Submitted by Amanda from Lexington Park!
I Am a Rainbow by Dolly Parton is an adorable book that associates colors with emotions that every boy and girl experiences. Written in rhyme, it connects each feeling and color with a great picture to illustrate the point. Pink- as sweet at cotton candy! Red- as angry as a bear! Blue – bored and sad! It goes on and on. The author shows that everyone has feelings as different as colors, and urges the reader to understand those feelings in others. She goes on to explain that everyone is a rainbow of different feelings, and “It’s not up to you, the way that you feel. But how you act IS a different deal.” See this book listed in our catalog
Emotions
Big Chickens Fly the Coop
Submitted by Carol from Charlotte Hall!
Big Chickens Fly the Coop is written by Leslie Helakoski and illustrated by Henry Cole. The story is about four chickens whose dream in life is to see the farmhouse, but they are afraid of what may be outside of their nice, safe chicken coop. One day they decide they are going to take the chance, and try to fulfill their dream. They find themselves being chased by a dog, almost ran over by a tractor, and stampeded by horses. Will they give up and return to the safety of their coop, or be brave and continue the search for the farmhouse? You have to read this hilarious book to find out . You never know! What you’re looking for may be right in your own backyard…
First Day Jitters
Submitted by Tammy, driver of the WoW van!
First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg. This would be a great book to use with children experiencing anxiety over starting school or facing any new situation. Mr. Hartwell finds Sarah Jane hiding under her covers in bed on the first day of school refusing to get up. He reminds Sarah of all the fun she will have and the new friends she’ll meet on her first day. After much encouragement, Sarah eats and gets ready for her big day. Mr. Hartwell drops her off and she enters the school with the rest of the children. The principal walks Sarah down to the classroom where he introduces the children to their new teacher “Mrs. Sarah Jane Hartwell”. The children will be surprised to learn that Sarah is an adult, and even grown ups get nervous about new situations!
Mouse Was Mad
Submitted by Amanda from Lexington Park!
Mouse Was Mad by Linda Urban is great book to help kids learn how to deal with their anger in an appropriate way, and how to express it. Mouse was mad, and he didn’t know how to express it. He tried to be “hoppin’ mad,” “stompin’ mad,” “screaming mad,” and even “rolling mad,” like his friends, but each time he just ends up getting angrier because he cannot be mad like Rabbit, Bear, Bobcat, or even Hedgehog. He gets so mad, he stands very, very still, and discovers his own way to be mad. No one else can be “still mad” like Mouse and this makes Mouse happy.
Leonardo the Terrible Monster
Submitted by Tess from Lexington Park!
Your pal Mo Willems presents Leonardo the Terrible Monster, a fantastic tale of a truly terrible monster. However, Leonardo isn’t terrible in the traditional sense–he doesn’t strike terror into anyone actually. He’s more terrible in the way it might mean “lousy.” He’s pretty ashamed of himself, for the fact he isn’t big, or weird, or scary. He’s doesn’t have 1,642 teeth. He’s actually kind of cute. But Leo has a plan: “He would find the most scaredy-cat kid in the whole world… and scare the tuna salad out of him!” After thorough research, Leonardo pinpoints his victim–a little boy named Sam, seemingly always on the verge of tears. But he’s not scared of Leonardo either! Perhaps Leonardo might be a terrible monster, but he could be a wonderful friend to Sam.
Hug Time
Hug Time is an adorable story by Patrick McDonnell, creator of the “Mutts” comic strip series. Jules is a kitten who is so filled with love, he wants to give the whole world a hug, so he makes a Hug To-Do List and sets off. He hugs his friends, and all the birds in the park. He gets on a boat to find a whale to hug. He travels to Africa to hug an elephant. He explores the rain forest and discovers a new species (which he promptly hugs). He hugs a tiger, a panda, even a wombat (hooray)! He even goes to the north pole to hug a polar bear. While we may not be able to hug the world, we can start spreading the love by hugging those closest to us.