and blue skies. The argument goes on until some of their friends suggests them to stay up past their bed times and it turns out they both are right when they see the world from each other's perspectives.

SEL Topics: Identifying Emotions, Communication.

Levi is scared for his first day at school. Just to calm him down his father tells him "big boys don't cry" and regrets saying this later. As Levi walk past the street to school, on his way he sees a lot of old men crying and expressing their emotions in their own way. Looking at these men, Levi can't hold back his emotions, and he cries as soon as he reaches school and feels better after that. The first day of school for Levi goes well and on his way back to home he sees the same old men chirpy and happy. This day Levi learns a big lesson: "Boys do cry and it's okay!"

SEL Topics: Identifying Emotions, Self-Confidence, Relationship Building, Teamwork, Identifying Problems, Evaluations and Reflecting, Ethical Responsibility, Compassion.

A little girl looks at the box of rainbow crayons and doesn't find color black in them. She starts finding color black in everything such as a feather in the snow, her best friend's hair, her bicycle's tires and then she goes more deeper into Black culture and finds the color black in it. She then moves on to history to find the color black and she finds love, family, and culture.

SEL Topics: Impulse Control, Goal Setting, Organizational Skills, Teamwork, Identifying Problems.

Two friends are excited about their sand castle until others say it's not perfect. They keep making their castle more perfect until they realize that perfection really is in the eye of the beholder. They finally stop trying to perfect their castle and instead enjoy what they have created.

Harpreet Singh has a different Pataka colors for every occasion, he has pink color for bhangra, and red color for when he needs confidence and strength and courage. He takes care of his Pataka's, he gently smoothens them before putting them on. When Harpreet moved to a different town he stops waring every color and decides to wear white to be invisible to match the snow outside until one day when he finds his classmates yellow cap with a smiley and returns it back to her, she loves Harpreet's Pataka making him realize that wearing Pataka is not abnormal making Harpreet get back on wearing colorful Pataka's again.

SEL Topics: Accurate Self-Perception, Organizational Skills, Social Engagement, Identifying Problems.

Kanzi loves her beautiful Arabic quilt that her teita (grandmother) gave her back in Cairo. She wraps herself and writes poem for her teita. It's her first day in school and Kanzi is scared about being the only bilingual in her class. Later Kanzi realizes how special it is to be bilingual from her teacher's support.

SEL Topics: Identifying Emotions, Impulse Control, Stress Management, Perspective Taking and Empathy, Analyzing Situations and Solving Problems

It is a story of persistence, and bravery. The protagonist of the story Yoomi is a dedicated taekwondo student and her dream is to earn a yellow belt in it, until the exam day where Yoomi gets scare of getting hurt by breaking the board and completely stops going to class. Her grandmother on the other hand doesn't ask Yoomi to go back to class instead she tells Yoomi that she would stop trying to learn computer to call her sister in Korea, Yoomi boosts her confidence and doesn't let her quit finally grandma succeed and Yoomi gets the point. She returns back to Taekwondo class and earns the yellow belt!

SEL Topics: Accurate Self- Perception, Self-Discipline and Self-Motivation, Goal Setting, Relationship Building, Teamwork.

Newton and Curie are curious squirrels they are interested in science and the laws of physics. Exploring the world through science is yet another interesting topic touched by this book. Saving lives with simple machines and doing good to society with the knowledge of science is what we learn from Newton and Curie.

SEL Topics: Identifying Emotions, Impulse Control, Stress Management, Perspective Taking and Empathy, Analyzing Situations and Solving Problems

A big brother is proud and responsible to get his little sister from her bus stop. The boy keeps a constant eye on his little sister as she picks up trinkets, they even stop to play a game and got stuck in thunderstorm. Despite knowing that his little sister is curious about non significant things he doesn't discourage her and answers a lot of questions of his little sister. They finally make it to their home. It is an amazing story of a siblings relationship.

SEL Topics: Self-Confidence, Goal Setting.

It is an amazing story of self acceptance. It is important for the children to be happy in whatever they do and for parents to know this. This story is a living example of how parents should support their kids in whatever they want to do. Langston wants to be a ballet dancer and he follows his passion even though he is the only boy in his ballet dance class, even though he heard boys don't dance. With is mom by his side and his passion to be an amazing dancer Langston achieves his dream.

SEL Topics: Identifying Emotions, Stress Management, Perspective Taking and Empathy, Identifying Problems.

Holly hates slimes the next science experiment makes her worried because it is a slime making experiment. After noticing Holly anxiety her family and teacher encourages Holly and help overcoming her disgust for slime. Alas! Holly overcomes her situating and enjoys making slime in the science experiment.

SEL Topics: Impulse Control, Relationship Building, Identifying Problems, Analyzing Situations and Solving Problems.

Henry and Lisa have one of the greatest bond as bother and sister. They do everything together from haircuts to getting a flu shots together until one day when it's time Lisa to go to school, Henry is left behind by Lisa making Henry sad, he gradually overcomes the remorse of his sister going away from him and invent his own games. This story is a wonderful story of siblings love and bond and it also teaches, how to overcome from separation.

SEL Topics: Self-Confidence, Goal Setting, Social Engagement, Relationship Building.

This is a story about a girl who is shy at singing in front of crowd. Her family and people in church congregation supports her in getting over her shyness and she emerges as a confident singer at the end. It is a story about how the support of family and friends can transform a person for better.

SEL Topics: Accurate Self-Perception, Self-Confidence, Perspective Taking and Empathy, Appreciating Diversity and Respect for Others, Relationship Building.

Dot, is the smallest in her family, in her class and all her friends but she is not little. Dot is fierce and speaks her mind out loud. This book teaches body positivity as well as how to deal with the bullies and get over rude comments by others.

SEL Topics: Identifying Emotions, Self-Confidence, Relationship Building, Teamwork, Identifying Problems, Evaluations and Reflecting, Ethical Responsibility, Compassion.

This book is about an amazing autistic black trans-girl, who needs long hair. Her mother just don't get right long hair for Trinity in the wig shop hence she decides to weave Trinity's own rainbow hair! This idea turns out to be the best gift Trinity has ever got in her life.

SEL Topics: Identifying Emotions.

This book is an amazing teacher to parents. This books talks about things which might bother kids, such as loud neighbor, or a big day at school. The book teaches parents to support their kids in these situation by offering solution and comfort.

SEL Topics: Team Work, Stress Management

A group of kids make their own football post in a village field, not even a thunderstorm can stop them from playing they take off their shoes and ready to slide in the mud while playing they even attract a lot of audience till the time their mothers call them for dinner. They still dream of football while in bed as they prepare themselves to sleep.

SEL Topics: Identifying Emotions, Perspective Taking and Empathy, Appreciating Diversity and Respect for Others, Relationship Building.

Shelly and her monster pet Hugsby have a lots of fun together. Shelly has a Monster show and tell day at school she wants Hugsby to stand out amongst other monsters and tries to teach Hugsby several trick, she later realizes that Hugsby is good at giving hugs. Next day at school Shelly gets intimidated by the uniqueness of other monsters until Hugsby amazes her and her other friends with amazing hugs.

SEL Topics: Self- Confidence, Organizational Skills, Relationship Building.

It is an ode to a beautiful, radiant, hardworking women and a single parent who raises her daughter with complete dignity and charm. After reading Your Mama I felt how powerful it is to be a mother.

SEL Topics: Identifying Emotions, Self-Discipline and Self-Motivation, Goal Setting, Appreciating Diversity and Respect for Others, Social Engagement, Relationship Building, Teamwork.

Salma wants to make her mother smile again. As Salma's mother is coping with with the immigration to a totally new country and seems busy and sad at the same time. Salma decides to make her mother smile again by preparing a homemade Syrian dish which she is sure can make her mother cheerful. The only problem in this plan is Salma doesn't know how to prepare the dish. Fortunately with the help of other Syrian neighbors and friends Salma overcomes this hurdle and succeed in preparing the dish and make her mother smile once again!

SEL Topics: Self- Confidence, Goal Setting, Civic Engagement, Communication, Compassion.

Amara loves bat since the day she saw one on her attic. As she moves to a different location and despite her mother's assurance that she would find bats in the new locality Amara ends up finding none. Amara decides on conserving the bats, with the help of her family and town people she manages to conserve the bats and makes a new home for other animals too.

SEL Topics: Self- Confidence, Goal Setting.

This book is a homage paid to the Korean admiral, Yi Sun-Sin he was never defeated in a battle. This book is an adorable example of how the Korean Turtle ship was designed at first and since then none of the forces could ever put it down. The story dwells into Yi Sun-Sin's childhood. How he convinces his parents to take part in the battle ship design contest at king's palace after hearing the prize. How he gets all the demeaning glances for being the youngest in the crowd but he overcomes all this and never looses faith in his idea of turtle ship design with his pet turtle by his side, he at the end succeeds.

SEL Topics: Accurate Self- Perception, Self-Discipline and Self-Motivation, Goal Setting, Relationship Building, Teamwork.

Bob can't fly like his other friends, no matter how much he tries and practice he just cannot fly. Though he doesn't lose trust in himself. Until one day when he gets completely disappointed in trying a crow notices him and gives suggestion to Bob by asking him to Take A Breath. Bob practices again and again breathing in and out puffing his feathers till the time he actually fly. It's a beautiful story of self resilience and hard work.

SEL Topics: Identifying Emotions, Analyzing Situations and Solving Problems.

The book "You matter", talks about how every single thing that exists in this world matter and have a value no matter how small or big in size you are no matter if you are close to home or home is far away. You matter.

SEL Topics: Accurate Self-Perception, Self-Confidence, Goal Setting, Organizational Skills, Social Engagement, Identifying Problems, Analyzing Situations and Solving Problems.

When Lion diverts the river to make a swimming pool in front of his palace which make other animals doubt his capabilities to be a king, Deciding they want a new leader and plan to hold elections. Monkey, Sloth, Snake and Lion decides to stand against each other in elections. They hold debates and campaign. All of them has some pros and cons, finally the Sloth wins the election making other animals believe in him though he is slow but he is efficient. It is an amazing story to learn about elections and electoral vocabulary.

SEL Topics: Appreciating Diversity and Respect for Others, Social Engagement, Relationship Building, Teamwork.

Bilal loves daal (lentil soup) specially the bright yellow chana (chickpea) daal. He invites his friends to try daal but he is worried if his friends would approve of it or not. It's a long way for dal to cook but daal takes time to cook. Finally the wait is over and it's time to eat daal, Bilal's friends love it! This story is a true example of "bear fruit with patience".

SEL Topics: Accurate Self-Perception, Self-Confidence, Goal Setting, Organizational Skills, Social Engagement, Identifying Problems, Analyzing Situations and Solving Problems.

Little Blue Truck and his friend toad are excite to meet the bright yellow school bus, it's time to go to school for all the little animals. Little Blue Truck wishes to be a school bus some day until one of his little friends misses the school bus and it's blues responsibility to take them to school in time and he succeed in that realizing it is better to be little sometimes as little is more efficient in many ways.

SEL Topics: Identifying Emotions, Perspective Taking and Empathy, Identifying Problems.

Jenny Mei is sad, is a story about true friendship. A little girl's best friend Jenny Mei is sad and is struggling through some feelings. Little girl doesn't leave Jenny Mei's side instead she just decides to stick to her quietly until Jenny Mei overcomes her feelings. This story shows hoe people sometimes need someone to be there by their side quietly.

SEL Topics: Identifying Emotions, Relationship Building.

A mother explains love to her child in a most amazing way. The book is heartwarming and delightful. The mother not only explain love but celebrates fool and Chinese culture making food and culture a simile to explain what her love is for her son.

SEL Topics: Accurate Self-Perception, Self-Confidence.

Though it is a wordless picture book it coveys a lot of emotions to a reader. In this book a dandelion is transformed into a small lion in it's dreams, and is set for a voyage all across the world. He goes and experiences everything from going on a ship to visiting the city he finally finds his way back home and to his old life to be a dandelion. This is a beautiful picture book about anyone can dream and the dreams can come true.

SEL Topics: Impulse Control, Stress Management, Perspective Taking and Empathy, Identifying Problems, Relationship Building.

Red robot and Blue robot are best friends but sometimes they have their own differences. This book complies three short stories of Red and Blue robots where we see how despite of several differences robots decides to stick together as true friends.

SEL Topics: Self-Confidence, Goal Setting, Social Engagement, Relationship Building.

Ruby's Sword is about a lonely little girl whose brothers often got off to play leaving little Ruby alone. Until one day when Rube finds wooden swards in the tall grass expecting her brother to include her she shares her swards with her brothers and again left all alone. However, she devises her own games and start enjoying her own company.

SEL Topics: Identifying Emotions, Stress Management.

This book is all about a super energetic child and it reminded me of my brother in particular. This book is highly relatable. The book in itself is super busy and depicts business in life. It's a great book to read to kids when they are feeling low. Not a bed time story book!

SEL Topics: Identifying Emotions, Relationship Building.

A book shows a silent but sweet relationship of a son to his father, Jack's dad is sad and alone until one day when he finds a parrot name Jimmy, after getting Jimmy Jack's dad starts getting happy as Jimmy can sing, talk and even can do the dishes. After some days Jimmy escapes with other birds through Jack's window. Jack gets sad thinking about his dad and spends entire day looking for Jimmy and later gets to know that all his father cares about is Jack and nothing else!

SEL Topics: Identifying Emotions, Civic Engagement, Relationship Building, Analyzing Situations and Solving Problems.

It is a beautiful story about the meaning behind the West African tribe and the bond between a granddaughter and her grandmother. I loved how Nana Akua breaks the prejudice against tribal face tattoos by telling Zura's class mates and other grandparents a true meaning of them. I liked how the author has dedicated first and last page of the books completely to symbols and payed them a homage. I personally loved this book.

SEL Topics: Identifying Emotions, Stress Management, Social Engagement, Relationship Building.

This book celebrates mother's love towards her young daughter and her aspirations for her in the coming life. This book is an ode to all the mothers out there.

SEL Topics: Identifying Emotions,

Bear Can't Wait is a story about an impatient bear. Bear has a surprise ready for his friend Hare and he is super excited about it. But waiting is so hard, especially since Bear is sure Hare's going to love it. In his excitement, he starts to make a big mess of things, and the surprise might not turn up how bear wanted it after all mess he has created in excitement.

SEL Topics: Impulse Control, Stress Management, Perspective Taking and Empathy, Identifying Problems.

There is an unpredictable storm and a family is forced to stay inside. After the long hours of quarantine everyone starts losing their temper and want to be alone until one night a thunderstorm and power outage brings them together again and things gradually starts to get better. There are some clashes but the family bond keeps growing stronger and there comes a day when storm is gone and sun shows up though there is a lot of damaged due to storm but it is sure the family will work together to fix it up.

SEL Topics: Self- Confidence, Stress Management, Relationship Building, Teamwork.

When Mary is signed up for swimming lessons by her mother she is not very happy about it, the first day she complaints about a stomach ache with no fever which makes her go to the pool , where she just stands looking at other kids. The next week she gets as far as sitting on the pool side and from the third week she starts opening up to her instructor and starts gaining interest in learning swimming. This book shows how without pressure kids develop their own interest gradually.

SEL Topics: Appreciating Diversity and Respect for Others, Social Engagement, Relationship Building, Self-Confidence, Problem Solving.

It's first day of school for Mirha and she is excited. But, her excitement is soon killed when she sees everyone around her mispronouncing her name including her teacher which makes her sad and she decides on changing her name until her mother and nani convinces her and tell her about the meaning of her name and why is it special. Which helps Mirha finding her voice and stand up for letting people know what her exact name is and it's not that difficult. Mirha soon let her friends know her name and eventually makes a lot of friends knowing even they have unique name.

SEL Topics: Identifying Emotions, Impulse Control, Stress Management.

A young girl introspects her feelings within her heart and how her feelings transform as per the situation how her hearts feel like as per the emotions.

SEL Topics: self-awareness, social awareness, and relationship skills

From the creator of ARCHIE THE DAREDEVIL PENGUIN comes the unique story of two friends who can't escape all the feels. Camper is happy as a clam and Clam is a happy camper. When you live in The Happy Book, the world is full of daisies and sunshine and friendship cakes . . . until your best friend eats the whole cake and doesn't save you one bite. Moving from happiness to sadness and everything in between, Camper and Clam have a hard time finding their way back to happy. But maybe happy isn't the goal--being a good friend is about supporting each other and feeling all the feels together. At once funny and thoughtful, The Happy Book supports social-emotional learning. It's a book to keep young readers company no matter how they're feeling!

SEL Topics: self-awareness, social awareness, relationship skills

A sweet and touching exploration of the scariness of BIG feelings and overcoming the pressures to do everything "just right," in this companion title to bestselling picture book Sometimes I'm Bombaloo. Katie Honors is a really nice kid. But there's one little secret that sometimes makes her feel not-so-nice deep inside: her little brother, Chuck. Katie loves her brother and works hard to be the perfect big sister but it can be hard. Chuck can sometimes be just so icky and messy. Sometimes it makes Katie secretly wish she had a trampoline or a treehouse or a giraffe instead of a brother. When all these emotions bubble up to the surface, Katie can no longer grumblesquinch them down. She explodes, but she also learns an important lesson: that there's room for ALL of her feelings, even the scary ones. Sometimes I Grumblesquinch masterfully explores the pressure children often feel to be perfect all the time and helps them realize that it's okay to share frustrating, and at times, not-so-nice thoughts and seek comfort from adults to help them manage those feelings. This story explores key social emotional skills that kids need to navigate complicated feelings, and will live alongside bestsellers like When Sophie Gets Really Really Angry and How Do Dinosaurs Say I'm Mad. Once again, Rachel Vail taps into universal childhood experiences that are often left unexplored, and does so with sensitivity, humor, and respect for the wide range of emotions kids face today.

SEL Topics: relationship skills, and social awareness

A sensitive and imaginative story about coping with conflict at home. Whenever the yelling in his house starts, Quinn runs to a special hiding place. There he becomes captain of the Quiet Ship, where he can get far, far away from the yelling that hurts his ears and makes him feel scared. But one day the Quiet Ship is broken and Quinn needs a new plan, one that requires him to be brave. A thoughtful treatment of a difficult topic, this story is for any child who faces fighting in the home.

SEL Topics: social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making

One snowy night, a fox loses its way, entering a village. Chased away by the grown ups, Fox takes shelter in a greenhouse. A little boy sees this from his window. Without hesitating, he brings a basket of food to the greenhouse, where he leaves it for the fox. His gift is noticed and the night becomes a garden of new life, nourished by compassion and kindness. Princesse Camcam's cut-paper illustrations, along with the beautiful lighting of the sets she creates, make the experience of looking at these illustrations both touching and transcendent. Their beauty and essential simplicity reflect the beauty of the story. The reader is left charmed by the fox and the child and thoughtful about the emotional lives of both humans and other creatures. Princesse Camcam was born in Paris in 1982 as Camille Garoche. Having spent her childhood in southwest France, she left to study the graphic arts at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Cergy. She created her first illustrated book in 2006 and has been living in Germany since 2007.

SEL Topics: social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making

In his next I Can Read adventure, Fox--the hilarious trickster character featured in Geisel Award winners Fox at Night and Fox the Tiger--learns to solve a problem in an unexpected way. Fox has a problem: His kite is stuck in a tree! But every clever plan creates even more problems for him - and for all his friends. Can they work together to fix things before it's too late? Carefully crafted using basic language, word repetition, sight words, and whimsical illustrations, Fox Has a Problem is ideal for sharing with your emergent reader. The active, engaging My First I Can Read stories have appealing plots and lovable characters, encouraging children to continue their reading journey. Other Fox books include Fox at Night, Fox versus Winter, Fox the Tiger, Fox Is Late, Fox and the Jumping Contest, and Fox and the Bike Ride.

SEL Topics: self-awareness, social awareness, and relationship skills

The Caldecott Honor-winning classic by bestselling picture-book creator David Shannon!When David Shannon was five years old, he wrote and illustrated his first book. On every page were these words: NO, DAVID! . . . and a picture of David doing things he was not supposed to do. Now David is all grown up. But some things never change. . . .Over fifteen years after its initial publication, NO, DAVID! remains a perennial household favorite, delighting children, parents, and teachers alike. David is a beloved character, whose unabashed good humor, mischievous smile, and laughter-inducing antics underline the love parents have for their children--even when they misbehave.

SEL Topics: self-awareness and self-management

Where the Wild Things Are is fifty years old! Maurice Sendak's Caldecott Medal-winning picture book has become one of the most highly acclaimed and best-loved children's books of all time. A must for every child's bookshelf. Introduce a new generation to Max's imaginative journey with this special anniversary edition. Let the wild rumpus continue as this classic comes to life like never before with new reproductions of Maurice Sendak's artwork. Astonishing state-of-the-art technology faithfully captures the color and detail of the original illustrations. Sendak himself enthusiastically endorsed this impressive new interpretation of his art before his death in 2012. This iconic story has inspired a movie, an opera, and the imagination of generations.

SEL Topics: self-awareness and responsible decision making

The beloved picture book about what to do when a worry won't leave you at alone -- perfect for reassuring young readers in times of stress. Meet Ruby -- a happy, curious, imaginative young 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 . . . she just has to share her feelings. This perceptive and poignant story is the perfect springboard for talking to children about emotions and anxieties. The Big Bright Feelings picture book series provides kid-friendly entry points into emotional intelligence topics -- from being true to yourself to dealing with worries, managing anger, and making friends. These topics can be difficult to talk about. But these books act as sensitive and reassuring springboards for conversations about mental and emotional health, positive self-image, building self-confidence, and managing feelings. Read all the books in the Big Bright Feelings series! Ruby Finds a Worry Perfectly Norman Ravi's Roar Meesha Makes Friends Tilda Tries Again

SEL Topics: self-awareness, social awareness, self-management, and relationship skills

From the creators of Room on the Broom and The Gruffalo, a perfect read-aloud tale of spooky, silly fun! Oh no! The Baddies are coming! They're the meanest and nastiest ghost, witch, and troll in all the land, and they just love being bad. When a little girl moves into a nearby cottage, the Baddies can't wait to scare her out of her wits. But little girls are much braver than they thought, and baddies don't always win... Get ready for a rollicking tale of spooky, silly fun in this riotous picture book from the creators of Room on the Broom, The Snail and the Whale, and The Gruffalo.

SEL Topics: self-awareness and social awareness

Come play with Ploof! Meet a friendly cloud full of feelings in this interactive picture book for fans of Hervé Tullet's Press Here, from the creator of Narwhal and Jelly and the co-creator of Science Explorers. Ploof is a puffy cloud who's a little lonely -- but now you're here, and the fun can begin! Can you help Ploof overcome their shyness? Play pretend? Make Ploof laugh with your funny faces, find their hiding spot, give them a high five! Full of imaginative and interactive fun, each page of this perfect book for preschoolers offers a chance to play. By following cues to say hello, clap, blow, shake, wave or make a funny face, young readers will be delighted to see the effects of their actions on Ploof. They'll learn social-emotional skills like empathy, encouragement and kindness through Ploof's emotional journey -- and, along the way, they'll learn how to be a fantastic friend! Join Ploof's adventures in a brand-new series co-written and co-illustrated by Narwhal and Jelly creator Ben Clanton and up-and-coming picture book maker Andy Chou Musser.

SEL Topics: relationship skills, self-awareness, and social awareness

A spare, powerful story about taking space to process difficult feelings  After something bad happens, a boy feels sad and gray. Mom and Aunt Cheryl try to talk about it, but he feels like running away. So he picks up a shovel and starts digging a tunnel from his room, deep down and into the backyard. Out there, far from the lights of the house, it's dark enough that he could disappear. But the quiet distance also gives him the space he needs to see his family's love and start returning home. As he heads back, the journey upward is different. He notices familiar details and tunes into his senses. The tunnel isn't so scary this time. The boy emerges into his room just as Mom peeks in. When she notices a twig in his hair, he is ready to talk about the tunnel and finds warmth in her gentle acknowledgment: "You came back." Quiet, emotionally resonant text is paired with grayscale drawings accented with red in this thoughtfully layered exploration of coping with tough emotions, and taking time and space to heal.

SEL Topics: self-awareness and relationship skills

Gentle themes of resiliency, mindfulness, and self-care are brought home in this sweet and soulful picture book with charmingly graphic illustrations and a poetic text. I love listening to music, especially samba! It feels like my heart follows the beat. Meet a young girl who loves her cozy home. It smells like cinnamon tea and feels like warm pajamas. But even when she's away from home, and everything is different, she finds a way to become her own home, where she feels calm. At night, when it's too dark and her feet are cold, her room can be a little scary. But she creates her own light when she closes her eyes and thinks of the sun. With friendliness and charm, Juliana Perdomo, in her debut as author-illustrator, shows young readers how to find comfort and confidence within. Her heartwarming picture book reassures children that sometimes, everything we need--courage, joy, peace, and love--is already inside us.

SEL Topics: self-awareness, social awareness, and relationship skills

A reassuring picture book celebrating all of us, perfect for trying times. Everybody! is a touching and funny exploration of empathy and unity -- featuring Elise Gravel's signature quirky and funny monsters! Everybody is unique and different. But we are all more similar than we think. Just like you: Everybody has fears. Everybody has moments of joy... and moments of sadness. Everybody makes mistakes... and can fix them. Young readers will enjoy all the different sizes, shapes, and colors of the monsters in Everybody!, and realize that, in the end, we are all the same.

SEL Topics: relationship skills, self-awareness, and self-management

A young child learns that even superheroes hurt too in this heartrending story about loss and love, written by debut author Kevin Johnson and illustrated by #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator Kitt Thomas. When a child loses the person in his life that he loves more than anything, he uses his cape as protection from his grief. On the day of the funeral, he uses it to block out the pictures and stories people share, refusing to acknowledge the memories that keep bubbling up. He won't think about them. He doesn't want to. He avoids the memories, until he no longer can. He remembers then. Their laugh, their smile, the moment they gave him the cape. The cape transforms, becoming a source of comfort and strength as the child navigates the sadness and joy that these memories bring up. In Cape, Kevin Johnson has crafted an achingly beautiful and honest story about processing and redefining grief after the loss of a loved one. With evocative illustrations by New York Times bestselling artist Kitt Thomas (Stacey's Extraordinary Words), Cape is a powerful, unforgettable, and necessary story.

SEL Topics: self-awareness, self-management, and relationship skills

From Jess Townes with illustrations by Daniel Miyares, this poignant picture book deftly tackles the wide array of emotions experienced in childhood, and especially reminding readers that there's nothing wrong with crying. Sometimes I cry . . . when I'm angry. . . . when I'm scared. . . . when I'm happy. There are all sorts of feelings that can make us cry--from disappointment to joy, from grief to love. Sometimes I Cry offers a gentle and necessary affirmation of the emotional complexity of growing up. Powerful, poignant, and universally relevant, it is a triumph for readers of any age. Sometimes I cry. And that's okay.

SEL Topics: social awareness and relationship skills

"A delightfully silly story with a sweet heart." --Booklist "Capybara is simply a hoot." --BCCB Learn what lengths you do and DON'T need to go to in order to be a good friend! This hilarious picture book from Maddie Frost is perfect for social emotional learning! Hi, hello. My name is Capybara and I think it's important to be a great friend. Take it from me, I have 4,382 friends! Capybara will do anything for his friends. But it's exhausting--and when Capybara meets a potential new friend who doesn't seem to be responding to his advances, Capybara learns a valuable lesson. His friends like him just for who he is! From the creator of Smug Seagull and Just be Jelly and illustrator of Shine Like a Unicorn comes a funny, heartwarming story about friendship. This book is an excellent teaching tool for lessons on friendship and creating boundaries within those relationships. It is a funny story for families to share, and a great read-aloud at home or in the classroom! 

SEL Topics: self-awareness, social awareness, and relationship skills

When a young boy paints his nails with his mom's nail polish, he discovers the most important thing of all: the magic of being his true self. As the long late summer day stretches ahead of them, a young boy eagerly looks forward to his favorite time--painting-your-nails time. He know that when he dips into those magical bottles of nail polish, he will discover a color to express his every mood and feeling. Purple is the color of magic and mystery. White is the color of endless possibilities. At times, his papa frowns and says, "What have you done to your nails?" At other times, he says, "Why don't you paint on paper instead?" But the little boy knows that painting his nails makes his hands look beautiful. This color-filled story celebrates the joy of finding out who you are and embracing the courage to be yourself.

SEL Topics: self-awareness and relationship skills

Gentle themes of resiliency, mindfulness, and self-care are brought home in this Spanish language edition of a sweet and soulful picture book with charmingly graphic illustrations and a poetic text. Conoce a una niña quien le encanta estar en su hogar, que huele a té de canela y se siente como un pijama calientito. Pero todo es diferente cuando se va de paseo. Aún así, encuentra la manera de sentirse tranquila. Al llegar la oscuridad de la noche sus pies se enfrían y su habitación a veces le da miedo. Es entonces cuando la niña cierra los ojos y crea su propia luz al pensar en el sol. Con simpatía y calidez, la autora e ilustrador Juliana Perdomo enseña a los jóvenes lectores diferentes maneras de encontrar consuelo y confiar en sí mismos. Este afectuoso libro ilustrado invita a los niños a creer que, a veces, todo lo que necesitamos--valentía, felicidad, paz y amor--ya esta en nosotros mismos. Meet a young girl who loves her cozy home. It smells like cinnamon tea and feels like warm pajamas. But even when she's away from home, and everything is different, she finds a way to become her own home, where she feels calm. At night, when it's too dark and her feet are cold, her room can be a little scary. But she creates her own light when she closes her eyes and thinks of the sun. With friendliness and charm, Juliana Perdomo, in her debut as author-illustrator, shows young readers how to find comfort and confidence within. Her heartwarming picture book reassures children that sometimes, everything we need--courage, joy, peace, and love--is already inside us.

SEL Topic: self-awareness, social awareness, and relationship skills

A kindhearted wombat offers refuge to a parade of animal friends during an Australian bushfire in a delightful new picture book from New York Times best-selling creators Carmen Agra Deedy and Brian Lies.     Australian bushfires roar above Wombat's home. He is fortunate that his burrow is deep below ground and he is safe. He snuggles under his crazy quilt and drinks his tea.      Then, one by one, five uniquely Australian animals - Wallaby, Kookaburra, Platypus, Koala, and Sugar Glider - seek refuge from the fires, and Wombat welcomes them all. When you have the heart of a wombat, there's always room for one more!     Fellowship, empathy, and adorable Australian animals star in this delightfully heartwarming and funny story about help in the time of trouble from author Carmen Agra Deedy (14 Cows for America, The Library Dragon, The Rooster Who Would Not Stay Quiet) and Caldecott Honoree Brian Lies (The Rough Patch, Bats at the Beach).     The book will delight children with Deedy's engaging story and Lies masterfully rendered animals. It is an ideal read-aloud for adults seeking a story with humor and heart. Generosity and kindness provide powerful SEL themes. Older readers will get a glimpse of the unique environmental challenges presented by the country's annual bushfire season.

SEL Topics: social awareness, self-awareness, relationship skills

Jarvis offers a moving tale of friendship, kindness, and acceptance, softly touching on the subjects of illness or hardship in a way that young children can understand. Everyone likes David, the boy with flowers in his hair. He's sweet and gentle, just like his colorful petals. David and his best friend have a great time together, finding the good puddles, making up songs, and running away from the bees. But one day David comes to school wearing a hat, and he is quiet. When he takes off the hat, his bright petals flutter down like butterflies. Now, where his flowers were looks twiggy and prickly, causing the other children to stay away. But David's best friend has an idea--a way to help David get his color back, wielding paintbrushes and plenty of love. Sensitively told and simply illustrated, Jarvis's story invites even the youngest children to talk about difficult subjects in an age-appropriate way--and feel inspired to support others when they face trying times.

SEL Topics: self-awareness, social awareness, and relationship skills

In this diverse picture book, a young immigrant from South Korea finds community and friendship in an apartment house filled with other newly arrived kids. When Jae looks out the window of his new home, he wishes he could still see his old village, his old house, and his old friends. But his new apartment feels empty and nothing outside is familiar. Jae just arrived from South Korea and doesn't even speak the new language. Yet, making friends is the same wherever you go and he soon meets a girl with a colorful bird perched on her shoulder. Rosa knows just how Jae feels and the two become fast friends. Not only does Rosa show Jae his new neighborhood but she shows him how his imagination can bring back memories of his old home. Then Rosa leaves unexpectedly one night but leaves her parrot for Jae. He thinks about the song that Rosa would sing- "When I fly away, my heart stays here." And when Jae meets two other newly arrived kids, he teaches them Rosa's song and becomes their guide to this new world. From the creators of the highly acclaimed The Paper Kingdom, comes a new book about the importance of community and demonstrates how a simple act of kindness can be passed along to others.

SEL Topics: self-awareness, social awareness, and relationship skills

A girl who doesn't fit in befriends a blind horse who also struggles to find his place in the herd. A beautiful picture book that helps readers celebrate the qualities that challenge us and make us different. Moon cannot see but he hears sounds that other horses ignore- the eggshell crack of a meadow lark hatching. The glide of a salamander into the pond. Clara does not speak but she hears sounds that other children ignore- the hum of the oven when her mother bakes muffins. The sound of the cat's paws on the kitchen floor. Both the foal and the little girl live with challenges. Both also have special qualities, which are recognized by friends who are open to seeing them. Midnight and Moon is about the rare and wonderful friendship that can form between opposites, a friendship that enriches both. This story shows us that our differences are positives, that the world needs both Claras and Jacks, Midnights and Moons.

SEL Topics: social awareness and relationship skills

An extraordinary debut picture book about a boy and his unusual friend-a majestic owl-and a long yet fleeting summer that changes them forever. In the spirit of The Velveteen Rabbit and Robert Frost's poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay," here is a heartfelt and luminously illustrated story about friendship and eternal love. A lonely young boy is visited by a mysterious owl one sunny morning, forming an instant bond and a sense of belonging. What follows is a memorable summer full of playful adventures and shared, quiet joy. But when the owl must eventually continue his journey onward, the boy and the reader are left to reflect on the bittersweet nature of the passing of time, ultimately finding comfort in the remembrance of those who have passed through our lives and changed us forever. This stunning and unique book-which feels instantly both new and classic-is sure to spark beautiful conversations as families share it together. Itembraces the inevitability of having to say goodbye and celebrates the stillness of ordinary placesand the shimmering beauty that can be found there should we take the time to wait and listen.

SEL Topics: social awareness and relationship skills

A timely, inspiring, and uplifting story about hope and the power of creative expression from one of the world's most treasured storytellers After a long, cold winter, doors finally open, and children spill out like candies from a box. Amanda is the last one out of the apartment building, with a carton of chalk in her hands. On every inch of the pavement outside, the children draw pictures of flowers and trees, mushrooms and snails, and a few very unexpected things. It's a concrete garden. Their creativity, unfettered in the open air, brings something beautiful, something hopeful, to the residents there, and to many more across the globe. From master storyteller Bob Graham comes a charming, gentle post-pandemic story about finding optimism after a dark spell, and the nurturing power of community friendships in an urban setting. The Concrete Garden will resonate with anyone who has been apart from their loved ones, and will encourage us all to find the brightness and color within ourselves.

SEL Topics: self-awareness and social awareness

"You feel way too much." / "Will you stop being dramatic?" This tender picture book follows a girl who is told she is too intense, too sensitive, too much. She's told to grow a thicker skin, but the words of others slip right through. They somersault around inside and press against her heart. What can she do to stop the hurt? She needs to take time alone to think and read, rest and create. Thoughtful text, detailed collage illustrations, and an unexpected word puzzle combine in Sara Levine and Mehrdokht Amini's moving portrayal of a girl who discovers that what others call a weakness can also be a gift.

SEL Topics: self-awareness, social awareness, and relationship skills

A story that helps with teaching boundaries. Asking for permission is a key foundation of consent. We Ask Permission builds children's social and emotional skills and helps with teaching boundaries by encouraging children to look for body language cues and by asking before hugging or touching others.   The third book in the We Say What's Okay series, We Ask Permission follows Jovan as he learns to ask permission and become a body language detective. Using the book as a read-aloud, educators and families can model the language Jovan's teachers use to support children as they learn to look for body language cues and respect the personal boundaries of others. The author, who hosts workshops and trainings on teaching boundaries and consent for families and early childhood educators around the country, offers additional activities in the back of the book.   Digital content includes a song from Peaceful Schools with downloadable audio files and sheet music. We Say What's Okay Series Centered on a class of preschoolers, the We Say What's Okay series helps teach young children the social and emotional skills they need to understand the complexities of consent. Each book covers a consent theme, such as how to recognize the physical sensations that emotions create, look for body language cues, ask for and listen to choices, and know that our bodies have value. With believable, everyday situations and diverse characters, children can see themselves and others reflected in each story--and develop a vocabulary to communicate consent and feelings. Every book in the series is accompanied by a song from Peaceful Schools with downloadable audio files and sheet music.

SEL Topics: self-awareness and self-management

Debut author Kerry Docherty reminds us that even when we are having a bad day, just imagining that somewhere, right now, something beautiful is happening can bring a feeling of calm. When Alma is experiencing the lows of unexpected disappointment, her mom offers her the wise advice that she just might feel better if she closes her eyes and pictures something beautiful that's happening in nature. Inspired by the current pandemic, this book is a relevant but timeless reminder that somewhere in the world something beautiful is happening. Maybe it's a baby whale being born, or perhaps it's the sun coming out on a cloudy day; right now our resilient world is making something incredible happen.

SEL Topics: self-awareness, social awareness, and relationship skills

A seemingly ordinary park transforms into somewhere new and wonderful in this enthralling ode to first adventures from acclaimed author Robie H. Harris and fine artist Armando Mariño. Somewhere is where I wanted to go. Somewhere new. Somewhere I had never, ever been before. A young girl and her father walk through familiar streets on a brilliant, sun-drenched day. When they reach a park, the girl lets go of her father's hand. It is time for her to journey out on her own. As her father keeps watch, she finds an unfamiliar place--an extraordinary forest that blooms around her, lush and larger than life. She plays among gigantic leaves, discovers treasures, and thinks of how her father would love this place, too. She retraces her steps to a happy reunion with her father and a recounting of her exploration. Brought to life in soft, vibrant watercolors by renowned Cuban artist Armando Mariño, this lyrical story by Robie H. Harris captures the magic of a child finding her inner strength and curiosity--and discovering somewhere new all on her own.

SEL Topic: self-management

Ruby does NOT like bugs! Until she's forced to spend some time looking more closely at one... A funny story for kids with big feelings and curious minds. When Ruby discovers a bug on her window one morning she FREAKS OUT! She loves animals, just NOT bugs!   But no amount of blowing or squirting or yelling will get this bug to go away. It will get Ruby stuck in a time out.   With lots of time to study Mr. Yuck-bug, Ruby grudgingly decides he may have some interesting qualities after all. He's strong. A good listener. And his little antennae might be an itsy-bit cute.    Over the course of the day, Ruby gets almost attached to the guy. And when night falls, she sees him in a surprising new way! Allison Wortche and Sally Walker team up to show readers how something can go from gross to great when looked at in the proper light.  

SEL Topics: self-awareness

From the picture book dream team behind I Am Yoga and I Am Peace comes the third book in their wellness series: I Am Human. A hopeful meditation on all the great (and challenging) parts of being human, I Am Human shows that it's okay to make mistakes while also emphasizing the power of good choices by offering a kind word or smile or by saying "I'm sorry." At its heart, this picture book is a celebration of empathy and compassion that lifts up the flawed fullness of humanity and encourages children to see themselves as part of one big imperfect family-millions strong.

SEL Topics: relationship skills, social awareness, self-awareness, and self-management

School is starting in the forest, but Chester Raccoon does not want to go. To help ease Chester's fears, Mrs. Raccoon shares a family secret called the Kissing Hand to give him the reassurance of her love any time his world feels a little scary. Since its first publication in 1993, this heartwarming book has become a children's classic that has touched the lives of millions of children and their parents, especially at times of separation, whether starting school, entering daycare, or going to camp. It is widely used by kindergarten teachers on the first day of school. Stickers at the back will help children and their parents keep their Kissing Hand alive.

SEL Topics: self-awareness and social awareness

A silly and funny anthology of things a mom will never ever tell her child! Don't go to bed so early! You have school tomorrow. Said no mother ever! Can you imagine your mom saying this or suggesting you don't need to use a tissue when you could use your sleeve instead. In this comical look at all the things a mom is never likely to say, kids and parents alike will laugh out loud at what might happen if Mom stops being Mom. She'll never encourage you to stop reading or eating your vegetables. But kids know they can always count on mom to always want a kiss and hug. So get ready for story time reading to get a little silly with these hilarious everyday sentences that are the exact opposite of what you would expect a mom to repeat.

SEL Topics: self-awareness and social awareness

As featured on CNN, MSNBC, New York Post, The Daily Beast, The Washington Post, and more My Dad has a shadow that's blue as a berry, and my Mom's is as pink as a blossoming cherry. There's only those choices, a 2 or a 1. But mine is quite different, it's both and it's none. A heartwarming and inspiring book about being true to yourself and moving beyond the gender binary, by the bestselling author of My Shadow Is Pink.

SEL Topics: relationship skills and social awareness,

A silly and sweet picture book about neighbors, community, and making new friends where you least expect it. A group of neighbors never talks to one another because they've all made assumptions about each other. Camila the chicken's house is too noisy, Mr. Martínez the fox seems so straightlaced, Felipe the mouse is nervous, and Pepe the ogre--well, you know about ogres. But one day, Mrs. Paquita's internet connection goes out. That starts a domino effect of neighbors helping neighbors. And soon everything has changed.    

SEL Topics: relationship skills, self-awareness, and social awareness

AMAZON BEST OF THE YEAR Frank the cat has it good: Tons of toys, unlimited Whiskies(tm) and space and quiet to stretch and nap and think and write. Then his people bring home a box. A box with something unexpected inside. A puppy. A puppy who doesn't know the rules of naps. A puppy who slobbers and tackles and barks. This won't do. Frank will just have to find a better home. Should be easy, right? P R A I S E "Highly relatable." --Horn Book "A series opener that will delight cat AND dog fans." --Kirkus "Cute and hilarious." --Booklist

SEL Topics: relationship skills, self-awareness, and social awareness

The New York Times bestselling team behind Parker Looks Up returns with this Level 1 Ready-to-Read about trying to make a good day out of a bad one. Parker is not having a good day. All she wants is some time alone to read her book, but her brother and sister will not stop following her around. Parker is feeling lots of big feelings. How can Parker turn a bad day into something good?

SEL Topics: relationship skills and social awareness

A heartwarming picture book about a neighborhood coming together to help a kitten find a home, from a New York Times bestselling author and a Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator. Contrary to what you may believe, this story is not about a kitten, hungry and dirty, scared and alone, needing a home. It is also not about the dog who heard the kitten meowing sadly. Even less so about the woman and child walking the dog, who stopped when their dog heard the kitten. Nor is it about the friends who brought a box for the kitten, or the man who offered it some milk. No, this story is not about a kitten at all-well, maybe a little-but more importantly this is a story about community, compassion, and generosity. Randall de S ve's thoughtful and warm story is sure to fill readers of all ages with hope and the warm fuzzy feeling that rescuing animals brings. Wonderfully complemented by Carson Ellis's breathtaking illustrations, this book is sure to be cherished by animal-loving readers everywhere!

SEL Topic: self-awareness and social awareness

Award-winning author Crescent Dragonwagon teams up with award-winning Julián Is a Mermaid illustrator Jessica Love to present a powerful updated edition of a classic picture book that asks a tough question and answers it with humanity, humor, and grace. In this timeless picture book classic, a child asks, Will it be okay? That bee sting, that thunderstorm, those powerful feelings, losing a loved one. Will It Be Okay? Yes--yes, it will. "This tender tale is a balm for worried children in troubled times and a model of comfort for caregivers to offer them . . . More than OK. Much more."--Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review) "With empathy, the creators imagine a parent with an uncanny ability to hear a child's concerns, to hold the emotions that accompany them, and to think and talk about them."--Publishers Weekly

SEL Topics: self-awareness and social awareness

A tender and compassionate exploration of the shared experiences that bring us all together, be they sweet, painful, or both. On a morning brimming with possibilities, a gentle narrator muses on everything the day might bring, from work to play to all the little moments in between, like watching clouds and seeing something grow. From small beginnings, the pages begin to hint at life's larger crescendo moments- days so hard we struggle to bear it, and others that feel exactly right. Then day inevitably turns to night, and for a while, "we are all just hearts beating in the darkness." This quiet space invites us to be fully present in the moment, feeling whatever we feel; each of us vital, connected, "the same, but exactly different." As a bright new dawn starts the cycle anew, that truth is a strong and steady pulse beneath the bustle of another busy morning. In a story that embraces life's highs and lows, Julie Fogliano masterfully combines simple, lyrical text with highly nuanced themes to create a reassuring and hopeful meditation on solidarity and perseverance. Impressionistic pastel and colored-pencil illustrations by Catia Chien accompany the soulful text. All the Beating Hearts reminds us that through all of life's ups and downs, there will always be light after darkness, and most importantly, we have each other-these other beating hearts. An NCTE Notable Poetry Book

SEL Topics: relationship skills, self-awareness, and social awareness

Billy and Rose, friends with different ideas, always end up coming together in these charming stories from masterful creators Amy Hest and Kady MacDonald Denton. Best friends Billy and Rose, an industrious sheep and a laid-back pig, sometimes see things differently. When they play catch, Rose insists that Billy throws too high, and he counters that she throws too low. While Rose thinks washing clothes is the world's biggest chore, Billy contends that playing the cello holds that distinction. Still, these endearing friends always find a way to work things out: What if Billy plays a cello serenade for Rose while she does her laundry? After all, what they really want is to be together. These four sweet stories by beloved children's author Amy Hest are filled with gentle wit and enhanced by Kady MacDonald Denton's delightfully expressive illustrations.

SEL Topics: relationship skills, self-awareness, and social awareness

"The grouchiest character since the Grinch." --School Library Journal, starred review   A hilarious, heartwarming picture book from a New York Times bestselling author and award-winning illustrator about a tiny king who grows into a big-hearted monarch after he banishes almost his entire court from the palace.   Tiny Cedric, King ME the First does not like being small. AT ALL. So he decides to banish anyone taller than him from his palace. Which is everyone, basically. The only ones left are the babies. And now they're in charge of the Royal Duties!  How will Cedric cope--especially now that he must kiss boo-boos and read bedtime stories? Will he become a kinder, gentler, BIGGER king? Filled with colorful illustrations and ensuing hi-jinks, this charming picture book is perfect for children of all ages AND sizes!

SEL Topics: relationships skills, social awareness, and self-awareness

When Agnes decides to host a tea party, she finds it hard to shake a most unlikely guest . . . and his even more unlikely friends. Agnes is new to town and wants to make friends, so she invites some girls in her class to a fancy tea party. When there is a knock at the door, she expects to see them-not Dave from next door. This isn't what she had in mind at all. . . "The invitation says plus one. This means you need to bring a friend. And since you don't have a friend with you-goodbye." Agnes is sure that will be the end of that, but Dave is persistent, and before long he's bringing one friend after another as his plus one. Pierre of the North, Esquire, a goose who Agnes deems too loud; Fred, a cactus that's too prickly; Dr. Scalywiggles, a legless lizard she mistakes for a snake; even his mom, who makes great French toast and lets him win at tag. Alas, no grownups are allowed at this tea party. But as the minutes pass and the other guests don't show up, Agnes is left with nothing but her tea set, watching Dave and his friends play tag. She works up the nerve to ask if she can join in and receives a resounding yes- and when the original guests arrive (late because of soccer practice) everyone heads inside for tea, no species excluded. In this fun and funny tale, John Hare, author and illustrator of Field Trip to the Moon, Field Trip to the Ocean Deep, and Field Trip to Volcano Island, uses his signature wit and buoyant illustrations to share the timeless message that sometimes new friends turn out to be someone unexpected.

SEL Topics: relationship building, social awareness, self-management, and self-awareness

An endearing picture book from two New York Times bestselling creators about a little girl who learns to cope when she is asked to leave her beloved stuffed animal at home. A child's favorite stuffed animal is a member of the family. This little girl and her bear are no different. The two are inseparable. Bear joins the girl for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and every moment in between. So when the first day of school arrives and Bear can't come along, the little girl is worried. At first, being in school feels hard, but as the day goes on, the girl finds ways to make herself feel better. This reassuring story, which is accessible and kid-friendly, beautifully captures a child's use of coping skills to work through her separation anxiety. From the creators of I Walk with Vanessa, the picture book that Parents magazine named the Best Book of the Year That Champions Kindness, here is a nearly wordless picture book tackling a theme that is sure to be familiar to many parents and their stuffed-animal-loving children.

SEL Topics: responsible decision making, self-management, self-awareness

"Love and tenderness are expressed in every scene" -School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW "...this sweet and optimistic picture book shows how the support of a loved one can help reframe attitudes, come rain or shine." -Booklist, STARRED REVIEW Big sisters are the best! Neither rain nor a series of setbacks can put a damper on a young girl's day spent with her big sister. A picture book that captures the love between siblings! A young girl is thrilled to spend the day with her big sister, but things don't go as planned. It's so hot outside--legs-stick-to-the-seat hot--that her ice cream melts and then it rains. Their plans must change, and then change again as the library closes just before they arrive. But big sister knows just what to do next--even if it's nothing besides splashing in puddles and looking at the stars. The day isn't anything like little sister expected . . . it's better. For fans of Oge Mora's Saturday, this picture book about the power of sibling friendship comes from award-winning author Nelly Buchet and Salvadoran illustrator Rachel Katstaller.

SEL TOPIC: self-awareness

In the follow-up to When Things Aren't Going Right, Go Left, comes a heartwarming and joyful celebration of self-love from #1 New York Times bestselling creator Peter H. Reynolds and talented author Marc Colagiovanni! "I like being you," said the reflection in the mirror. "To me, you are perfectly perfect." This is a story of self-love that teaches children that their physical layer is just that -- one layer -- and below it lies a rich tapestry of attributes that make them unique and wonderful. Through Marc Colagiovanni's powerful text and Peter H. Reynolds's inspirational artwork, this picture book offers readers a wholly original exploration of self-love and self-acceptance. Originally released as an animated short, which has over 1.4 million views on YouTube, this is the second of two new picture books created in collaboration with Marc and Peter that is sure to inspire, affirm, and reassure at key milestone moments in every young reader's life.The Reflection in Me serves to empower children and readers of all ages to find the courage to look inside and love themselves just as they are.

SEL Topic: self-awareness, social awareness, self-management

From Caldecott Honoree Cindy Derby comes an uproarious tale about an etiquette coach and the sentient paint blob that just might teach her proper manners. When etiquette coach Ms. Picklepop teeters off her stool and spills a bucket of paint, a creature emerges. Not a scary one, or an evil one, or anything of the sort. Instead, what comes alive is ... BLURP! She'll have to carry on with her lesson, despite Blurp's many, messy distractions. But paint splotches and burps aren't all that disrupt Ms. Picklepop's decorous class. Perhaps through an unlikely friendship, Ms. Picklepop will learn a thing or two about manners herself. Fall in love with Cindy Derby's newest adorable creation - Blurp - in this colorful, heartwarming, and laugh-out-loud funny tale. *"Derby's natural inclination to play with paint like a child in a mud puddle comes fully to her aid here... Our hero is bound to find fast friends with ill-mannered readers everywhere." - Kirkus, starred review *"Derby breathes fresh air into familiar comedy tropes and 'practice kindness' messaging, while anchoring the book's unleashed sense of color and character in a core truth: there is nothing more wonderful than being treated with respect." - Publishers Weekly, starred review

SEL Topics: self-awareness, self-management

Maggie Smith, bestselling author of the viral poem "Good Bones" and the memoir You Could Make This Place Beautiful, delivers a lyrical and reassuring picture book perfect for calming active minds at bedtime (or anytime). A Today Show Spring Pick! At bedtime, when lights go out...sometimes thoughts stay on. Scary things and worries flutter and flap around. It's so hard to sleep! But a little imagination (and a lot of love) can create a cozy nest for happy thoughts--and sweet dreams for little ones.