For seven months my husband and I attended a class with our daughter so we could learn more about supporting a person with emotion dysregulation. It took a long time for our daughter to want help, accept help, and work to change her thought patterns. Habits take time to form. Training and rewiring our thinking takes time.
During this class, topics and ideas were presented and I kept thinking, There has to be a picture book for this! I wanted to find picture books to share with my students to be proactive. Looking back, I realize we didn’t know how to be proactive for our daughter. I wanted to offer students ideas before they needed them in a crisis. I knew my students could benefit from learning strategies for how to regulate their own thinking and emotional responses.
Each year my students illustrate self-portraits that hang in the front of the room all year. For the past two years, we have read I Am a Warrior Goddess by Jennifer Adams and added affirmations to our self-portraits. These serve as reminders to ourselves about something we are good at or about a passion we have.
We learned that movement is another strategy that is really important in helping to change thought patterns. I now use picture books to guide yoga movements. Silence and being present helps us focus thought patterns and distract worries. A classroom can be very busy and overwhelming with so many people, and finding moments of silence brings everyone back together. Quiet helps us reset our brains and bodies.
With these things in mind, I discovered several books to use with students.
I Am a Warrior Goddess by Jennifer Adams
Readers follow a young girl through her day in this book, which shares how she is a leader and defender, and how she is loving, to name a few examples. Each phrase begins with “I am” and reinforces that we are all these things in different ways.
Maybe Tomorrow? by Charlotte Agell
Elba carries around a big black block that weighs her down. Her friend Norris helps her by accepting the fact that the block goes everywhere with her. When she shares why she carries the block, Norris shows compassion, and Elba opens up about her feelings.
Rock What Ya Got by Samantha Berger
An artist doesn’t like her drawing, but the character she drew comes to life, guiding her to accept what she’s done and creating a fun affirmation. May we all rock what we’ve got!
I Will Be Fierce! by Bea Birdsong
Readers follow a little girl’s journey through her day as she faces worries and fears in a fierce way while navigating school. She’s determined to be her own best story and realizes upon getting home that she must rest to do it all over again.
The Unbudgeable Curmudgeon by Matthew Burgess
A curmudgeon is defined as a grouch. A grouch doesn’t want to do anything, and the grouchy feeling can spread. Suggestions for doing things opposite of being grouchy help shift uncomfortable feelings.
I Am Enough by Grace Byers
We follow a little girl’s journey as she identifies objects and how she shares their attributes. This book also celebrates the fact that we are not alike and how we support each other.
Stretch by Doreen Cronin
We can learn to stretch in many different ways by looking at different animals. It’s hard to read this book and not want to move along with it.
Here and Now by Julia Denos
This book guides the reader to recognize and stay in the present moment. Readers discover they are reading the book and hearing other things happening around them at the same time. An author’s note gives you background to the book and explains meditation.
The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld
Taylor builds a block structure, but it falls down, causing great disappointment. Different animals offer suggestions to help her, with no success. Rabbit merely comes and sits, listens, and doesn’t leave, which helps Taylor move on.
You Are Your Strong by Danielle Dufayet
Each page has a different young character sharing an emotion that can be hard and how a special adult’s guidance changes the hard emotion into a positive feeling. This book celebrates the fact that we can change how we feel with guidance and love.
The Silence Slips In by Alison Hughes
Silence is illustrated as a big white figure with ears and a face patiently waiting in the background of busy life moments. Readers discover ways silence is in their lives and how to make room for silence.
A Day So Gray by Marie Lamba
Two girls are on a walk, making observations about things they see. One sees things on the surface being a bit negative, and the other sees things in descriptive detail, embracing the wonder and joy outside. A great example of being present and shifting your thinking.
My Heart by Carinna Luyken
Sometimes our heart is open wide, and sometimes it is closed. Our heart experiences lots of different things, and the book shares good examples of when it feels sadness. The ending guides the reader in knowing they get to decide how their heart feels.
The Lemonade Hurricane by Licia Morelli
Emma and Henry are sister and brother. Emma makes many attempts at showing Henry how to be still. When she’s able to describe a sitting moment as an adventure, Henry can join in. The author’s note is full of information about meditating.
My Magic Breath by Nick Ortner
Breath is illustrated in colorful brushstrokes, and the reader is guided through understanding why and how taking deep breaths can help them. A range of emotions are discussed.
Deep Breaths by Carol Thompson
Dolly the pig likes to play on her own, but it gets boring. She plays with her friend Jack the rabbit until they get angry with each other. They each use breathing on their own, which settles their thoughts and guides them to their favorite spot—back together.
I Am Peace by Susan Verde
This book acknowledges that worries happen and offers suggestions for working through those worries via mindfulness by paying attention to the things around us and our feelings.
I Am Yoga by Susan Verde
Readers are guided to slow down with our motions and breath. Different yoga poses are shared as well as ideas for what we can be while doing yoga—such as playful, focused, and tall.
Alphabreaths by Christopher Willard and Daniel Rechtschaffen
This alphabet book with 26 breathing exercises shares how each breathing technique can benefit you. Vibrant illustrations show a child demonstrating each exercise.
You Are a Lion! by Taeeun Yoo
Two pages of simple instructions guide the moves needed to form a yoga pose. Then as you turn the page, the animal is identified and the author guides your thinking to be like that animal. Students really anticipate what the animal might be on the next page.
