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

The Princess and the Potty by Wendy Cheyette Lewison.

Illustrated by Rick Brown. 33 p., Simon & Schuster, 1994.

A little princess refuses to use her potty because it "doesn't please" her. Her parents try fancy potties, singing and reading to her, making sure she has company, and sitting on the potties themselves, but nothing motivates the princess. A royal wise man tells them that she'll use the potty when she wants to. What finally motivates her is getting "pantalettes" like her mother's. When she has these, she'd rather use the potty, because if she put on a diaper, she'd have to take the pantalettes off. A limitation is that the king and queen are depicted as worrying about what the neighbors will say about the princess's refusal to use the potty. The gently humorous illustrations depict the princess's facial expressions particularly well. Children who don't want to use the potty can find empathy in this story. If they are struggling with issues around who has control, this story can help them to realize that choosing to use the potty can actually be an active choice on their part.

Ages: 2-5
Cultural Context: multicultural

Dad and Me in the Morning by Patricia Lakin

Illustrated by Robert G. Steele. 32 p., Whitman, 1994.

Jacob, a child of about five who is deaf, gets up early with his father so they can watch the sun rise on the beach together. Jacob sees a rabbit, smells fragrant pine trees, and feels the sand, shells, and seaweed underfoot as he waits excitedly for the sun. He feels a sense of wonder as the day finally dawns. The closeness between Jacob and his Dad shows kids the joy and safety of sharing a special time with someone who understands them.

Ages: 4-8
Cultural Context: European American

There's a Little Bit of Me in Jamey by Diana M .Amadeo

Illustrated by Judith Friedman. 32 p., Whitman, 1989.

Brian's little brother, Jamey, has leukemia. The story begins with Jamey receiving chemotherapy in the hospital. Brian's feelings of abandonment and anger are depicted sensitively, and his parents are responsive to them. Jamey becomes ill again and receives radiation treatment. Brian's parents tell him that Jamey needs a bone marrow transplant from him. Brian is afraid, but he decides to do it because he loves Jamey and wants him to get well. The story ends with Brian's hope that Jamey will be able to come home and get well because of the transplant. It offers empathy for children whose sibling is seriously ill, and hope that their actions can make a genuinely positive difference.

Ages: 8-12
Cultural Context: European American

Timothy Duck: The Story of the Death of a Friend (revised edition) by Lynn Bennett Blackburn

Illustrated by D. L. Godfrey. 24 p., Centering Corp., 1999.

Timothy is a special duck because he wonders about the reasons for lots of things. He makes friends with John, a boy who also wonders a great deal, and who talks to Timothy and feeds him special treats. As time goes on, John becomes less active, and Timothy's mother explains that John may be sick. Timothy feels angry and scared, wondering whether children can die. Eventually, John's mother and sister come to the pond without John, and Timothy realizes that he has died. Timothy says goodbye to John at his burial. He expresses feelings of confusion, anger, and vulnerability. He is afraid to love because he risks the death of the one he loves, yet he realizes that he would feel even more empty if he didn't love anyone. A talk with a duck friend, who has endured the death of her sister, helps. A year later, he remembers the emptiness he'd felt when John died, but realizes that he will always have his memories of John, and that he can survive grief. This story offers children empathy with complex feelings, along with gentle reassurance that they, too, can tolerate grief.

Ages: 6-9
Cultural Context: non-human