(Mis)judgment, creativity

Emily’s Art

Peter Catalanotto

When the judge of the art contest misinterprets Emily’s art, she learns to deal with her disappointment.

Ability, empowerment

Elena’s Serenade

Campbell Geeslin

Elena is told she’s too young... and girls can’t be glassblowers. She imaginatively discovers a musical way to identify with and participate in her father’s art.

Absurdity, identity, self-acceptance, friendship

A Porcupine Named Fluffy

Helen Lester

Fluffy finds that he’s not fluffy.  So he tries to change himself.  He can’t.  He’s upset...until he finds a new friend: a rhino named Hippo.

Actions speak louder than words

T

Fruits (in A Bucketful of Dreams)

Chris Buice

A traveling family learn that a thorn bush that calls itself an apple tree is not an apple tree...and a man who calls himself good is also a fake because he's only interested in the appearance of goodness.

Adoption, birth

Tell Me Again About the Night I was Born

Jamie Lee Curtis

A child remembers happily the story told by her adoptive parents of her coming into the world and this family.

Adoption, children

M

Happy Adoption Day

John McCutcheon

A celebration of adoption.  Simple sheet music included.

Adoption, family

Saving Sweetness

Diane Stanley

Sweetness runs away from the orphanage and is followed by the sheriff.  First she saves the sheriff from Coyote Pete, then convinces him to save her by adopting her.

Adoption, letting go, love

The Coffee Can Kid

Jan M. Czech

A father tells his adopted daughter the story of her birthmother and the difficult, loving decision she made.

Adventures in reading and learning

The Bee Tree

Patricia Polacco

A silly chase through a meadow leads to grandfather’s presentation of this wisdom to his little girl: learning/reading is as sweet as honey, and it is worth the effort to chase through the pages of a book.

African American history, crafts

Circle Unbroken

Margot Theis Raven

The tradition of basket weaving transcends the changes of centuries, one generation teaching another.

African culture

V

Ashanti to Zulu

Margaret Musgrove

A to Z descriptions of a variety of African social, family, and religious traditions.  Long.  It could be done as a series over 3-4 weeks.

Aging, memory, grandparents, music

Georgia Music

Helen V. Griffith

A girl comes to love her odd, aging grandparent just in time to see him decline.  When he seems no longer able to communicate, music, silence, and the sounds of nature connect them.  Long but editable.

Aging, teaching mentoring, generations, grandparents

SV

Can You Do This, Old Badger?

Eve Bunting

Though Old Badger can no longer do a lot of things, he can still teach Little Badger some of the essentials of life.

AIDS, grief

A Name on the Quilt

Jeannine Atkins

A child confronts her grief as her family prepare a panel for the AIDS Memorial Quilt.

Alzheimer’s, aging, grandparents, mental illness, disability

Grandma’s Soup

Nancy Karkowsky

A young girl confronts her grandmother’s growing confusion and disability from Alzheimer’s disease.  Eventually grandpa begins making the soup, though he still calls it “Grandmas’ Soup.”

Ambiguous loss, absent parent

If You Listen

Charlotte Zolotow

A little girl wonders whether her father still loves her, and how she can know it, since he is not at home.

Ancestry, family roots, immigration

Journey Home

Lawrence McKay, Jr.

A Southeast Asian woman and her daughter journey “home,” hoping to find family and a part of their identity.

Animals, nature

Acorn Magic

Maggie Stern

Simon's acorns lead him to a larger-than-life encounter with nature.

Appreciation, recognition, friendship, moods

Badger’s Bad Mood

Hiawyn Oram

The forest animals don’t know what to do to budge badger out of his bad mood.  Finally mole throws a party with awards to recognize everyone for what they are best at.  Badger, of course, walks away with several – and a smile!

Art, inspiration

The Starry Night

Neil Waldman

A young boy encounters Vincent Van Gogh in modern New York City, and is inspired to see things in new colors, and to begin to draw.

Atonement, Rosh Hashanah, second chances

Gershon's Monster

Eric A. Kimmel

Gershon swept his mistakes into the cellar and never really came to terms with them.  But he is awakened from his carelessness and selfishness when the collected sins come back to threaten his family.

Authenticity

FV

A Bad Case of Stripes

David Shannon

Camilla loves lima beans but doesn’t eat them because she thinks other kids will think she’s weird.  Result: she begins to morph into all kinds of shapes and colors in response to what the other kids like.

Authenticity, difference

Tacky the Penguin

Helen Lester

The other penguins think Tacky is an embarrassment to penguin-kind, but they come to appreciate him when his antics steer the hunters away.

Authenticity, mission

The Boy Who Dreamed of an Acorn

Leigh Casler

Three Indian youth seek their dreams on a mountain.  One finds the power of the bear, another the eagle.  The third is disappointed to only dream an acorn.  But he later discovers that his is a gift of wisdom, sturdiness, and generosity.

Autism, disability

Ian’s Walk

Laurie Lears

A sister begins to come to terms with the odd behaviors of her brother, who has autism.

Autonomy, integrity, self-actualization

F

The Missing Piece Meets the Big O

Shel Silverstein

The Missing Piece discovers a self-actualized someone who only expects The Missing Piece to become whole unto itself.

Baggage, moving on, simplicity

Maebelle's Suitcase

Tricia Tusa

Binkle the bird has to fly south, but is reluctant to leave his baggage behind.  So his 108-year-old hat-maker friend tricks him into loaning his things to her to create a very imaginative hat.

Beauty inside

The Beauty Contest (in A Bucketful of Dreams)

Chris Buice

A blind man turns out to be the judge of the beauty contest, and accurately assesses the contestants by the way they have treated him.

Beauty,  self-image, stereotype, expectations,  perspective, grandparents

V

The Most Beautiful Kid in the World

Jennifer Ericsson

A mom wants her daughter to dress up because Grandma’s coming.  The child wants to create her own (eclectic) look.  Surprise: Grandma has a weird, flamboyant outfit on herself.  Must be able to see the pictures.

Beauty, self-consciousness

TF

Beauty (in In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens)

Alice Walker

I was always self-conscious about my scarred, blind eye until one day my child looked up at me and said, “Mama, there’s a world in your eye!”

Being oneself vs. living up to others’  expectations

Six Dinner Sid

Inga Moore

Six different neighbors thing that Sid the cat is “theirs.”  When they discover the truth, they insist he change his ways  So Sid finds six new owners – who know up front that this is who he is.

Being oneself, fear, relationships

The Knight who was Afraid of the Dark

Barbara Shook Hazen

Sir Fred is unable to get together with his true love until he overcomes his fear of the dark.

Being oneself, self-expression

A Firefly Named Torchy

Bernard Waber

Torchy’s light is TOO bright for the animals of the forest, and they insist that he turn it off.  As he wonders about how he can fit in and be a good firefly with a soft glow, he encounters the bright lights of the city.  After a night of florid self-expression, he’s so content that he begins flickering with a soft glow.

Birth

Welcome With Love

Jenni Overend

The story of a home birth is told with awe -- and warm if somewhat graphic pictures.

Black history, courage, forgiveness

The Story of Ruby Bridges

Robert Coles

Ruby is the first black child to attend public school in New Orleans.  Escorted through an angry mob by armed U.S. Marshals, she prays for her tormentors.

Black History, jazz, music, culture

The Sound That Jazz Makes

Carole Boston Weatherford

The development of jazz and the interplay of culture with history: from an African forest...to a slave ship...to a Harlem night club...to rappers on the street corner.

Boasting, modesty

S

The Big Brag (in Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories)

Dr. Seuss

Bear and Rabbit try to outdo one another with their amazing sensory powers.  But worm sees most clearly: that these two are being foolish.

Body, parenting, normalcy, change

Parts

Tedd Arnold

A truly disgusting and very funny plea for help from a little boy who thinks that his body is coming apart...until his parents assure him that all these gross things are normal.

Buddhism, new year

Butterfly Boy

Laurence Yep

“There once was a boy who dreamed he was a butterfly, and, as a butterfly, he always dreamed he was a boy....”  A simple but enigmatic, thought provoking tale.

Burnout, disagreeableness

FD

"Alphabet Soup" (in Sesame Street Unpaved)

David Borgenicht

A restaurant patron is dissatisfied with his alphabet soup because some of the letters are missing.  The waiter is exasperated when, once all the letters are there, the soup is too cold!  No pictures, but an easy, very funny skit for two.  On page 48.

Caring, fear, neighbors

T

Miss Maggie

Cynthia Rylant

A boy fears his odd old neighbor but over time reaches close enough to notice when she is in need of help...and by now he’s close enough to want to help.

Caring, generations

A Special Trade

Sally Wittman

An older man delights in pushing the little girl's stroller and helping her to grow.  In time we find her pushing his wheelchair with an equal devotion.

Caring, sharing

T

The Brothers’ Promise

Frances Harber

Talmudic tale about two brothers who secretly try to support one another.  In the end they discover one another – and there in between, holy ground.

Change, Black history

Piano Man

Debbi Chocolate

My grandfather’s life as vaudeville entertainer and silent movie pianist...shifting jobs and surviving the abrupt changes in technology.

Chanukah, family argument,

The Flying Latke

Arthur Yorinks

An argument at the Chanukah dinner table leads to an international incident and – a miracle.  A very ridiculous tale best told by one who can carry a Yiddish accent.

Child Dedication, babies

Welcoming Babies

Margy Burns Knight

Explores the way babies are welcomed around the world.

Children (spirited), spiraling into chaos

Mortimer

Robert Munsch

Mortimer makes so much noise when he’s supposed to be going to sleep that he puts the whole neighborhood into an uproar.  Then he sleeps.

Children, growing up, careers

Eric Van Noodle

Arlen Cohn

In a kingdom where young children must settle on their career choice, Eric defies the trend and walks his own path.

Children, parents, grandparents, stubbornness

I Have to Go!

Robert Munsch

A child repeatedly finds that he has to go pee at the wrong times.

Christmas

December

Eve Bunting

A homeless family encounter an angel on Christmas Eve.  Heavy, but it ends with an eye-opening twist.

Christmas

La Gran Fiesta

Francisco X. Mora

The birds gather candies, fruits, and beauties to adorn a tree for La Gran Fiesta.

Christmas, gifts

Wombat Divine

Mem Fox

Wombat seems inept at playing every part in the nativity pageant, until he’s given the part of baby Jesus (he’s great at sleeping).

Christmas, giving back

F

Silver Packages

Cynthia Rylant

A poor Appalachian boy always hopes that his Christmas gift from the rich stranger will be a doctor kit.  It never is.  But years later we find that he has been transformed by the stranger’s generosity.

Christmas, gratitude, poverty

The Christmas Gift

Francisco Jimenez

The child of immigrant farm laborers hopes for a simple Christmas gift, and is disappointed that even this is not possible.  But then he learns of the sacrificial gift his parents have made for a couple in even more desperate straits.

Christmas, Hanukkah, interfaith

The Trees of the Dancing Goats

Patricia Polacco

A Jewish family bring Christmas to their Christian neighbors who are struck with scarlet fever.

Christmas, simplicity

Angel Pig and the Hidden Christmas

Jan Waldron

The pigs have no cash and so must make up a festive Christmas from what they have.

Christmas, strangers

F

Tumbleweed Christmas

Alane Ferguson

A family has car trouble in the desert on the way to a Christmas celebration.  Received by an isolated mechanic, they brighten each others' lives for a moment.

Christmas, tradition, respect for nature

Night Tree

Eve Bunting

A family celebrates Christmas by going into the forest to decorate their living tree, and sing carols.

Civil rights, black history, MLK

T

I Have a Dream

Martin Luther King Jr.

Scholastic Press,

ISBN 0-590-20516-1

The full text of his famous speech, powerfully illustrated.  Probably too long to read in its entirety, but a great resource for telling the story – just pick a few pages and tell it in the kids’ language.  I used the ‘Lunch Counter’ illustration as a major focus, with a few other pictures to offer context.

Civil rights, Black history, social activism

Granddaddy’s Gift

Margaree King Mitchell

The story of a black man who had the courage to register to vote

Civil rights, Black history, social activism

The Bus Ride

William Miller

A little girl initiates a Rosa Parks-style bus boycott.

Civil rights, Black history, social activism, children

T

The Children's Crusade (in Colleen McDonald, ed., What if Nobody Forgave?)

Kate Rohde

How the civil rights movement carried on when the adults wouldn't march: In the face of dogs and fire hoses, the children did.

Co-dependence

King Looie Katz (in I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today)

Dr. Seuss

King Cat needs a tail carrier to ensure his tail doesn't get dirty...soon his carrier needs a carrier...and the whole kingdom is doing nothing but carrying each other's tails.

Collective action, courage, goals

T

Higgins: A Drop with Dream (in A Bucketful of Dreams)

Chris Buice

Higgins was just a drop in the bucket but his leadership inspired others until the water flowed like a mighty stream.

Color, vision, finding one’s purpose in life

The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush

Tomie dePaola

A Native American boy finds his role in life to be an artist, and struggles to be patient as the tools and vision for his life slowly become apparent.  Eventually the earth gives him  the Indian Paintbrush for the vibrant colors he needs for his work.

Communication, differences

F

The Cow That Went Oink

Bernard Most

The Cow that Went Oink and The Pig that Went Moo are ostracized by the other animals until they help each other...and then find that they alone can speak TWO languages.

Communication, perspective

T

Two Monsters

David McKee

Two monsters on opposite sides of the mountain argue over whether the day is leaving or the night is arriving.  Only after they have knocked down the mountain with hurled stones and insults do they see one another -- and one another's perspective.

Community

S

It Takes a Village

Jane Cowen-Fletcher

A little girl in charge of her little brother in the marketplace fears she has lost him.  But she needn't have worried -- he has been cared for by all of the other vendors.

Community, spirit

F

Finding the Green Stone

Alice Walker

Everyone is born with a glowing green stone representing their spirit.  When one little boy loses his, the whole community gathers to help him find it.  Long, may need editing

Confidence, learning

The Yellow String

Francene Sabin

Duckling learns to swim when Mother ties a string around its neck.  But he still can swim even when the string falls off.

Confidence, perseverance, dreams

Flip

Wesley Dennis

A young horse cannot jump the stream until, in a dream, he finds that he has silver wings.

Conformity, authenticity, fashion, self-image

S

The Sneetches

Dr. Seuss

The Sneetches and Star-Belly Sneetches go round and round changing their appearance to stay in fashion.

Connection, trust, spiritual sense

Who Is Ben?

Charlotte Zolotow

A child explores his identity: his beginning and ending; in dark and light; his body and his being; and concludes that he is a part of all things.

Cooperation

Mountain Wedding

Faye Gibbons

The children of two large families don’t like the idea that they are about to be joined in marriage.  It takes a swarm of bees and a runaway wagon to help these feuding families say, “We do.”

Courage, exploration

The Deep

Tim Winton

Simple story of a child overcoming fear of deep water. Good metaphors re depth, diving in, initiative, etc.

Courage, feminism, rules, fashion, leadership

S

You forgot your skirt, Amelia Bloomer!

Shana Corey

Amelia Bloomer breaks the fashion mold by wearing pants.

Creation, Adam & Eve, Genesis, sexuality

The Blessing Seed

Caitlin Matthews

God sang everything into being with its own gift...Adam & Eve eat the apple...God responds: You ate it before it was ripe, so I will ripen your gift inside of you...go and spread this blessing seed throughout the earth. 

Creation, animals, earth

In Our Image: God’s First Creatures

Nancy Sohn Swartz

A Genesis-like creation tale, but the humans are created out of the best (and sometimes contradictory) qualities of all of the animals.

Creation, Earth, Awe, Being, The Web

F

Becoming Me: A Story of Creation

Martin Boroson

All-That-Is tells its own story of creation, and how YOU are a part of itself.

Creation, freedom

FT

A Little Jar Labeled 'Freedom' (in Colleen McDonald, ed. What if Nobody Forgave?)

Cynthia B. Johnson

A lighthearted goddess adds  to the mix of creation -- just to see what will happen!

Creation, humanity

The People with Five Fingers

John Bierhorst

A native Californian creation tale in which coyote and the other creatures bring people into existence.

Creativity

Sand Cake

Frank Asch

Bear and his dad discover creative ways to make and eat sand cake on the beach.  Light.

Creativity, imagination

F

Emma’s Rug

Allen Say

Emma has an amazing artistic talent for a small child.  But she despairs when her talent evaporates after her mother washes the little rug within which Emma had been able to "see" her subjects.  In time, though, she discovers a new window on the world.

Crying, emotion

Sometimes I Like to Cry

Elizabeth Stanton

A child talks about the times he feels like crying.

Curiosity, memory

Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge

Mem Fox

A little boy brings his curiosity to the residents of the nursing home next door, and helps one to find her memory.

Cycles of nature, loss and renewal, remarriage?

The Silver Swan

Michael Morpurgo

A boy observes with awe the birthing and growth of a swan family.  He is also aware, however, of the hungry realities of the nearby fox family.  Eventually he encounters the painful reality of the cycles of nature...but also then witnesses its magical restorative qualities.  Longish but could be shortened.

Days of the Dead

A Gift for Abuelita

Nancy Luenn

Rosita hopes to be reunited with her grandmother as she prepares a gift to give her when her family celebrates the Days of the Dead.

Days of the Dead, Halloween

Maria Molina and the Days of the Dead

Kathleen Krull

Maria celebrates the Days of the Dead for both her little brother and her grandmother—a festive rather than morbid way of remembering loved ones.  When her family move north, they find a way to keep in touch with that tradition.

Death, change, memory, generations

The Grandad Tree

Trish Cooke

Two children share memories of Grandad, who planted an apple tree for them.  Though Grandad is now gone, they know that he will always be with them as the tree grows through the seasons.

Death, grandparents

V

Grandma’s Gone to Live in the Stars

Max Haynes

The spirit of Grandma rises from her deathbed and says goodbye to each person and creature in the house before moving on to the stars. Brief, mostly pictures.

Death, grandparents

F

Where is Grandpa?

T. A. Barron

A family who has lost a beloved grandfather share stories and re-discover that he is still with them – everywhere they look.

Death, grief

Anna’s Corn

Barbara Santucci

As they walk together, Anna’s grandfather teaches her to hear the singing of the cornfields. He asks her to plant a few kernels for him the next spring. In his absence, she does, and when the seasons change, she again hears the singing.

Death, grief, gratitude

F

Thank You, Grandpa

Lynn Plourde

Grandpa and little girl say “thank you” each time they find something in the woods which has died. Thus she learns the words to say when he dies.

Death, grief, memory, friendship

If Nathan Were Here

Mary Bahr

A young boy grieves the loss of his best friend and thinks about how things would be if he were still alive.

Death, grief, possibility

F

Grandma’s Shoes

Libby Hathorn

A little girl grieving her grandmother’s death finds an image which helps her to carry on – growing up to fill her Grandma’s shoes.  Touching.

Death, life cycle, change, nature

The Great Change

White Deer of Autumn

An Indian girl learns from her grandmother about the Circle of Life...how her grandfather, in his dying, poured himself back into the Great Mystery that gives life to all things.

Death, loss, cancer, parents, mothers

Mama

Eleanor Schick

A little girl loses her mother to cancer, and speaks of her life since then.  Gripping to anyone who has lost a mother at any age – or even imagined losing any loved-one.

Death, loss, grief, friendship, gifts, teaching

Badger’s Parting Gifts

Susan Varley

Badger knows he is going to die, and when he does all of his forest friends are sad.  In time they come to recognize that his parting gift to each of them was something he taught them to do – that they can now teach to others.

Death, pets, friendship, love

V

Mending Peter’s Heart

Maureen Wittbold

A white child is counseled by a black neighbor.  The child has lost his dog, the neighbor knows what it is like to lose a friend too.  As they talk about friendship, images of the dog appear for the boy.  Images of his wife appear for the man.  Poignant, sweet.

Demanding child/ industrious granny

What! Cried Granny

Kate Lum

Granny will do whatever it takes to satisfy her grandson on his first sleep-over.  Silly.  She actually MAKES a bed for him, etc.

Denial, avoidance, fear, pain

F

There's No Such Thing as a Dragon

Jack Kent

A small dragon, whose existence is denied, grows rapidly until it is large enough to pick up the house and run down the street.

Developing talents

Incredible Ned

Bill Maynard

Ned gets into trouble at school when everything he imagines becomes real.  So an art teacher helps him to let his imagination flow in ways that don't interfere with his class.

Differences, acceptance

Loudmouth George and the New Neighbors

Nancy Carlson

George (a rabbit) doesn’t want to play with the new neighbors who are PIGS!

Discovering and sharing our unique gifts

Badger’s Bring Something Party

Hiawyn Oram

Mole shows up at Badger’s ‘Bring Something Party’ without anything but himself.  The other guests shun him, but Badger helps Mole to bring forth his most interesting self.

Divorce, fathers, ambiguous loss

One More Time

Louis Baum

A father and small child travel back toward the child’s mother’s home, where he will be dropped off.  They do all they can to make the time last.  Light, but touching.

Divorce, visitation, fathers, adversity

Rainy Day

Emma Haughton

The day Nick visits his Dad, it pours, and they cannot go to the carnival.  The bitterness and pain of their new status is palpable as they go out into the rain anyway... exploring and waiting for the sun.

Dreams, imagination, color

V

Applemando’s Dream

Patricia Polacco

Applemando’s friends discover a way to enliven their drab world with his highly-visible dreams.

Dreams, reality, perception, parenting

It’s Going to be Perfect

Nancy Carlson

A mother envisions all the joys of parenting.  Things don’t turn out at all as she envisions.  But she finds the experience “just perfect” anyway.

Dreams, wishes, the unexpected

Jubal’s Wish

Audrey Wood

A well-intentioned frog tries to share his dreams and cheer – with no luck.  But when a storm comes, he and his friends are thrown into an unexpected adventure together.

Dying, hospice

Som See and the Magic Elephant

Jamie Oliviero

A southeast Asian child helps her great-aunt prepare for death by finding her a good-luck charm from the past.

Dying, illness

Beautiful

Susi Gregg Fowler

A boy learns flower gardening from an uncle whose serious illness is progressing.  The boy has a beautiful final gift to share when the flowers bloom.

Earth, environment

V

Dear Children of the Earth

Schim Schimmel

Long but editable – an appeal to care for the earth.  Fantastic visuals that might be useable even without the text.

Emotional learning, sensitivity

Be Gentle!

Virginia Miller

Little bear is learning to play with a new kitten, but is too rough.  Yelled at by big bear, he slinks under the bed where he and kitten gently console one another.

Emotions, anger, frustration

Mean Soup

Betsy Everitt

Horace has a bad day so his mom makes mean soup...a boiling pot into which they can scream and release their frustrations.  Short but cute.

Environment, resilience, Earth Day, nature

When the Monkeys Came Back

Kristine L. Franklin

A girl, who saw her jungle cut down, works her whole life to grow it back again, waiting for the monkeys to return.

Expectations, gender roles

Reckless Ruby

Hiawyn Oram

Disturbed by her parents’ doting admiration, and their prediction that she’ll be married by a prince, wrapped in cotton, and only be allowed to come out for glittering banquets, Ruby behaves as recklessly as possible.

Extended human family

One Hundred is a Family

Pam Munoz Ryan

Groups of all sizes can be family when they love and work together.  Short.  Might be used to initiate conversation about the meaning of family or extended family.

Fall, love, parenting

FV

Say It!

Charlotte Zolotow

As the mother and child walk through the falling leaves, the mother describes the rich beauty all around them.  When the child continues to plead, "say it," the mother responds, "I love you!" Great for creative musical accompaniment (sounds of fall).

Fathers

F

What Dads Can't Do

Douglas Wood

Dads can't cross the street without holding hands...they can push but they can't swing...Dads really need to be kissed goodnight at bedtime.  It's a wonder they make it through life at all!

Fathers, daughters grief, death, memory

F

The Dance

Richard Paul Evans

A father watches as his daughter dances through her life passages.  When he dies, she dances for him again.  Touching.

Fathers, mothers, family togetherness

The Biggest Bed in the World

Lindsay Camp

The family bed keeps growing and growing as new children are added.  And Dad finds that whether they are all together or in separate rooms...he still can't get to sleep.

Fear, assumptions, friendship

Nobody Likes Me!

Raoul Krischanitz

The new dog in town has trouble making friends because he fears or misinterprets everyone he encounters.  A friendly fox encourages him to be courageous and persevere.

Fear, courage, firsts

Very Last First Time

Jan Andrews

The Inuit villagers walked on the seabed beneath the ice to gather mussels.  Today for the first time, Eva is taking this trek alone.

Fear, dogs

Dog Magic

Carla Golembe

Molly overcomes her fear of dogs by wearing some “magic” shoes.

Fear, end of the world

TF

One Last Picnic 

(in Once the Hodja)

Alice Geer Kelsey

The Hodja is tricked into thinking that tomorrow will be the end of the world; but he turns the tables on his tormentors!

Fear, perspective

No Such Thing

Jackie French Koller

A boy is afraid there is a monster under his bed, until he meets a monster who is afraid there is a boy above his bed. Great twist at the end.

Fears, anxiety, starting new

First Day Jitters

Julie Danneberg

Sarah needs to be prodded every step of the way on the morning of her first day of school.  Surprise -- Sarah is the teacher!

Flood, hope, Native American

Turkey's Gift to the People

Ani Rucki

As the animals flee a great flood, turkey saves the seeds that will be needed to replant the world.

Flower Communion

The Color of Home

Mary Hoffman

Hassan, a refugee from Somalia, tells about his perilous journey, and finds his way to bring the colors of his old home into his new American home.

Flower communion, color, diversity

STV

The Great Blueness

Arnold Lobel

A wizard and his town find life difficult with only one color at a time.

Flower Communion, renewal, nature, collaboration

Wanda's Roses

Pat Brisson

A scrubby bush is growing in a vacant lot. Wanda is determined to make it grow roses.  She talks so much about it that on the day she predicts they will bloom, neighbors arrive with real rose bushes to make sure her plan comes to life.

Flower or water communion

Earth Dance

Joanne Ryder

A poetic reminder of the energy of all things and our connections to them.

Flowers, water, Native American

The Star Maiden

Barbara Juster Esbensen

Native American story about a star who wished to become a part of the earth.  What form would she choose?  Eventually she and many of her sisters became the star-shaped flowers that rest on the water – water lillies.

Forgiveness, apology

T

What if Nobody Forgave? (in Colleen McDonald, ed., What if Nobody Forgave?)

Barbara Marshman

The town of Grudgeville is transformed when a stranger teaches the magic words: "I'm sorry," and "I forgive you."

Forgiveness, friendship

Let's Be Enemies

Janice May Udry

Two best friends get mad at each other but quickly make up.

Freedom, respect

S

The Kingdom of Singing Birds

Miriam Aroner

The king’s collection of exotic birds won’t sing, so rabbi Zusya advises him to set them free.  Some fly away.  Some stay.  But they sing.

Friendship

I Love Saturday

Patricia Reilly Giff

Katie is upset when the new neighbor girl does all of her favorite things.  But when the new girl reveals a bit of vulnerability, instead of competing, they start enjoying their shared interests.

Friendship

D

Rosie and Michael

Judith Viorst

A dialogue (should probably be told by two) of a boy and girl talking about what it means to be one another's friends.

Friendship, differences

Friends

Helme Heine

Pig, mouse, and Rooster always stick together.  But eventually they discover some things that they can’t all do together.  How will they remain good friends?

Friendship, differences, sharing responsibilities

Pumpkin Soup

Helen Cooper

Cat, Squirrel, and Duck learn to work together.

Friendship, expectations

Wanted: Warm, Furry Friend

Stephanie Calmenson

Neighboring rabbits who are disgusted with one another in person find a mutual affection when introduced to one another via the personal ads.

Friendship, gifts, individuality

S

The Birthday Presents

Paul Stewart

Rabbit and Hedgehog make incorrect assumptions about what the other would want for a present...but their gifts turn out to be surprisingly useful.