Furry by Holly Keller

24 p., Greenwillow, 1992.

Laura wants a pet, but she finds that she has allergic symptoms around all kinds of animals, and her doctor diagnoses her as allergic to animals with fur or feathers. She cries. Her friend, her parents, and her brother offer her other kinds of pets - a frog, a snake, a goldfish, a turtle - but Laura feels that she only wants a pet with fur. But when her brother brings home a chameleon for her, she can't help being fascinated by it. Her brother suggests the name "Furry" for it. She acknowledges that "maybe" she could like it. This story will help allergic children feel hopeful that they could enjoy a pet that they aren't allergic to.

Ages: 4-7
Cultural Context: European American

How My Parents Learned To Eat by Ina R. Friedman

Illustrated by Allen Say. 32 pages. Houghton Mifflin, 1984.

A girl tells about the experiences of her parents, a Japanese student and an American sailor, when they first met. Wanting very much to eat dinner together, but not wanting to acknowledge to each other that they don't know how, they learn each other's eating customs, he from a waiter, she from her uncle, who had visited England. Both want very much to eat in each other's style. So, the girl concludes, at their house they sometimes eat with knives and forks, and sometimes with chopsticks. The parents show a good example of mutual respect across cultures, and the girl's comfort with her multicultural heritage shows children a way to make room for elements of different cultures.

Ages: 4-8
Cultural Context: multicultural

Bye-Bye, Big Bad Bullybug! by Ed Emberley

32 pages. Little, Brown, 2007.

Bullies can be scary at least partly because they're big, and it's a relief to discover that there's someone bigger. When the Big Bad Bullybug putt-putts down in his spaceship, he threatens to scare, bite, growl at, tickle, pinch, scratch, stomp on, and finally eat up the itty-bitty baby bugs. In his trademark style, Ed Emberley reveals the bug by adding one frightening feature at a time. When the Bullybug is complete, readers get a sudden sense of perspective as a giant sneaker appears and squooshes it so that it putt-putts away. With its brilliant colors and delightful alliteration, this remarkable book evokes kids' tension and provides a reassuring resolution. It clearly conveys the message that even when a bully seems big and scary, someone who's even bigger can keep them safe.

Ages: 3-7
Cultural Context: non-human

Don't Forget To Come Back! by Robie H. Harris

Illustrated by Harry Bliss. 34 pages. Candlewick, 2004.

It can be scary when your parents go out, but you might discover that you're safe with your babysitter. The little girl in this story is so worried about her parents' going out for the evening that she imagines that a moose will come into the house and eat her up. She questions her parents' love for her, and in her anger, acts out what they're about to do - leave her - by "running away" to the closet. Her parents calmly accept her concerns, and her babysitter, Sarah, joins her in lots of her favorite activities - eating pizza, painting their nails, and putting on clown make-up. In the morning, the little girl lets her parents - and readers - know that she's been safe with Sarah by telling them that Sarah didn't let a moose in. Readers know that she really means it when they see a huge moose resting its chin on the roof of the family's house. Children will understand that their feelings are accepted, their parents do come back, and they can be safe and have fun with a sitter even when their parents are out.

Ages: 3-7
Cultural Context: European American