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

Hugs On the Wind by Marsha Diane Arnold and Vernise Elaine Pelzel

Illustrated by Elsa Warnick. 32 pages. Abrams, 2006.

Separation can be more tolerable when children use their imagination to remind them of their connection with the person they miss. In Hugs on the Wind, Little Cottontail misses his grandfather, who is far away. When he imagines Grandfather missing him, too, it occurs to him that he can send love to Grandfather in many ways. He can send hugs to Grandfather on the wind, smiles through the clouds, and his funniest joke through the babbling river. This not only brings him joy, but also allows him to imagine Grandfather singing to him in the song of the rustling trees, and winking at him in the winking stars. With the loving support of his Mama Cottontail, he clearly experiences Grandfather as being close in his heart. Gentle watercolor illustrations expressively convey both the bunny's earnest littleness and his secure, relaxed sense of comfort in nature. With Little Cottontail, children can find creative ways to stay connected to someone who is far away.

Ages: 3-6
Cultural Context: non-human

The Paper Chain by Claire Blake, Eliza Blanchard and Kathy Parkinson

Illustrated by Kathy Parkinson. 34 pages. Health Press, 1998.

Ben and Marcus's Mom goes to the hospital for an operation. They make a paper chain with two links for each day that she will be away, so that they can each pull a link off every day. Because their hugs hurt Mom's incision, Dad invents a "yarn hug" by wrapping a piece of yarn around Mom and the children. Eventually Mom discloses that she has cancer, assuring Ben that he can't catch it. She is honest about not knowing when she will get better. Mom takes the children to meet her oncologist, and to see the room where she will have chemotherapy and the radiation facility. Although the children miss Mom during her treatments and when she is home but debilitated, they find ways to have fun with their babysitter and Dad. Ben and Marcus express and work through their worries through play with bears and through caring for an injured bird. At the end of the story, Mom's cancer is in remission. An introduction for adults and a brief glossary are included. This story offers children empathy with the experience of having a parent who has cancer, models for positive coping and sticking together as a family, and hope for getting through this difficult time.

Ages: 4-8
Cultural Context: European American

Grandpa Abe by Marisabina Russo

Greenwillow, 1996.

Sarah tells the story of her relationship with her Grandpa Abe from the time of her birth (when he was Grandma's boyfriend) until his death when she is nine years old. In doing this, she is sharing her memories of him, which she has securely within herself. She is depicted as experiencing mostly disbelief in response to his death; her Grandma's sadness is also shown. With Grandma's permission, Sarah keeps one of Abe's sweaters, and she is able to help Grandma smile by doing a magic trick Abe taught her. This story shows how remembering someone can help the mourning process and can keep with us someone who has died.

Ages: 2-7
Cultural Context: multicultural