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Early Childhood Readers Collection

The Early Childhood Readers Collection (ECRC) includes children's literature that highlights and celebrates diversity across a spectrum of inclusion and diversity, from race to sexual orientation to gender identity and disability.

How do I find books related to emotions & feelings?

You can add search terms such as emotion* OR feeling*, or even a term for a specific emotion such as fear to a search within the collection. Using the asterisk will direct the search to include plural and singular forms of the word. Read more about searching tips in Compass here.

Other related subject terms include:

  • Juvenile Fiction Social Themes Emotions Feelings
  • Emotions in Children
  • Emotions in Child Juvenile Fiction
  • Fear Juvenile Fiction
  • Bashfulness Juvenile Fiction

The Rabbit Listened

A moving and universal picture book about empathy and kindness, sure to soothe heartaches big and small--now a New York Times bestseller. When something sad happens, Taylor doesn't know where to turn. All the animals are sure they have the answer. The chicken wants to talk it out, but Taylor doesn't feel like chatting. The bear thinks Taylor should get angry, but that's not quite right either. One by one, the animals try to tell Taylor how to act, and one by one they fail to offer comfort. Then the rabbit arrives. All the rabbit does is listen . . . which is just what Taylor needs. With its spare, poignant text and irresistibly sweet illustration, The Rabbit Listened is about how to comfort and heal the people in your life, by taking the time to carefully, lovingly, gently listen.

Me and My Fear

When a young immigrant girl has to travel to a new country and start at a new school, she is accompanied by her Fear who tells her to be alone and afraid, growing bigger and bigger every day with questions like "how can you hope to make new friends if you don't understand their language?" But this little girl is stronger than her Fear. A heart-warming and timely tale from the bestselling author and illustrator of The Journey, this book shows us the importance of sharing your Fear with others--after all, everyone carries a Fear with them, even if it's small enough to fit into their pocket!

Gustavo, the Shy Ghost

A #1 New York Times bestseller! This winning debut picture book from Mexican artist Flavia Z. Drago about finding the courage to make friends is perfect for the spooky season -- or anytime. Gustavo is good at doing all sorts of ghostly things: walking through walls, making objects fly, and glowing in the dark. And he loves almost nothing more than playing beautiful music on his violin. But Gustavo is shy, and some things are harder for him to do, like getting in a line to buy eye scream or making friends with other monsters. Whenever he tries getting close to them, he realizes they just can't see him. Now that the Day of the Dead is fast approaching, what can he do to make them notice him and to share with them something he loves? With fancifully detailed artwork and visual humor, debut picture-book creator Flavia Z. Drago's vivid illustrations tell a sweet and gently offbeat story of loneliness, bravery, and friendship that is sure to be a treat for little ghouls and goblins everywhere.

Feelings

From the Emmy-nominated, award-winning bilingual preschool series Canticos, comes Feelings, a part of the Canticos Bilingual Firsts collection. Learn how to count from 1 to 10, and 10 to 100 in tens, in both English and Spanish. Complete with beautiful illustrations, this book is a great way to make learning opposites with your little chickie special and unique in not one, but two languages. Concept: Feelings, Emotions. Format: * 6" x 6" board book format perfect for little readers. * English and Spanish on the same spread. * Interactive lift-the-flap. * "Canticos resonates with parents who want to raise multilingual children through quality, appealing content." -- NBC "Good books not only teach your child about different cultures and their traditions, they are also a great way to help your child pick up new vocabulary and information about different regions around the world. Canticos...is a great place to start" -- Motherly "Susie Jaramillo created a media company with an educational, cross-cultural, and intergenerational mission." -- School Library Journal "¿Qué hacer cuando los niños no quieren dormir? La colección bilingüe Canticos de Susie Jaramillo reúne tiernas canciones de cuna de nuestra infancia." -- People en Español Children can also watch our bilingual videos on the Canticos channel! Beloved by kids, parents and educators, Canticos is the #1 bilingual preschool brand.

Jenny Mei Is Sad

A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book A Book Riot Best Book With this educational and entertaining picture book, learn how to approach difficult emotions with compassion and understanding--and be the best friend you can be. My friend Jenny Mei is sad. But you might not be able to tell. Jenny Mei still smiles a lot. She makes everyone laugh. And she still likes blue Popsicles the best. But, her friend knows that Jenny Mei is sad, and does her best to be there to support her. This beautifully illustrated book is perfect for introducing kids to the complexity of sadness, and to show them that the best way to be a good friend, especially to someone sad, is by being there for the fun, the not-fun, and everything in between.

I Am Enough

A #1 New York Times bestseller and Goodreads Choice Awards picture book winner! This is the perfect gift for mothers and daughters, baby showers, and graduation. This gorgeous, lyrical ode to loving who you are, respecting others, and being kind to one another comes from Empire actor and activist Grace Byers and talented newcomer artist Keturah A. Bobo. We are all here for a purpose. We are more than enough. We just need to believe it. Plus don't miss I Believe I Can--the next beautiful picture celebrating self-esteem from Grace Byers and Keturah A. Bobo!

Salma the Syrian Chef

Newcomer Salma and friends cook up a heartwarming dish to cheer up Mama. All Salma wants is to make her mama smile again. Between English classes, job interviews, and missing Papa back in Syria, Mama always seems busy or sad. A homemade Syrian meal might cheer her up, but Salma doesn't know the recipe, or what to call the vegetables in English, or where to find the right spices! Luckily, the staff and other newcomers at the Welcome Center are happy to lend a hand--and a sprinkle of sumac. With creativity, determination, and charm, Salma brings her new friends together to show Mama that even though things aren't perfect, there is cause for hope and celebration. Syrian culture is beautifully represented through the meal Salma prepares and Anna Bron's vibrant illustrations, while the diverse cast of characters speaks to the power of cultivating community in challenging circumstances.

My Monster and Me

From the winner of The Great British Baking Show and star of Nadiya's Time to Eat comes a heartfelt story to help give children and parents the tools they need to talk about worries and anxiety. A touching story about a little boy whose worry monster follows him everywhere he goes. It's there when he gets dressed, when he wants to play with his toys, and even when his friends come over to visit. How can he escape his worries? Having struggled with anxiety for as long as she can remember, Nadiya Hussain has written this heartfelt story to ensure that no child suffers in silence--no matter what shape their worry monster may take.

Ruby Finds a Worry

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

Ollie Feels Fine

Ollie the octopus has a lot of feelings and he struggles to understand them. One especially busy, emotional day, Ollie becomes overwhelmed by all of his feelings. But with the help of his good friend, Stella the starfish, Ollie is reassured and able to feel that he is ok, and that it is fine to have so many feelings. This endearing board book explores the range of emotions we all can feel and opens up the potential for a conversation with a caring adult where kids can discover their feelings are natural and normal, and that others feel the same way they do. Stella and Ollie give kids words for their emotions, and power over their feelings. With their help, kids will realize it's okay to not feel fine all of the time, and that it's okay to talk about it. A visually fun detail included is how Ollie changes his color with his changing emotions to emphasize and make it easy for even the very youngest readers to see Ollie's feelings. Ollie Feels Fine helps parents support their child's emotional intelligence.

Mindful Tots: Loving Kindness / niños Mindful: Bondad Amarosa

Help toddlers learn to "wish happiness, kindness and calm for everyone" -- including themselves! This bilingual board book is designed to enable caregivers to practice an ancient mindfulness exercise, the loving kindness meditation, with children as young as 2 years old. Written by the award-winning author of the Mindful Kids activity deck, Whitney Stewart, in collaboration with early childhood development specialist Stefanie Paige Wieder, M.S. Ed., this book uses simple, straightforward instructions and bright illustrations to nurture compassion, self-awareness and a strong caregiver-child bond. One of four stylish board books in the Niños mindful series, designed to help toddlers manage the ups and downs of everyday emotions.

Anita and the Dragons

A beautifully tender story touching on the range of emotions immigrants may feel when leaving their home countries - excitement and sorrow, fear and courage. Anita watches the dragons high above her as she hops from one cement roof to another in her village in the Dominican Republic. But being the valiant princesa she is, she never lets them scare her. Will she be brave enough to enter the belly of the beast and take flight to new adventures? A Barnes & Noble Bookseller Favorite. A BookTrust Book of the Month. A Love Reading For Schools Book of the Month. "A gorgeous story about the love of one's homeland and the courage it takes to emigrate"--Kirkus Reviews, STARRED "Anita's courage as she flies off with the dragons to a new land will linger long after the final page"--Girls Read The World "What a punch this book packs. Hannah Carmona's lyrical narrative is paired with THE dreamiest artwork by Anna Cunha - I'm obsessed with the color palette, and the gentle simplicity of her spreads is calming, yet full of energy"--The Little Literary Society

Benji, the Bad Day and Me

Sammy is having the absolute rottenest, worst day ever. His little brother, Benji, knows exactly what that's like. Nothing seems to be going right for Sammy today. At school, he got in trouble for kicking a fence, then the cafeteria ran out of pizza for lunch. After he walks home in the pouring rain, he finds his autistic little brother Benji is having a bad day too. On days like this, Benji has a special play-box where he goes to feel cozy and safe. Sammy doesn't have a special place, and he's convinced no one cares how he feels or even notices him. But somebody is noticing, and may just have an idea on how to help Sammy feel better. In this tender story about siblings, author Sally J. Pla shares her experience of raising sons with different personality traits and needs. Benji, the Bad Day, and Me embraces the philosophy that we are all part of a wide spectrum of neurodiversity. And on those really bad, rotten days, you can always count on family to be there for you.

Divorce Is the Worst

Part of the Ordinary Terrible Things series,Divorce Is the Worst is a funny but frank picture book for kids whose parents are going through a divorce. In her iconic straightforward-but-sensitive way, author Anastasia Higginbotham sheds light on how hard it is for children to stay whole when their whole world, and the people in it, split apart. As a child of divorce, I can tell you that the worst part is feeling alone, and feeling like no one could ever understand how awful it is. This book counters those terrible feelings in a beautiful, heartfelt, funny, and digestible way. So incredibly important. --PETER PAIGE, executive producer and co-creator of ABC Family's "The Fosters" Anastasia Higginbotham...doesn't sugarcoat the words or the charmingly rumpled illustrations in her new book about parents spitting up...With real humor and no pretension, Ms. Higginbotham offers kids empathy necessary to gain hope and perspective on any traumatic event. --JULIE BOWEN, actress, "Modern Family"