Harriet and the Roller Coaster by Nancy Carlson

32 p., Carolrhoda, 2003.

Harriet (a dog) is afraid to ride the roller coaster, until she does it and finds that it's fun for her. Her classmate, George, doesn't think he's afraid, but when he's on it, finds it frightening. This story shows kids that they may be braver than they think - and that people who seem brave may not really be so courageous. It will also help kids keep an open mind about deciding which situations are scary.

Ages: 3-7
Cultural Context: non-human

Cat's Got My Tongue! by Carolyn Ortiz

Illustrated by Joe Lee. 32 p., Author House, 2006.

Sometimes, when children are anxious they may find it difficult to speak. Such is the case for Emma, who is frightened as she starts first grade, thinking about how people will expect her to be more grown-up than they did last year. When a classmate, Sarah, introduces herself. Emma's hands tremble, and she's so preoccupied with "what ifs" that she can't speak. Sarah asks whether "'Cat's got your tongue?'" Emma takes this idea into her imagination, where she sees a cat, dressed in a three-piece suit, grinning and holding her tongue in a box. Emma is unable to talk all day, still trembling and full of "what ifs." The cat laughs at her. After school, Emma confronts the problem and the cat. The cat tells her that he will keep her tongue for as long as Emma would like. As Emma thinks about this, she talks to herself in ways that calm her, first grounding herself in concrete reality ("I have big brown eyes...") and then in more abstract knowledge ("I'm good at jump rope"). She acknowledges to herself that each person is unique, and none has to be perfect. At this moment, she finds her tongue - and with it, her voice. The next day at school, she talks comfortably to her classmates and has fun playing with them. She shows her class a picture she's made of the cat, and tells them that he had taken a part of her. But she makes it clear to the cat that her tongue is hers now! When worries make children feel out of control, this empathic story gives them a powerful way to take back their voice.

Ages: 4-8
Cultural Context: multicultural

Oliver At the Window by Elizabeth Shreeve

Illustrated by Candice Hartsough McDonald. 32 p., Front Street, 2009.

When your parents are separated, not knowing which home you're going to can be a source of insecurity. We can feel Oliver's uncertainty as he stands by the window at preschool while the other children play, holding his stuffed lion and wondering who is going to pick him up. As time goes on, he's able to spend less time at the window and play with his classmates. He uses art to work through his struggle, painting pictures of both homes, each with his lion in it. When a sad new girl enters the class, Oliver compassionately joins her at the window, showing her how his lion is a comfort to him. He has moved through his pain and made a new friend. With its gentle, empathic depiction of Oliver's experiences, this sensitive story validates children's sadness and gives hope for resolving it.

Ages: 3-6
Cultural Context: multicultural