Great Picture Books for Jealousy

We have not yet had real problems with jealousy.  Perhaps it is because we read many of these books before our youngest's arrival. Big brother has always been a very welcoming and kind sibling.   

But we do deal with jealousy on birthdays - this year in particular.  Greysen recently celebrated his fifth birthday at a party with all of his friends.  We decided long ago that we would only do family birthdays until the fifth birthday.  However, Camden is about to turn three and is now expecting that she will get the same kind of party.  So we are doing our best to help her understand.  Of course, the usual birthday jealousy comes from one child being jealous of the attention and gifts.  Some of these books are great for kids to learn to be respectful that this is someone else's special day. 

A Birthday For Frances by  Russell Hoban, 

illustrated by Lillian Hoban
For the oh-so-common sibling birthday jealousy.

When I Feel Jealous (Way I Feel Books) by Cornelia Maude Spelman, illustrated by Kathy Parkinson.  This particular book does an excellent job describing a number of different ways that children can feel jealous.  For young children who have trouble finding words to express their feelings this is a great book to teach them.

The Berenstain Bears and the Green-eyed Monster by  Stan and Jan Berenstain

Sister is jealous of Brother's new bike.  Also made into a nice short film.

Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories by Dr. Seuss

All three stories are great tales of humility.  They help to show that jealousy is never good.

A To Z Do You Ever Feel Like Me? : a guessing ALPHABET by Bonnie Hausman, photography by Sandi Fellman.  A great book on many levels - discussing 26 different feelings, the alphabet and seek and find in the border pictures.  This book could have been so much better, some pages rhyme while others do not.  An odd inconsistency in an otherwise enjoyable read. 

Sometimes I Feel Awful by Joan Singleton Prestine

A young girl has a day full of different moods. Although she starts out happy, she begins to feel different throughout the day. She does not want to share with her friend and gets upset when he plays with her toys. She learns what she should have said to make her family and friends understand.

Books that are great for new sibling jealousy: 

Little Monster Did It! by Helen Cooper 

Beautifully illustrated story about Amy, who is not so sure if she likes the new baby.  When odd things happen she blames her toy.

Grumpy Gloria by Anna Dewdney
Gloria has to share attention with her owner's new doll and this makes her grumpy.  The children try to cheer Gloria up (also a wonderful lesson for kids) in this silly story.

Marshmallow by Clare Turlay Newberry
An old classic (Caldecott winner 1943), this is a good one for kids to learn about sharing attention with a new sibling.  The story is about a cat and a rabbit, but the lesson is perfect for children to understand the concept of dealing with jealousy.

Noisy Nora by Rosemary Wells
Nora makes a lot of noise because she feels neglected.  Her attempts for attention are told very simply and are wonderful for even the smallest of children.

Buzz Bumble To The Rescue by Lynn E Hazen, illustrated by Jill Newton

Fun illustrations with a bit of humor only adults will pick up on, but still a good book for new sibling jealousy.

Howler by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Neal Layton. This story is reminiscent of Lady and the Tramp.  An entertaining look at a dog's view of a new baby in the house.

We love new books at our house - if you love any literature on this topic that didn't make my list, please do share!

Great Picture Books for Friendship

Friendship is interesting at a young age.  It truly is fleeting, but children learn so many important things from it.  

My two-year-old girl loves nothing more than going to a "friend's" house and trying on all their beautiful princess things.  Although we know she is too young to really play side-by-side with others, we want to teach her to respect and enjoy others as best we can.  

My five-year-old boy wants to make friends with everyone that he encounters.  He enjoys going to his friends' houses and playing with their toys, but when they come to our house to play he wants to hide all of his toys and share nothing.  

The following stories have helped both children understand the importance of respect for others and how wonderful friendship really can be.  

Leonardo, the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems
One of our favorite books from one of our favorite authors, whom I have mentioned a few times thus far (and more below!).   Leonardo is not a very good monster.  Silliness ensues before Leonardo makes a very important decision.  The kids think this book is a hoot, but the ending is really touching.

City Dog, Country Frog by Mo Willems, illustrated by Jon J. Muth
Not the usual silly Mo Willems fare, but a terrific tale of friendship, loss and renewal.

Pigs Make Me Sneeze! (An Elephant and Piggie Book) by Mo Willems
Any of the Elephant and Piggie book series could fall under the friendship category.



Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship by P. Kahumbu
Tarra & Bella: The Elephant and Dog Who Became Best Friends by Carol Buckley
Both of these are fantastic friendship stories that actually occurred. Children adore the animals pictured and the true stories can't be beat. 

My Friend and I by Lisa Jahn-Clough

Sharing - the most difficult part about early childhood friendships.  Best for young children, but effective for any preschool or early school age child.

Making a Friend by Alison McGhee, illustrated by Marc Rosenthal

A truly beautiful book about the power of friendship.

Ninja Cowboy Bear presents The Call of the Cowboy by David Bruins, illustrated by Hilary Leung

This is a silly story, but was very influential on my five-year-old.  The Cowboy is not respecting his friends and must learn to do so before they can enjoy their time together.

The Gift of Nothing by Patrick McDonnell
A wonderful book that shows that friendship is more important than things.

This is Our House by Michael Rosen
Most kids would rather play with a cardboard box than expensive toys, so this book is great because the plot revolves around a cardboard box.  But the story that unfolds is so much more than creativity with a box.  It is a perfect story for a child that is not eager to share.

Sam's New Friend by Thierry Robberecht, illustrated by Philippe Goossens
This simple story has a great message about friendship.

We love new books at our house - if you love any other literature on this topic, please share!

Great Picture Books for Bullying

I don't feel this topic can be covered too early in a child's life.  Bullying is such a large part of our current society.  I believe the best way to combat it is to show children at a young age how horrible it can be.  Bullying and peer pressure can be so detrimental to a person of any age and I feel the following books are helping my children understand these concepts. I want to teach my children compassion and empathy and that it is okay to stand up for others and to be yourself.

There is an added benefit to reading picture books to your children.  Not only do they learn, but we learn as well.  I have learned new, subtle methods for dealing with anger.  I have learned to be more careful what I say and show my children more compassion.  Very often we forget that they are always listening and look to us to learn the most important values in life.  I have felt that by reading picture books and focusing on these topics our whole family has grown and learned and is far better for it.

These books all deal with bullying in a little different manner.  At the top of our list is: 

Hats by Kevin Luthardt
This is a nearly wordless story, but quite effective.  My kids were very moved when the boy is nice to the bully, in essence befriending him.  It is very simple for young children to be able to grasp the concept of bullying.

Jungle Bullies by Steven Kroll, illustrated by Vincent Nguyen
To get what they want, the larger jungle animals bully the smaller ones until Mama Monkey shows them all the benefits of sharing. We enjoy this book thoroughly.  It is a frequent request at our house.  A highlight is the repetitive saying that features: "...please share it with me as a friend, don't be mean to me again."  Vincent Nguyen's animal illustrations are very expressive.  As always the kids adore the animals, but take away so much more from the story.

Monster Mama by Liz Rosenberg, illustrated by Steven Gammell
Patrick Edward's fierce monster mother helps him deal with some obnoxious bullies. Beautiful illustrations. It is similar in theory to Jungle Bullies, but quite different as a whole.

Pinduli by Janell Cannon 

A beautiful story full of animals, Pinduli faces bullies.  The book is also about loving yourself and how Pinduli comes to realize that he is special, even though bullies tell him otherwise.  By the author/illustrator of Stellaluna.

Noni Says No by Heather Hartt-Sussman, illustrated by Genevieve Cote
Not focused on bullying, but on asserting yourself.  Noni can't say no, so people (even friends) take advantage of that.  She has to learn how to assert herself.  The illustrations are fun and the lesson stirs interesting conversations.  

Other Honorable Mentions for Bullying/Peer Pressure:

A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon
Please Don't Tease Tootsie by Margaret Chamberlain 
Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patti Lovell, illustrated by David Catrow
One by Kathryn Otoshi

A few more indepth books on the topic of bullying from one of our favorite local Wisconsin authors: 
A Weekend With Wendell
Chester's Way
Chrysanthemum

We love new books at our house - if you love any other literature on this topic, please share!