Now that we are nearly past the excitement of Halloween, and headed towards the more comforting lull of fall, let's help all of our kids to dream big, and little. Encourage heroism in your kids through fantastical brave deeds and everyday heroics with these books:
Timothy and the Strong Pajamas: a superhero adventure by Viviane Schwarz. I can't even begin to say how much I love this book, and my children love it too. Timothy and his sock monkey save their corner of the world when Timothy's mother patches his pajamas so well that it gives him super powers. Of course, even a hero needs help sometimes. Perfect for ages 3 and up.
Part-Time Princess by Deborah Underwood. Ordinary girl by day, extraordinary princess by night, this royal can fight fires and organize balls. This is a new and refreshing take on princess culture which may save you the more anemic and pervasive perception of fairy tale nobility. Ages 3 and up.
Shake to Assemble by Calliope Glass. This is an interactive story about pulling the Avengers together to fight crime. It has virtually no conflict of any kind, and kids are amused by doing the actions (tap Bruce Banner to make him turn into the Hulk!). Ages 2 and up.
Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt. Scaredy Squirrel is scared of virtually everything, but with good planning, he can distract himself from his distress. This is good for the worrier in your family. Ages 4 and up. A younger child could read it, but may not find it very funny, although you will.
Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes. All of Henkes' books are a treat (yes, really!) but this one is great for your young one who is having school anxiety. Ages 3 and up.
Llama Llama Misses Mama and
Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney. With a pleasing rhyming structure and bold, large, and colorful illustrations, both of these Llama Llama titles address the fears of young children. I read these to my girls probably from 1-3 years old. The first tackle separation anxiety in the school setting, and the second, bedtime fears. These newish titles are already a solid classic among the toddler set.
Kaye, 4 day mom
