This collection of books for #BeWellRead covers those that are suitable for ages 3-6; and are really focused on the picture books that our kids can use to promote good wellbeing. All of these provide insight to younger children into their feelings, and mental health. Encouraging this from an early age can be ground-breaking in helping kids to express themselves, and understand their emotions. Take a look at all our authors supporting our reading for wellbeing campaign.
We have provided you with another checklist for this list of books; perhaps you can see if you can find them in a local library and tick them off in your reading log over the next few months? Don’t forget to check out our reading challenge resources.
To download this, just scroll down to the circular image at the end of this post, and the checklist is yours.
Wellbeing picture books for kids
1. Willy and The Cloud by Anthony Browne
A must-read book for young children. When a cloud follows Willy around, he must find a way to get rid of it. How will he do that?
2. I Am Stronger than Anger by Elizabeth Cole
Children often need help regulating their behaviours. Their emotions can manifest in different behaviours which can sometimes make us worry as parents. This is a great book to look at how to deal with emotions and behaviours.
3. In My Heart: A Book of Feelings by Jo Witek
A great book which explores emotions, not only in their own terms, but also what emotions can feel like emotionally.
4. A Book of Feelings by Amanda McCardie
A wonderful book which explores a range of emotions through the eyes of two young children. An exploration of how emotions can feel for different people. A wonderful tool to use for educators, professionals and parents alike.
5. Find Your Calm by Gabi Garcia
A great book that will help children to explore the idea of anxiety, how to deal with it and how to develop calming techniques.
6. Ruby’s Worry by Tom Percival
When Ruby first finds a worry, it only seems small, but as it grows it makes Ruby’s emotions change. How will she deal with her worry and will she ever find her happiness again.
7. Kindness is my Superpower – Alicia Ortego
The amazing Lucas will help you child to deal with feelings of disappointment. He teaches your child that making mistakes is okay, and helps them deal with what to do when you make a mistake.
8. The Colour Monster by Anna Llenas
The colour monster is full of different emotions that he doesn’t quite understand. He needs some help to understand why he feels like he does and how to be gentle with himself.
9. Courage by Bernard Waber
A story all about courage and how to celebrate the courage within us. A great exploration of the small and large victories when dealing with courage.
10. Not Like the Others by Jana Broecker
An amazing book about acceptance, difference and tolerating the difference everywhere in the world.
11. I Chose to Calm my Anxiety By Elizabeth Estrada
A story of great strategies for children when dealing with anxiety, anxious thoughts and how anxiety can impact life.
12. The Choices I Make by Michael Gordon
A great story of how children can deal with their anger and the choices that they make.
13. The Invisible String by Patrice Karst
A reassuring and relatable story that deals with loss, grief and separation anxiety. A beautiful story that is a must for all parents.
14. Have no Fear, A Friend is Near by Felicia Richards
This story of how you can look fear in the eye demonstrates to children how we can deal with fear head on. It shows understanding to how children have fears, but there is nothing to be afraid of, and that fear lives within us.
15. How I Feel by Michael Gordon
A great book that deals with anger, emotions and demonstrates how to cope with these feelings. A wonderful book to explore with children.
16. Sometimes I Feel by Sarah Maycock
A story using similes on how we feel and how that can impact us. A beautiful exploration of how a bear can feel small at times, and how a small animal can find courage within. This story offers hope, encouragement, and confidence.
17. My Body Sends a Signal by Natalie Maguire
A great book with a story and useful resources on how to deal with the emotions and feelings our bodies send to us.
18. The Light in Me sees the light in you by Lori Nicholls
A truly magical story of friendship, how to cope once someone or something you love isn’t around anymore. The beautiful idea that there memories all around that can make you think of something you have lost.
19. The Boy on the Bench by Corrinne Averiss
Fear and being yourself is a feeling most children have. This story explores the feeling of a little boy who doesn’t see where he fits in and how he can overcome his fear and be himself.
20. My Strong Mind by Niels Van Hove
A story of how we can tackle the difficulties of everyday life, how we can use our mind to be powerful and kind.
21. A Shelter for Sadness by Anne Booth
A beautiful story of how a young boy creates a shelter for his sadness, knowing that he can visit his sadness when he feels like he can. A must read!
22. I am Peace by Susan Verde
A book that teaches us how to find peace in a very busy world. A great resource to teach techniques on how to be calm.
23. The Tell Me Tree by Karen Inglis
A wonderful book on how children can explore their feelings and emotions. This is a great educational tool as well as a lovely story.
24. The World Made a Rainbow by Michelle Robinson
A hopeful story about how we can all support, be there for each other and how we can all support someone or something we love.
25. Listening to My Body by Gabi Garcia
A wonderful resource about how we can listen to what our bodies tell us in terms of dealing with emotions, feelings and physical symptoms.
26. Visiting Feelings by Lauren Rubenstein
A purposeful story of allowing feelings in, getting to know them, and dealing with them. A wonderful story for children to explore feelings.
27. Kindness Starts with You by Jacquelyn Stagg
A wonderful story of kindness, knowing that no act of kindness is ever too small or wasted. A lovely way of showing children that there is kindness all around.
28. Please Stay Here – I Want You Near Dr Sarah Mundy
A story of separation anxiety, how children feel being apart from their parents and the reassurance that will help them to deal with being away from parents.
29. Have you filled your bucket today? By Carol McCloud
A fantastic book that teaches children about kindness. How making someone feel good can add to their bucket but how being mean to someone can take out of someone’s bucket. A truly wonderful story.
30. My Monster and Me by Nadiya Hussain
When a little boy is followed by a worry monster, he must find a way to get rid of it. a wonderful story of how find ways to deal with worries.
31. The Problem with Problems by Rachel Rooney
This book explores how problems arise, come in different shapes and sizes, and how they come at unexpected times. A book that shows children how to deal with problems.
32. It’s Ok to Cry by Molly Potter
With boys in mind, but suitable for all children, this book explores emotions and feelings, how it is ok to cry and how to deal with your problems.
33. The Rainbow Blots by Carlie Wright
A great resource for teaching children the colours of the rainbow, but also a useful source to begin the basic skills of mindfulness and grounding.
Don’t forget to check out our Rainbow Blots activity sheets too.
34. Block Party by Julian Cappelli
A great imaginative book, teaching children the basics of knowledge. It is imaginative, creative and something other than the standard books on developing skills.
35. Tam’s Journey by Amanda Peddle
A story about the increased awareness of emotional wellbeing. A truly wonderful story, that develops and explores the idea of emotions, feelings and how we can deal with them.
36. Ben and the Bug by Natalie Reeves Billing
A friendly approach to discussing the Coronavirus and how we can discuss the idea of viruses with children.
37. How to Keep Safe by Jo FitzGerald
A wonderful story of how to deal with events that might never happen, but if they do, we know how to react, deal with and overcome them. A fantastic read for parents, educators and professionals to help children deal with the fear of the worst case scenario.
38. Bella the Butterfly by Belinda Murphy
A mindfulness story that is beautiful an encouraging. The development of mindfulness and the exploration how we can become beautiful butterflies.
39. The Mini Adventures of Freddie by Kate Ball
Teach your young child how to react in basic first aid situations using this lovely story book. Designed for pre-school and early years children, Freddie experiences some minor injuries and then saves the day when he calls an ambulance for his mum.
40. How Big Are your Worries Little Bear by Jayneen Sanders
A beautiful story of how fears and worries can be overcome.
41. Resilience by Jayneen Sanders
A wonderful story about how being resilient is a great skill to have to carry us through life and help us deal with different challenges within our lives. A must read for children
42. You, Me and Empathy by Jayneen Sanders
Show understanding and compassion is a great skill to teach our children. This book explores this and how to show empathy towards others, why it is important and how it can help with life.
43. Isaac and The Red Jumper by Amanda Seyderhelm
A beautiful story of how to deal with loss and grief. Some great tips about how to help someone who has suffered a loss or going through grief.
44. Erin and Roderick Discover Families by Fliss Goldsmith
A story that discovers how family dynamics can be different, varied and how they can be celebrated. A wonderful story to show children the differences in family life.
45. Hank the Hungry Monster by Julie Derrick
A story to raise awareness of the early signs on OCD in children. A great story to follow and a truly great resource for parents, educators, and professionals. Children will love this one.
46. A Day at the Farm by Lesley Berrington
An exploration of how children of all abilities can enjoy family days out. A lovely story of inclusion and friendship.
47. School Feels Different by Mandeesh Gill
A perfectly apt story of what it feels like to return to school in a post pandemic world. A lovely story for children, and a great resource for teachers
That is 47 awesome books for you and the kids to read.
If you would like the download for this, just click on the circular image below – and there you have it!
Do check out the other booklists we have on the site too. THere are more on wellbeing and mindfulness for you.
Why not have. alook. atsome of the other reasources on meotions too?
Activities to help your kids with their emotions
If you need more ideas to help your kids deal with their emotions then these posts are worth checking out and trying out.
Emotions Discovery Bottles Inspired By Disney’s Inside Out
Help your kids recognise their emotions with these fun emotions discovery bottles inspired by Disney's Inside Out.
Tool for teaching emotions in kids
Use these tools to help teach kids about emotions.
5 Steps to Managing Big Emotions: Printable
Join teacher Christie Burnett in this post where she shares 5 steps to managing big emotions in kids. There's also a free printable!
There are also some great resources on mindfulness out there too.
Mindful activities for kids from other sites
Here are a few more ideas for you about mindful activities that your kids can do today.
50 Mindful Journal Prompts for Teens
Some prompts for the journal that you might now have from Upside Down Books - or just some general journaling ideas for your kids.
Tip To Encourage Mindful Sibling Relationships
Ideas for encouraging mindful sibling relationships - something that we struggle with a little in our family...so perhaps some of you do to?
Inspiring Your Child to Love Themselves
Helping your kids with their self-esteem is a great way to encourage them to be more mindful too. Why not check out this advice to help them?
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Take care,
Helen
Helen
Helen is a mum to two, social media consultant, and website editor; and this site is (we think) the only Social Enterprise parenting magazine!Since giving up being a business analyst when juggling travel, work and kids proved too complicated, she founded KiddyCharts so she could be with her kids, and use those grey cells at the same time.KiddyCharts has reach of over 1.1million across social and the site. The blog works with big family brands (including travel) to help promote their services, as well as offering free resources to parents of kids under 10.It gives 51%+ profits to Reverence for Life, who fund a number of important initiatives in Africa, including bringing running water and basic equipment to a school in Tanzania.Helen has worked as a digital marketing consultant (IDM qualified) with various organisations, including Channel Mum, Truprint, Talk to Mums, and Micro Scooters. She loves to be creative in the brand campaigns she works on.Get in touch TODAY!