It’s My Bird-Day!
Author: Mo WIllems
Illustrator: Mo WIllems
Summary: Pigeon is so excited to celebrate his birthday and everything is planned for his big day! But what happens to his day when he finds his birthday candle has been blown out?
Recommended Ages: 3-5 years
Themes, Skills, & Concepts: Mo Willems is back with Pigeon! This new book focuses on sharing, big, big emotions and navigating friendship struggles. Perfect for our youngest readers!
Extension Activities: In the story, someone eats half of Pigeon's birthday cake. Give each child one half of a paper plate and have them use craft items to design one half of a birthday cake that celebrates what a friend, family member or classmate would like. Discuss what if feels like to do something else for a friend instead of themselves. Choose the link below to have fun learning how to draw Pigeon with Mo Willems! Click here!
Love Finds a Way
Author: Vern Kousky
Illustrator: Vern Kousky
Summary: Oscar is a grumpy bird who doesn't like hugs or kisses. But when he meets a friendly dog, Oscar learns that having a friend can make you feel happy inside.
Recommended Ages: 3-6 years
Themes, Skills, & Concepts: The main theme of the book is that opening your heart to friends makes life much happier than hiding away.
Extension Activities: Let's Make Brutus the Dog and Oscar the Bird!1. Brutus the Dog Craft:Use a plastic fork to paint Brutus's furry face! Draw a dog's head on paper. Dip the back of a fork in brown or black paint and press it on the paper to make scruffy fur. When it's dry, glue on googly eyes and a nose.2. Oscar the Bird Craft:Flatten a colorful cupcake liner and glue it to paper for Oscar's body. Fold another liner for a wing and glue it on. Cut out a beak and legs from paper and glue them on. Draw a happy or silly face with markers.
Baa Haa
Author: Audrey Perrott
Illustrator: Ross Burach
Summary: Baa Haa is a funny children's book about Babette, a sheep who uses laughter to hide her sad and scared feelings. When this causes her a stomachache, her kind friends remind her that all emotions are normal, teaching her that she never has to fake a smile.
Recommended Ages: 4-8 years
Themes, Skills, & Concepts: This funny picture book helps to remind us that it is ok to feel sad or cry, embarrassed of scared. Emotions and feelings are ok to share and they dont have to be hidden by laughter.
Extension Activities: Play the All Feelings Welcome Freeze Dance! The Game: Kids practice identifying and moving to different emotions.How to Play: Play lively music and have children dance around. When you pause the music, call out an emotion from the book (like "Happy!", "Scared!", "Sad!", or "Worried!"). Children must freeze and strike a dramatic pose showing that exact feeling with their body and face. Click here!
The Worry-Worry Whale and the Classroom Jitters
Author: Deborah Dieson
Illustrator: Dan Hanna
Summary: Willa Whale is so very anxious about school! She loves school but panics during Circle Time, worried she wont know the answers. How can Willa's teacher help her with her fears?
Recommended Ages: 4-8 years
Themes, Skills, & Concepts: This book helps with all kinds of Social-Emotional Learning skills such as performance and social anxiety, growth mind set and coping mechanisms. Perfect for the beginning of the year when building your classroom culture of safety.
Extension Activities: Draw a cartoon whale with our friend Rob from Art Hub for Kids. Have kids add details of Willa's classroom and write encouraging words or sentences for Willa. Click here!
I Am NOT Happy!
Author: Caroline L. Perry
Illustrator: Sydney Hanson
Summary: Quokka always looks like he’s smiling, but sometimes he feels sad or mad inside. He wants everyone to know it’s okay to feel different than you look!
Recommended Ages: 4-8 years
Themes, Skills, & Concepts: I Am Not Happy! shows us that we don't have to pretend to be cheerful all the time just to make others happy. It reminds us to listen to how our friends are truly feeling, respect their personal space, and remember that everyone has a mix of different emotions inside them.
Extension Activities: Learn more about the quokka with this fun, informative video from National Geographic! Click here!
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