Between the ongoing pandemic and the daily stress surrounding the upcoming election, finding peace and wellness could not be more important now. So, if you’re looking for family-friendly strategies to stay calm and grounded in mind, body and heart, reading is a great way to start.
Here are some of our favorite books to help kids (and their grown-ups) learn to care for themselves and each other, no matter what the world throws them. Each supports one of five key topics we’ll cover in our upcoming Wellness-focused Circle Time classes—Kindness, Gratitude, Joy, Breath and Movement and Wishes—all of which help provide young kids with a unique toolkit for finding peace in body and mind.
Kindness
When kids practice acts of kindness, they develop the ability to perceive the emotions of others and the impact they have on those around them. For example, when kids spread smiles to others, they experience joy themselves. These books help to teach kids about the power of kindness we give and receive.
Have You Filled a Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids by Carol McCloud
There is a reason why many elementary schools have incorporated this book into their social- emotional wellness curriculums. The book provides a tangible metaphor of a “kindness bucket” that helps kids recognize what brings them happiness and the ways in which their actions can impact the wellbeing of others.
The Big Umbrella by Amy June Bates
In this beautiful story about kindness and inclusion, a friendly umbrella can stretch and grow to provide cover for anyone and everyone who needs it. This book offers kids a metaphor for making room for all and stretching ourselves to make a positive impact on those around us.
Hooray for Hat! By Brian Won
Elephant is feeling grumpy… until his friends surprise him with a hat that fills him with joy. When he realizes his friends are also feeling grumpy, he passes along the hat to cheer him up. As each animal passes along the kindness of this hat, they discover that when you spread joy, you fill your own heart as well.
Plant a Kiss by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
This sweet book starts with a little girl planting a kiss, and ends with an incredibly joyful experience for an entire community. It’s a great example of the happiness and satisfaction that comes from acts of generosity.
Gratitude
Encouraging children to recognize and express gratitude for the people in their lives and the gifts of the natural world is a powerful way to help them maintain a positive outlook. Read these books about sharing thanks, and reflect together as a family on what and who you are grateful for. Then, try out our Build a Tree DIY activity for another sweet way to help kids practice gratitude.
Thank you, Omu! by Oge Mora
In this beautiful story about generosity and gratitude, Omu shares her delicious stew with every neighbor who is drawn to her home by its aroma. When Omu has shared every last drop, her community shows their gratitude by creating a feast they share together.
Apple Cake: A Gratitude by Dawn Casey
In this sweet rhyming story, a child says thank you to every plant and animal that contributed an ingredient for her family’s apple cake. Read this story before cooking or eating with your child and practice gratitude for all of the gifts of nature that nourish our bodies.
A Little Thankful Spot by Diane Alber
A little thankful spot is full of gratitude! The spot shares its long list of things‚ big and small, it is thankful for and inspires kids to create a list of their own.
Grateful Ninja by Mary Nhin
In this fun story, Ninja teaches kids five practices for discovering and expressing gratitude and shows them that practicing gratitude on a daily basis is one key to inner happiness.
Joy
Finding the things that bring us joy fills our hearts and keeps us in the present moment. Even better, joy impacts our experience in the here and now, while also impacting our bodies and minds in lasting ways. These books will inspire your family to go on your own hunt for joy.
Everywhere, Wonder! By Matthew Swanson
This incredibly touching book just might be the perfect primer for joy-hunting. It reminds us that we each have our own, joyful stories made up of the marvelous things we notice each day. Best of all, the book celebrates both the grand wonders we can only imagine and the small ones that hide right in front of us.
Joy is something we experience in the present moment, and Now is a perfect way to attune your minds to it. Read this book before you head outdoors, or bring it with you, and let it will you to find sources of joy right in front of you, right now.
Read here about more of our favorite books that teach kids to hunt for joy.
Breath and Movement
Meditation and movement practices like yoga offer a terrific toolkit to teach kids to become aware of and manage their own emotional wellness. This is why our Wellness season of Circle Time incorporates animal-inspired yoga and breathing exercises in every session. If you are seeking to bring some of these strategies into your family’s life, these books are a great place to start.
Breathe Like a Bear by Kira Willey
Breathing exercises can be a wonderful tool for helping kids (and adults) manage emotions and find a sense of inner peace. This book has a terrific collection of mindfulness exercises to help kids manage emotions through their bodies and breath.
We also love Mindful Kids by Whitney Stewart and Mina Braun and Mindful Games for Kids by Kristina Sargent.
Zoo Zen by Kristen Fischer
Physical movement is a key component to wellness and what better way to encourage kids to get moving than with animal-inspired yoga! In this delightful story, a child learns yoga poses from her animal friends. Try out the poses as you read this book with your child—you’ll be helping to strengthen their body and also calm their mind. What a combination!.
Some of our other favorite children’s books about yoga are Yoga Animals by Paige Towler, You are a LION! by Taeeun Yoo, and I am Yoga by Susan Verde.
Wishes
When life around us feels difficult, looking to the future and envisioning what we want for ourselves, our family and our community can fill us with hope. These books capture the many ways that people express wishes for the future.
Carmela Full of Wishes by Matt de la Pena
In this story about hope, Carmela discovers a lone dandelion while running errands with her brother in their neighborhood and must decide which wish to choose.
The Wish Tree by Kyo Maclear
This beautifully illustrated story was in the initial inspiration for our A Wish Tree for Me DIY activity. In it, a child sets out to find a wish tree, only to discover that wishes can come true in many different ways.
Wish: Wishing Traditions Around the World by Roseanne Thong and Eliza Kleven
Across cultures, people enjoy many different ways of expressing hopes and wishes for the future. This book's compilation of wishing traditions from around the world will provide great inspiration for families to create a tradition of their own.
