Age range: Any child who is able to express themselves verbally–perhaps preschool through 2nd or 3rd grade, but it could be appropriate for older children who are struggling to express themselves and their sensory needs.

Recommended for: This book encourages children to problem solve and self-advocate in order to reduce their exposure to sensations that are uncomfortable to them (in this case, loud noises at a birthday party). It’s a perfect fit for any child who has dreaded a birthday party due to a fear that popping balloons or a loud rendition of the Happy Birthday song will overwhelm them. It is not specific to autism-related sensory sensitivities but would be a good fit for an autistic child with sensitivity to sounds.

Age range: Preschool through 2nd grade.

Recommended for: This book is an excellent read before, during, or after a vacation to help a child prepare for/ cope with/ or process a trip not going exactly as planned. Mr. Fish is initially frustrated by all of the disappointments, but then he realizes that the hiccups came with new opportunities and adventure (e.g., a detour takes him to a beautiful view). This book could be used more generally as a way to talk about things not going as planned and how a child can cope with this and be more open to disappointments and detours leading to new opportunities.

Age range: Preschool through 1st grade.

Recommended for: For children, this book provides reassurance that even when their anger gets the best of them, their parents still love them, and a hug can really help. For adults, this book is a short, emotionally vibrant reminder that when children “flame” and destroy things, it’s a scary, lonely experience for them, and they often need a hug.

Age range: Preschool through 2nd grade.

Recommended for: This book is a lovely collection of peaceful mindfulness exercises for a child to practice with an adult before bed, or really anytime they could use a relaxing reset. A child who often has a lot of racing thoughts or worries when they’re going to bed might particularly benefit from some of the exercises in this book. Therapists and child care providers interested in incorporating mindfulness exercises into their work with children might enjoy using this book during the day, as well. All but the last prompt on dreams are applicable to the daytime as well as bedtime.

Age range: Preschool through 2nd grade.

Recommended for: This book is a good introduction to the idea that picking/pulling at an “imperfection” (in this book, a loose thread) often makes it worse, and the more one picks/pulls, the harder it is to stop. The book ends with Rose (the stuffed bunny protagonist) realizing that instead of trying to fix her imperfection, she can practice tolerating it until she no longer notices it much at all. It’s a good fit for a child who is struggling to stop picking at imperfections in their skin, hair, or nails to the point that they’re causing sores or bald patches. It could also potentially be used to start a conversation about intrusive thoughts and/or “not just right” thoughts in OCD, but an adult would need to facilitate a child’s understanding of this metaphor.

Age range: Preschool through 2nd grade.

Recommended for: This is a lovely read for a child who is reluctant to try something if they think they’re not good at it or won’t be good at it. It shows how just getting started can be the beginning of a new passion and a sense of accomplishment. It also suggests that being “good” at something is often a limited construct and that there are many ways to define success.

Age range: Preschool through 2nd grade.

Recommended for: This book is a great read for children who do not feel confident in their ability to interact safely with dogs. It teaches kids how dogs like to be approached and what to do if a dog is feeling threatened or scared in order to prevent unsafe interactions. This book might be extra useful for kids to read with caregivers who are also a little wary of dogs.

Recommended for: Many young children who are anticipating or experiencing a separation from a caregiver will love the emotional journey of this short, simple book and will benefit from the book’s conclusion– despite the owl’s worries and fears, Owl Mother always comes back. This book is probably best for a child whose parent is going to work or leaving for a short period of time, rather than a longer separation.

Age range: Preschool through 2nd grade.

Recommended for: Children who are shy or afraid to show their true selves will love this book about a shy, quirky guy who works hard to literally blend into the background. He accidentally stands out one day, which causes people to notice him and ultimately love him for who he is.

Age range: Kindergarten through 3rd grade.

Recommended for: Kids who are inclined to think that worst possible scenarios will happen may benefit from this book’s messages that our Whatifs (in this book, pictured as cute flying monsters) can be both “grim” (e.g., “What if my dog runs away) and hopeful (e.g., “What if there’s chocolate cake after our recital”), and that more hopeful Whatifs help us to feel better and often come true. The main character Cora is anxious about a piano recital; this book could also be great to read with children who get particularly anxious about performances.

Age range: Preschool through 1st grade.

Recommended for: Best for children you suspect have lots of worries that are bringing them down (perhaps they’re also having tummy aches and nightmares) but who aren’t sharing their worries with anyone. Also great for a parent who needs a reminder that being a good listener when a child is sharing worries is invaluable (and that saying “Don’t worry!” isn’t helpful). This book leads well into an activity of a child drawing out their own worries.

Age range: Best for 1st grade through 3rd grade, but adequately applicable to kindergarteners through 4th grade.

Recommended for: Children with parents (or other caregivers) who have mood disorders will benefit from the developmentally appropriate explanations and reassurances this book provides. It’s part workbook, with opportunities for a child to draw and write about their feelings, questions, and experiences related to having a parent with depression. Great for family members, therapists, and/or school counselors to complete with a child whose parent is struggling with depression. Includes a section on hospitalization.

Age range: Elementary-aged kids. Older kids will understand the depth of the story better than younger ones, but this story does such a nice job describing a complicated but important concept in an accessible way that many younger children will get a lot out of it too.

Recommended for: This book portrays the importance of sitting with and “unpacking” our feelings rather than avoiding them. It is excellent to read with children who think that feeling sad is wrong, weak, useless, or scary and therefore minimize what they’re feeling and/or who avoid thinking about or sharing their feelings. It’s also great for a child who is feeling sad about a family’s move (as Santiago is), but it’s certainly not limited to this specific situation. This story is available in Spanish as well as English.

Age range: Preschool through 3rd grade.

Recommended for: This book is a relatively fun way to introduce the idea of increasing a child’s sensory input throughout the day to meet their sensory needs. This can be a helpful intervention for some children with autism, ADHD, anxiety, and body-focused repetitive behaviors (e.g., skin-picking and hair-pulling). It introduces the concept of sensory seeking and provides many concrete examples a child can try out (e.g., jumping on a trampoline, eating something crunchy, playing with a fidget toy). School psychologists and counselors, as well as OTs, may particularly find this book useful when discussing interventions for kids to try out.

Age range: Preschool through 2nd grade.

Recommended for: Ava and her mother use their coping skills and creativity to salvage their special day, Saturday, even though nothing goes according to plan. This book is, perhaps first and foremost, about a loving relationship between a Black mother and daughter. It is also a lovely story about coping with disappointments and a fun way to encourage children to practice taking deep breaths (there’s a refrain of Ava and her mother taking a deep breath each time something goes wrong).

Age range: Preschool through 1st grade.

Recommended for: This is a great read for a grumpy day. It destigmatizes feeling grumpy, and in a silly way, helps a child to see how Penguin’s self-soothing (primarily centered around getting undressed and taking a bath) sets him up to have a less grumpy day tomorrow.

Age range: Preschool through 2nd grade.

Recommended for: This book is a fun read for kids who need some encouragement to advocate respectfully for what they want. It’s especially, but not specifically, relevant to children who are bothered by loud noises and/or who love math. Kids who tend to complain without doing anything about the situation or who use aggressive or passive aggressive strategies may benefit from Isobel’s experimentation with these different strategies and her ultimate realization that kindly and directly articulating one’s preferences is often most effective.