The Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns

Illustrated by Gordon Silveria.32 p., Scholastic, 1994.

A triangle does lots of important and interesting things, but one day it gets bored, and decides that it wants to be a different shape. It visits a shapeshifter, who turns it into many other shapes. As the triangle gets more and more sides, it grows more distant from its friends, and begins to feel out of balance. When it finally decides to become a triangle again, it is back in balance, happy, and reunited with its friends. Children will get the message that although it might seem interesting to be someone else, it feels best to be who you are. An afterword for adults explains the geometric concepts and suggests ways to teach them to children.

Ages 5-8

Grandad Bill's Song by Jane Yolen

Illustrated by Melissa Bay Mathis.32 p., Philomel, 1994.

Jon asks family members and friends what they did when his Granddad Bill died. Each shares reactions to Bill's death and memories of Bill. Jon is angry when his Grandad dies, and feels guilty about this until he talks it over with his Daddy. It becomes clear that each person, including Jon, can keep Bill with them in important ways after his death. Black-and-white drawings show Jon and his relatives and friends in the present and the photos of Bill that that they look at together; vibrantly colored illustrations on two-page spreads show memories of Bill. This story helps children accept diverse ways to grieve, and to understand that we can keep people who have died with us in our memories of them.

Ages 4-8

Elisabeth by Claire A. Nivola

32 p., Frances Foster Books/Farrar Straus Giroux, 1997.

As a child in Germany, the main character, a European Jew, has a doll named Elisabeth whom she loves very much. She has to leave Elisabeth behind when her family flees from the Nazis, eventually to the United States. There she grows up, and searches for a doll for her own daughter, remembering Elisabeth. Amazingly, she finds Elisabeth in an antique store. At the end of the story, Elisabeth has been handed down to her granddaughter. A brief note explains that this is a true story in the life of the author's mother. This book will help children see hope for healing the losses of war.

Ages 5-8

When I Feel Jealous by Cornelia Spelman

Illustrated by Kathy Parkinson. 24 p., Whitman, 2003.

Jealousy can be a difficult feeling for children. In this accepting, empathic, story, a little bear lets children know they're not alone with jealousy by acknowledging that everyone, even pets, feels this way sometimes. She can cope with jealousy by talking about it with someone, and by expressing her own needs, especially for attention (although she might not be able to have it right away, and so might have to find something else to do while she's waiting). She can also learn to be happy for others rather than jealous of them, and can appreciate what she has rather than focusing exclusively on what others have. When this is possible, she doesn't feel so jealous any more. Knowing this helps the little bear to realize that jealousy, while uncomfortable, is temporary. An accessible, compassionate note to parents and teachers helps adults to understand children's jealousy and to offer support in resolving it. Illustrations are both sweet and expressive. Even very young children can use the little bear as a wonderful model of self-acceptance, emotional awareness, and coping.

Ages 2-4
Cultural context: non-human