Wind-Wild Dog by Barbara M. Joosse

Illustrated by Kate Kiesler. 40 p., Holt, 2006. Some children who are adopted, particularly at relatively older ages, may experience mixed feelings about their connection and belonging with their new family. In the life of a sled dog, this story provides a metaphor for this experience. Ziva is the last puppy to be adopted from her litter, at least partly because they’re spooked by her having one brown eye and one blue one. But she is finally adopted by the Man, who is kind and gentle to her. He has some of the wildness that Ziva experiences in herself, and he understands her wildness. When Ziva is ready to train, she finds that she loves pulling weight. But still, she sometimes wants to run wild. One day, Ziva helps to pull a sled for the first time. At a rest stop, runs off into the snow, delighting in her strength. She meets a wolf, and as she smells its fur, she smells her own fur too, and realizes that she smells wild, but also smells like the Man. She misses him, and runs back to him, to a loving reunion with him. Expressively illustrated with oil paintings in brown and blue tones, this story offers empathy with the mixed feelings that some adopted children may experience, and a model for resolution. Ages 4-8

My Father is in the Navy by Robin McKinley

Illustrated by Martine Gourbault. 24 p., Greenwillow, 1992. When your parent has been away for so long that you don't remember him, homecoming can be confusing. Sara knows that her daddy is in the Navy, and her mother talks about him and reads her Daddy's letters to her. Sara knows she's supposed to say goodnight to a picture of him every night, but she doesn't remember him. When it's time for him to come home, all the excitement around her perplexes her. But when Daddy asks Sara to say hello to him, she finds that she remembers him after all. With its softly colored illustrations, this story offers empathy to children whose parents have been away for longer than they can remember. Ages 4-6

A Cat and a Dog/Un Gato y un Perro by Claire Masurel

Translated by Andrés Antreasyan. Illustrated by Bob Kolar. 32 p., Ediciones Norte-Sur, 2001. When you live in the same house, you might have lots of disagreements and fights. Such is the case for the cat and the dog in this bilingual (Spanish/English) story. Of all the things the cat and the dog fight about, they fight most about their toys. Each is very protective of her or his own toys. But one day, the cat loses his/her toy in the water, and the dog loses his/her toy in a tree. Neither can get their own toy - but each can get the other's toy. They both see this solution to their problems, and each gets the other one's toy and returns it. After that, they become friends. With its simple, colorful illustrations, this story shows children an a way to cooperate, rather than fighting, with those they live with. Ages 3-7

Love, Lizzie: Letters to a Military Mom by Lisa Tucker McElroy

Illustrated by Diane Paterson. 32 p., Whitman, 2005. Having a parent who is away because of military service can be a particularly difficult form of separation. This story describes Lizzie's time while her mother is deployed overseas through Lizzie's letters to her mother, and occasionally, notes from Mommy to Lizzie. Lizzie describes her everyday life, along with expressing wishes that her mother will be home for special days and concerns about her mother's safety. She also sends Mommy maps that she's drawn with Daddy's help, which illustrate her experiences. At the end of the story, Mommy sends Lizzie a map that leads to Mommy's return. An afterword for parents gives helpful suggestions for supporting children as they manage this kind of separation. illustrated in colorful watercolors, this story supports children's coping with military separation, encouraging an active, age-appropriate role. Ages 6-11

The Real Winner by Charise Neugebauer

Illustrated by Barbara Nascimbeni. 28 p., North-South, 2000. When everything is a competition, it's easy to forget kindness - and it isn't even fun. Such is the case for Rocky, a raccoon who has no friends. Humphrey, an endlessly kind, patient hippopotamus, believes that this is because "Rocky turned everything into a contest, and if he didn't win, he whined and cried." Indeed, when Humphrey agrees to let Rocky come fishing with him, Rocky immediately makes the first part of their journey into a race. This happens over and over again, and the refrains quickly become familiar to readers. When Humphrey is ahead, Rocky says, "It's not fair!" But soon, Humphrey sees an animal that needs help - a bird that has fallen from its nest, a duck who has lost its family, a frog trapped inside a bucket. Each time, Humphrey stops to help these creatures gently, and forgets about the race, and Rocky shouts, "I won! I won! wait till I tell my mom!" Eventually, Rocky becomes panicky about winning the fish-catching contest that he's proposed, before it gets dark and they have to go home. Humphrey explains that it isn't possible to fish fast, and tells Rocky to relax and enjoy the process. When Rocky can do this, he catches the first fish, and wins the contest. But surprisingly, he isn't happy or excited. He just feels compassion for the struggling little fish. And just as he has seen Humphrey do with the other creatures, he sets the fish free. He has learned that kindness and being a friend are more important than winning. And happily, his mother is very proud of him! With its vividly colored illustrations, outlined in black, this story helps children see a happy alternative to competitiveness. Ages 4-9

A Good Night for Freedom by Barbara Olenyik Morrow

Illustrated by Leonard Jenkins. 32 p., Holiday, 2004. Sometimes, standing up for what's right means disobeying your parents and the law. In this story, Hallie, who is European American, meets two African American slave girls her own age, Susan and Margaret, who are seeking freedom through the Underground Railroad. They are trying to escape to earn enough money to buy their mother, whom their master had sold. When Hallie asks her Pa whether, hypothetically, he would help runaway slaves, he says that he doesn't like slavery, but he respects the law, and ultimately, his conclusion is to avoid meddling. But Hallie can't help wanting to understand more. She talks to Levi Coffin, whose family is hiding the girls. He is deeply respectful, and also encourages Hallie to think for herself. When slave catchers threaten her a second time as they throw rocks through the Coffin family's window, she lies to them to protect Susan and Margaret. Mr. Coffin thanks her, and her father, rather than criticizing her, acknowledges how strong-minded she is. Deeply impressed by Susan's and Margaret's courage, she takes them as role models, and feels satisfaction in having helped them. With beautiful collage-style illustrations, this story shows children that with courage, they can fight prejudice. Ages 6-9

Blackberry Stew by Isabell Monk

Illustrated by Janice Lee Porter. 32 p., Carolrhoda, 2005. Children might understand death as never again seeing the person who died. This is Hope's experience when her beloved Grandpa Jack dies. But on the day of his funeral, her wise Aunt Poogee stops making blackberry stew long enough to question this way of understanding it. She can close her eyes and see Grandpa Jack rocking Hope when she was a baby. Aunt Poogee continues sharing memories of Grandpa Jack, but Hope can't see him until her aunt reminds her of the time they went blackberry picking and met a snake. Aunt Poogee was afraid of the snake, and left. But Hope was able to use Grandpa Jack's encouragement to touch the snake. When Aunt Poogee made blackberry stew that night, it was "warm and gooey-good," and reminded Hope of how she felt with Grandpa Jack. Remembering, Hope understands that Grandpa Jack lives on in their memories of him, and is always with them when they tell stories about him - or eat blackberry stew. She had been afraid to go to the funeral before, but now she's ready; Grandpa Jack had shown her her own courage when they met the snake, and she has access to that courage now. She knows that when she says goodbye to Grandpa Jack, it's only temporary, until the next story. The book ends with the recipe for blackberry stew. Illustrated with warmly-colored oil paintings, this story offers comfort, support, and a genuinely uplifting perspective. Ages 4-8