Social emotional learning (SEL) encompasses five competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, positive relationships, and responsible decision making. One way we can help kids develop these through social emotional skills is through books! Through relatable storytelling and illustrations, kids can begin to recognize their emotions, understand how to build positive relationships, and more. You can use these books to inspire SEL conversation. Kids will be more receptive to the conversation when they are calm rather than when they are feeling overwhelmed by their feelings. These books are best suited for kids ages 4-8.
How to incorporate these SEL books:
At home: You can include these books into your child’s bedtime or morning routine. You can make it a daily, weekly or special weekend activity.
At school: You can include these books in your morning or end of day routine as a great way to start or end the day together. Sign up for our free 14-week SEL read aloud program for more SEL books, discussion questions, and activities.
Self-awareness
Some Days by Karen Kaufman Orloff
Come along and follow a year in the life of a young boy and girl as they discover their many different and ever-changing emotions, including joy, fear, anger, jealousy, excitement, pride, disappointment, loneliness, and contentment.
The Way I Feel by Janan Cain
The book uses strong, colorful, and expressive images which go along with simple verses to help children connect the word and the emotion. Children will learn useful words giving parents, teachers, and caregivers many chances to open conversations about what’s going on in their child’s life.
Today I Feel Silly: And Other Moods That Make My Day by Jamie Lee Curtis
Silly, cranky, excited, or sad—everyone has moods that can change each day. And that’s okay! Follow the boisterous, bouncing protagonist as she explores her moods and how they change from day to day.
Self-management
Again! By Emily Gravett
It’s nearly Cedric the dragon’s bedtime, and for Cedric, bedtime means storytime! When his mother reads him his favorite book, he likes the story so much that he wants to hear it again…and again…and again! Cedric’s mom understands that the best stories are ripe for repetition, and she tries very hard to be patient. But sometimes dragons will be dragons—which is why this bedtime tale ends with an incendiary surprise!
The Good Egg by Jory John
Meet the good egg. He’s a very good egg indeed. But trying to be so good is hard when everyone else is plain ol’ rotten. As the other eggs in the dozen behave badly, the good egg starts to crack from all the pressure of feeling like he has to be perfect.
So, he decides enough is enough! It’s time for him to make a change.
One Word from Sophia by Jim Averbeck
Sophia has one true desire for her birthday. But she has Four Big Problems in the way: Mom, Dad, Uncle Conrad...and Grand-mama. Will her presentations, proposals, and pie charts convince them otherwise?
Turns out, all it takes is one word.
Social Awareness
Meesha Makes Friends by Tom Percival
Meesha loves making things, but she finds it hard to make friends. She doesn't know quite what to do, what to say, or when to say it, and she struggles with responding to social cues. But one day, she discovers that she has a special talent that will help her navigate challenging social situations and make friends.
A Friend for Henry by Jenn Bailey
In Classroom Six, second left down the hall, Henry has been on the lookout for a friend. A friend who shares. A friend who listens. Maybe even a friend who likes things to stay the same and all in order, as Henry does. But on a day full of too close and too loud, when nothing seems to go right, will Henry ever find a friend—or will a friend find him? With insight and warmth, this heartfelt story from the perspective of a boy on the autism spectrum celebrates the everyday magic of friendship.
Perfectly Polite Penguins by Georgiana Deutsch
Penguins are ALWAYS perfectly polite. They wait their turn, they share their toys and they never forget to say please or thank you! But then Polly the not-so-polite penguin decides that being polite is BORING! And when the other penguins start to agree… Uh oh! It’s chaos!
Positive Relationships
Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend by Melanie Watt
Scaredy Squirrel sets out to make The Perfect Friend. And once he's spotted a perfectly safe candidate (with no teeth), Scaredy's ready. Armed with a name tag, mittens, a mirror and a lemon, he's prepared to make The Perfect First Impression. But just when every detail is under control, Scaredy's Action Plan takes a surprising --- and “toothy” --- turn.
Herman and Rosie by Gus Gordon
Musicians Herman and Rosie were both lonely. Herman hears Rosie singing from the street, and Rosie hears Herman playing the Oboe from the building next door. One day Rosie follows the music until they meet, and a new friendship begins.
Mango, Abuela, and Me by Meg Medina
Mia’s abuela has left her sunny house with parrots and palm trees to live with Mia and her parents in the city. While they cook, Mia helps Abuela learn English, and Mia learns some Spanish, too, but it’s still hard for Abuela to learn enough words to tell Mia her stories. Then Mia sees a parrot in the pet-shop window and has the perfecto idea for how to help them all communicate a little better. Here is an endearing tale that speaks loud and clear about the love that binds families across the generations.
Responsible Decision Making
A Little Spot of Responsibility by Diane Alber
Every time you make a good choice your responsibility spot grows and it makes you feel more confident and happy! This story is about a little responsibility spot that shows you ways you can make good choices to grow your responsibility spot.
What if Everybody Did That? by Ellen Javernick
If you drop just one soda can out the window, it’s no big deal…right? But what if everybody did that? What if everybody broke the rules…and spoke during story time, didn’t wash up, or splashed too much at the pool? Then the world would be a mess. But what if everybody obeyed the rules so that the world would become a better place?
My Magical Choices by Becky Cummings
Did you know you can choose how your day will go? You can’t always control what will happen, but you can always decide how you respond to it. When you choose positive actions, you feel happier and build lifelong healthy habits.
This book teaches 13 “I choose” statements that empower children to take responsibility for their days and inspires them to choose to be calm, forgiving, brave, honest, friendly, and much more.
You may use this downloadable template to help guide discussion and reflections.
Check out our additional blogs for SEL book suggestions:
