Social-Emotional Learning with Illustrated Books

 Emotions can be tricky to navigate for young children. Storybooks can help name, identify, and normalize those feelings.

“A Sick Day for Amos McGee” written by Philip Stead and illustrated by Erin Stead, is a gentle tale about compassion and caring for others. The charming illustrations draw in young ones who delight in pointing out the zoo animals. I never tire of reading this one; and as a mom of 3, that’s many, many times.

“The Color Monster” by Anna Llenas introduces us to a confused monster who needs help to identify his many jumbled up feelings. She connects feelings to vibrant colors and imagery that’s easy for the littles to digest.

“Tough Guys (Have Feelings Too)” by Keith Negley is a fantastic father-son read. Negley takes masculine tropes and turns them on their ear. The illustrations are oversize and bright, and are sure to engage little readers. Naturally, it would diversify little girls’ bookcases too!