I am a mom, like any other mom, raising two young boys with big feelings. Those feelings grow and change and adapt as they age, but they are always strong. My experience raising them has inspired me to seek out books about managing those emotions and to write my own series about finding the joy in the chaos of kids’ “big feelings.”
I love the clever rhymes and hilarious antics in the Pig the Pug books, especially this one. This Halloween-themed story is fun to read over and over again. My sons get the biggest kick out of how naughty Pig the Pug behaves when he confronts the unsuspecting grownups who cross him on Halloween night. (My favorite line might be, “It filled him with feelings that had to be vented.”)
Ultimately, the story teaches kids good manners in the cleverest way by showing how monstrous Pig’s own manners are on Halloween night and the consequences of those actions. (Spoiler alert: the ending involves an upset tummy with disastrous results!)
Pig the Pug celebrates Halloween in this picture book from #1 New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Aaron Blabey.
Pig was a pug
and I'm sorry to say,
on Halloween night
he'd get carried away...
Pig, the world's greediest pug, is on the rampage for TREATS! TREATS! TREATS! But don't even think about being stingy with the goodies, because this candy-fueled glutton has some terrible tricks up his sleeve...
Rich with author-illustrator Aaron Blabey's signature rhyming text and unforgettable illustrations, Pig the Monster is a laugh-out-loud story that follows the eight previous books in the series (Pig the Pug, Pig the…
This book is adorable. It helped my then three-year-old son identify his “big feeling” need to destroy anything another kid would build. My son resonated with the dinosaur, Rex, who wanted to show how big and strong he was by breaking down his friends’ block towers.
I loved how the story gently conveyed that Rex’s destruction wasn’t appreciated by his friends and how, in the end, he learned an alternative way to use his powerful nature to create rather than destroy. It’s a sweet, simple story, and its heartfelt illustrations really resonated with my young reader.
Look out! Here comes Rex! Children who love to construct — and those who love to destroy — will relate to this kid-pleasing tale that builds to a smashing finale.
Gizmo, Sprinkles, and Wild are fed up. Every time they build something with their blocks, Rex wrecks it! Whether it’s an out-of-this-world rocket, a magical heart, or the biggest, strongest, most awesomerific castle ever, Rex sends it crashing down with a “Rawr!” (and sometimes a sheepish“Rawry!”?). Isn’t there any way to make playtime fun for everyone? With Rex-size humor, Ben Clanton explores the challenges of friendship, the benefits of working…
My son’s first-grade teacher used this book to help him learn about his “hula-hoop” of personal space, and she recommended we read it at home (which we did.) This book was a fun way to explore the meaning of giving space to our friends (such as keeping hands to ourselves), and the outer-space theme cleverly woven throughout helped keep my son’s attention.
I really appreciated the author’s unique approach to teaching young kids about personal space, which can be touchy (pun intended!).
Teach Kids About Respecting Others' Personal Space
Louis is back! And this time, he's learning all about personal space. When Louis, the world's self-proclaimed space expert, is invited to Personal Space Camp by the school principal, he soon learns that personal space really isn't about lunar landings, Saturn's rings, or space ice cream.
Written with style, wit, and rhythm, Personal Space Camp addresses the complex issue of respect for another person's physical boundaries. Told from Louis' perspective, this story is a must have resource for parents, teachers, and counselors who want to communicate the idea of personal space in a…
This was one of my kids’ favorite first-board books about “big feelings.” The little protagonist delights in saying “no” to everything. But when he learns that saying “no” means you miss out on the fun, his feelings change.
I loved how this book gave my sons a simple, relatable way to understand that their choices have consequences even at the tenderest age. Not big, inflexible consequences. But little ones, like how maybe ice cream after dinner isn’t an option now because they said “no” without thinking. That’s a powerful message for a little one, and my sons really took it to heart!
2
authors picked
No!
as one of their favorite books, and they share
why you should read it.
This book is for kids age
3,
4,
5, and
6.
What is this book about?
Archie was adorable. Everybody said so. Until one day he learned a new word... "No!"
Archie says "No!" at mealtimes, bath times, and every single bedtime... A hilarious tale that's perfect for parents whose toddler may be over-using the word "No!" and finding themselves suddenly tackling tantrums. The cheeky, charming Archie will win the hearts of children and parents alike. From the award-winning author Tracey Corderoy (The Grunt and The Grouch, Monty and Milli) and illustrated by the best-selling Tim Warnes (I Love You as Big as the World, I Don't Want to Go to Bed!), No! is set to…
This book was extremely poignant. It may not be intended for the youngest of readers. I admit, I read it on my own. But the message was deep. Children from preschool to teenage can have strong feelings about their parents’ behaviors. But what young children don’t often (can’t often) understand is where, in their parents’ history, those behaviors are born out of.
This story takes something as simple as foraging for watercress on the side of the road and examines where, in the narrator’s parents’ history, that behavior comes from. It’s sorrowful, haunting, and hopeful all at the same time. This is a beautiful book to address the “big feelings” of embarrassment kids may feel about their parents without understanding the reasoning behind their patent’s actions.
Caldecott Medal Winner Newbery Honor Book APALA Award Winner
A story about the power of sharing memories—including the painful ones—and the way our heritage stays with and shapes us, even when we don’t see it.
New England Book Award Winner A New York Times Best Children’s Book of the Year A Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book
While driving through Ohio in an old Pontiac, a young girl's Chinese immigrant parents spot watercress growing wild in a ditch by the side of the road. They stop the car, grabbing rusty scissors and an old paper bag, and the whole family wades…
Beep, boop, bob! This robot won’t stop! Jamie has a robot in her socks that makes sure things go just right. But when a trip to Grandma's house messes up Jamie's routine, will her robot start to fritz and fight?
Filled with catchy rhymes and lively illustrations, this Mighty Moods story is the perfect read-aloud for parents and kids who might discover they have robots that get nervous about change—and that's okay! The Mighty Moods series is a delightful collection of picture books that explores the many ways children express big emotions.
Ever since my parents gave me a copy of Dorothy Aldis’ The Secret Place and Other Poems, I have enjoyed a lifelong love of poetry. Now, as a traditionally-published children’s author, I have had numerous books and poems published over the years, including books that began as poems, like Flashlight Night (Astra Young Readers, 2017) and Once Upon Another Time (Beaming Books, 2021). My poems can be found in various anthologies including The National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry (N.G. Children’s Books, 2015) and Construction People (Wordsong, 2020) as well as Highlights for Children magazine.
What is the most important thing to remember about stargazing? When to do it, who to do it with, what to look for? It’s none of those! This picture book’s spare, lyrical text offers many suggestions for enjoying stargazing – but there’s really only ONE thing you need to remember, which is saved for the end.
Magical illustrations show kids and animals enjoying the night sky, and back matter about constellations completes this bedtime story with its underlying message of being in the moment.
What is the most important thing to remember about stargazing? When to do it, who to do it with, what to look for? It's none of those! This picture book's spare, lyrical text offers many possible ways to do stargazing: with a friend, with family or alone; on a moonless night, or with a full moon, or even with some clouds; on the beach, lying in the grass or standing on a snowy hill. There is only one rule of stargazing, which is saved for the end, and that is just to do it! Magical illustrations show polar bears, whales…
