This blog was written by Meredith Wells, VCU Capstone Student in Occupational Therapy.
Young children are learning how to understand their emotions, use their bodies, and interact with others long before they have the words to express themselves. This curated list of books is designed to support you and your child in building foundational social-emotional skills through everyday reading. Organized by key developmental themes, these stories offer simple, meaningful ways to help your child feel secure, develop self-control, express their feelings, and build positive relationships– all through the power of shared reading!
Friendship and Kindness
Books about friendship and empathy help your child understand how others feel. These early skills support positive relationships and encourage behaviors like sharing, helping, and caring for others.
Maisy’s Big Book of Kindness
Lucy Cousins
Join Maisy and her friends as they teach your child how to spread joy around them through sharing toys, making cards and gifts, nurturing animals, caring for the environment, and looking out for one another.
I’m Sorry
Michael Ian Black
This humorous tale follows Potato as he learns how to apologize to Flamingo and take accountability for his unkind actions, teaching your child that although apologizing is difficult, it is worth it to maintain positive relationships with their friends.
Positive Behavior and Self-Control
Your child is still learning how to use their hands, body, and words in appropriate ways. These books offer guidance and examples that help your child practice safe hands, patience, and self-control.
Hands Can
Cheryl Willis Hudson
This engaging book shows babies all the positive things hands can do, from clapping and waving to helping and creating. This helps your child build body awareness, gentle touch, and early self-control skills.
Hands are Not for Hitting
Martine Agassi
This “Best Behavior” series is a great tool to target specific behaviors your toddler may be struggling with such as hitting, biting, or pushing. These books teach children that their actions affect others and offer safer, kinder alternatives to rough hands.
Huggy the Python Hugs Too Hard
Ame Dyckman
Huggy loves showing affection– but sometimes his hugs are a little too strong! This humorous story helps your child understand body awareness, boundaries, and how to adjust their actions to keep others safe to build both self-control and social awareness.
I’ll Wait Mr. Panda
Steve Antony
This enjoyable tale discusses patience and teaches that some things are worth waiting for. Perfect for teaching toddlers or preschoolers that good things can come to those who wait.
Identifying Feelings Big and Small
These books help your child learn to recognize what they are feeling and begin to understand how to respond to those emotions in a safe and healthy way. When you talk about feelings and model calming strategies together, you support your child in shifting from relying on you for regulation to gradually managing their emotions independently.
Making Faces: A First Book of Emotions
Molly Magnuson
This engaging book introduces basic emotions through real babies faces and encourages your child to imitate the expressions using a mirror, supporting emotional awareness and helping your baby recognize facial expressions in themselves and others.
The Color Monster: A Story About Emotions
Anna Llenas
This story follows the Color Monster as a little girl helps him sort through all his feelings. This book is a great way to introduce emotions through color association, and opens the door for fun, emotionally-themed art activities like calming glitter jars, sensory bags, or creating feelings art.
Big Feelings
Alexandra Penfold
A diverse group of kids express their many complicated feelings, and learn that they are not alone in how they feel. This book opens the door for a dialogue about how everyone experiences big feelings– even you!
Managing Strong Emotions and Tantrums:
These stories help normalize big feelings– from anxiety to anger to tantrums– and show your child that strong emotions are a natural part of growing up. They also provide helpful ways you can support your child through overwhelming moments!
Calm With the Very Hungry Caterpillar
Eric Carle
Join the Very Hungry Caterpillar as he learns simple strategies like breathing and slowing down to feel calm. This book introduces early mindfulness and emotional regulation skills, giving your child tools to practice when they feel overwhelmed.
How To Tantrum Like a Champion: Ten Small Ways to Temper Big Feelings
Allan Wolf
Sometimes your day doesn’t go how you planned it, or many small frustrations build until you’re at risk for an oncoming tantrum. This book teaches your child ten simple strategies to quiet down those big feelings so they can tantrum like a champion!
Roaring Mad Riley: An Anger Management Story for Kids
Allison Szczecinski
This book is great for teaching preschoolers the physical warning signs of anger like a hot face, tight muscles, and heavy breathing, and offers strategies to calm down. Flip to the end for additional anger management activities, including tightening and relaxing their fists, deep breathing, and using art to express their feelings.
Dr. Color Monster and the Emotions Toolkit
Anna Llenas
This great follow-up to The Color Monster joins Nuna as she talks to Dr. Color Monster to sort through her complex feelings. Follow them as they identify helpful strategies to manage strong feelings using a handy foldout emotions toolkit. This book also offers caregiver information about understanding emotional regulation!
Self-Confidence and Growth Mindset
These books encourage your child to try new things, keep going when something feels hard, and believe in themselves. Celebrating your child’s effort and persistence helps them build resilience, supporting a growth mindset to allow them to handle life’s challenges with confidence!
I Believe in Me
Emma Dodd
This reassuring book reminds children they are capable, strong, and worthy just as they are, building a strong sense of self while encouraging confidence, independence, and believing in themselves.
Mel Fell
Corey Tabor
Follow Mel on her journey from downward fall to triumphant flight as she learns to be confident and keep trying. This story encourages children to try new things, persevere through challenges, and be confident in their own abilities.
The Magical Yet
Angela DiTerlizzi
New things can be tricky! This book is the perfect tool for caregivers to turn a negative into a positive when helping children cope with the inevitable difficult learning moments we all face.
