Calm your kids’ anxiety with these fun books to read!

Sometimes, the tiniest bodies can hold the biggest feelings.

At a time when anxiety levels are more heightened than usual, is your little one feeling uncertain, too? If so, reading together can be a valuable way to connect, make a special memory, and help ease their pint-sized tension.

Today, we’re sharing a few fun books to read that can bring hope and happiness to your child’s day. Read on to discover 10 of our favorites that can add a little light, one page at a time.

1. Happy Dreamer

What does it mean to have a dream? How can you find happiness?

These are just a few of the questions author and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds answers in Happy Dreamer.

While the world might tell us to stay between the lines, Reynolds gleefully tells readers to get creative, run free, and let their spirits soar! He explains that while life might get a little hard at times, staying true to yourself and dreaming big can get you through anything.

2. My Magic Breath

In My Magic Breath, New York Times bestselling author Nick Ortner shows little readers the incredible powers their breath can hold. As they follow along in this interactive picture book, they’ll huff and puff their way through different scenarios, using breathwork to help sad or angry thoughts disappear.

The result? A fantastic adventure, a new technique to try, and a renewed sense of calm.

3. The Good Egg

If your kids loved Jory John and Pete Oswald’s 2017 instant classic The Bad Seed, then they’ll adore The Good Egg.

Stuck in the middle of a dozen rotten eggs, the Good Egg starts to crack under the pressure of trying to keep up his perfect facade, so he engages in a wild and hilarious adventure of self-discovery. What follows is a heartwarming tale of embracing who you are, flaws and all.

4. Joy

The name says it all! Written by Corrinne Averiss, Joy turns an abstract construct into a tangible present that can be found, caught, and shared.

When Fern discovers her grandma has been a little blue lately, her mom remarks that she’s lost a little of her joy. So Fern heads out with her catching kit, determined to find it! While she certainly discovers it in plenty of places, she soon learns that it’s too big to carry back home.

Emotional and empathetic, this book reminds us that real joy is all around us if we know where to look!

5. Happiness Tastes Like Cotton Candy

Your kids have colored with crayons for years, but have they ever seen them come to life? In Happiness Tastes Like Cotton Candy, they can do just that.

Written and illustrated by Tina Gallo, the crayons in this colorful book ask kids to think about what their emotions might taste like! Does excitement taste like wild watermelon? What about courage or calmness?

A short and quick read, this is a sweet way to help your kids tap into their emotions and share what they’re feeling.

6. Dear Girl/Dear Boy

Before her death in 2017, author Amy Krouse Rosenthal wrote and published more than 30 children’s books. One of the most poignant of those was Dear Girl, which she released in 2017 alongside her daughter Paris.

In the pages, Rosenthal reminds little princesses everywhere to always lean deeply into who they are. She reminds them that they are strong, capable, and absolutely perfect, freckles and all! In 2019, Paris teamed up with her dad Jason to pen the sequel, Dear Boy to show male readers that they’re equally spectacular.

7. The Big Umbrella

In The Big Umbrella, author and illustrator Amy June Bates teams up with her 11-year-old daughter Juniper to create a timeless picture book all about inclusion and acceptance.

Inspired by a day they spent walking to school together in the rain, this story centers on an umbrella so big that it has room underneath for everyone, no matter how tall, hairy, or spotted they may be! It’s perfect for those days when your child might be feeling a little cloudy.

8. The Invisible String

Author Patrice Karst dives sweetly into the subject of separation anxiety with her gorgeous picture book, The Invisible String. When twins Jeremy and Liza have to leave their mother for a little while, she reminds them that they’re all connected by an invisible string made of love.

Is it a real string? How does it work? Does it ever go away? Karst answers all of these questions with reassurance and comfort, helping ease any feelings of loneliness or dread.

9. The Way I Feel

When author and illustrator Janan Cain discovered she couldn’t find a picture book to explain emotions to her daughters, she decided to create one herself. In The Way I Feel, Cain gives readers full permission to embrace every side of their emotions, no matter what those might be.

Using illustrations, fonts, and colors, she brings each emotion to life, from “happy” to “disappointed,” helping readers understand what each one means and the feelings they convey.

10. Stick and Stone

You might have heard the familiar adage about words never hurting anyone, but Stick and Stone puts a gleeful spin on it for a younger generation.

The main characters, Stick and Stone, don’t start out as friends, but when a bully (Pine Cone) picks on Stone, Stick is inspired to live up to his name and stick up for him. As the new pals get into an adventure, they discover that friendship is a ton of fun and kindness rules the day.

Try these fun books to read tonight!

Being a parent isn’t always easy, especially when your child is feeling down. Thankfully, a little one-on-one time can do a world of good. As you look for ways to bond together, read these fun books one night!

Thanks to technology, most of these titles are available in a variety of mediums, including audiobooks. Before long, your entire family could be off on an adventure of happiness, comfort, and joy!

If you need any more advice on how to help your kid smile, feel free to reach out to our office today.