Picture Books
This page contains the analyses of the selected picture books.
Click on the coping and emotional regulation strategies listed throughout this page to learn more about them.
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Click here for a note on books that were excluded from the analysis.
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Click on a title below to navigate to it.
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A Bad Case of Stripes
By David Shannon
In this story, young Camilla is experiencing fear and worry over her peers' opinions of her. Initially, she takes an active approach to coping by trying on forty-two outfits in hopes of finding the perfect look. When this doesn’t work, she turns to avoidant approaches. These include avoidant actions (staying home from school) and cognitive avoidance (acting as if everything were normal in the middle of a conflict). She also uses disengagement emotional regulation strategies, which include suppressing her true feelings out of fear of judgement. Finally, Camilla successfully overcomes her stressor when she accepts that she cannot control others’ judgements of her and she should take pride in who she is.
The outcomes of Camilla’s attempts to use active and avoidant coping strategies are unsuccessful. This is a healthy portrayal because Camilla is dealing with an uncontrollable stressor. She cannot change others’ opinions of her, nor can she completely avoid them; thus, active and avoidant strategies would not be successful in helping her overcome her stressor. When Camilla finally accepts that she cannot actively change her situation, she is successful. This is another healthy portrayal, as learning that some things are simply out of their control is an important, yet often difficult, lesson for kids to learn.
Conversation starters:
In the beginning of the book, Camilla is “fretting even more than usual.” Brainstorm ways Camilla could deal with this feeling, and compare it with the strategies she uses as you continue reading.
This story provides a great opportunity to explain that different problems require different solutions. Talk about how sometimes it takes us more than one try to solve a problem, and it’s okay to not get it right on the first try.
A Chair for My Mother
By Vera B. Williams
Social support plays a central role in this story. The main character and her family have lost all of their belongings in a house fire. The community comes together to provide them with problem- and emotion-focused social support. The main character, her mother, and her grandmother move in with Aunt Ida and Uncle Sandy. The neighbors bring food, furniture, kitchen utensils, and toys. Even the narrator’s mother’s boss provides some extra jobs for the young girl to complete for some extra money. With the support of others, the narrator and her family slowly begin to rebuild their lives piece by piece.
This story serves as a model of healthy coping. When a severe stressor occurs (such as a house fire), it can be easy for one to feel isolated and hopeless. Social support is a healthy and often effective way to regulate these feelings.
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Conversation starters:
Who are some people you can turn to if you are feeling upset or need help?
At the end of the story, the narrator and her mom buy a new comfy chair. Where are some spots you can go if you need to relax / need some time to yourself?
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
By Judith Viorst
Illustrated by Ray Cruz
From the minute he wakes up, Alexander deals with numerous stressors and has to regulate the feelings that they cause. When he attempts to use direct problem solving during his carpool and is ignored, he feels sad and frustrated. He tries talking to someone and telling everybody about the bad day he’s having, but again, he is ignored. This leads to feelings of anger and sadness (as can be seen in Alexander’s facial expressions). Alexander also uses some unhealthy regulation strategies, including emotional venting when his friend upsets him. Finally, at the end of the day, Alexander’s mother tells him that “some days are like that,” a form of acceptance.
Alexander’s attempts at using healthy coping strategies (direct problem solving and talking to someone) are not successful, contributing to his “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.” His unhealthy coping strategies are also unsuccessful. The only strategy that seems to offer him some peace is accepting that “some days are like that.” Though some of the stressors throughout Alexander’s day were controllable, others were not. Thus, accepting that some things are out of his control and some days are better than others (sometimes for no apparent reason) is an important lesson for Alexander, and can be for young readers, too.
Facial expressions can help young readers understand how Alexander is feeling throughout the story.
Conversation starters:
Come up with a list of things your child can do if they are having a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.” Distracting actions (practicing a favorite hobby, exercising, etc.) and seeking social support (playing with a friend, talking with a trusted adult, etc.) are good places to start.
Talking to someone is a great emotional regulation strategy. But, as we see in the book, sometimes the people we want to talk to are busy, or can’t listen to us. How do you think Alexander felt when he tried to talk to someone, but nobody listened? Has this ever happened to you? You can then use the list you came up with from the previous question to talk about some other ways to regulate your feelings if no one can talk to you at the moment.
Elephant & Piggie: I Will Surprise My Friend!
By Mo Willems
Though coping does not play a central role in this story, there are a few mentions of regulatory abilities. Piggie and Gerald set off to surprise each other. After a while, they realize that they’ve been waiting a long time, and begin to wonder where the other is. They use direct problem solving and set out to look for each other. When this is unsuccessful, the friends use two different forms of cognitive coping. Gerald regulates his worry with rumination (an example of dysregulation). He thinks about the worst possible things that could have happened to Piggie, including falling off a cliff and being eaten by a monster. Piggie, on the other hand, finds herself using cognitive escape. Instead of worrying about where Gerald is, Piggie is thinking about what’s for dinner.
Based on facial expressions, Piggie’s attempt at regulation is more successful than Gerald’s. Piggie doesn’t experience any additional panic or worry from her regulation strategy, while Gerald does, based on his facial expressions. Though Gerald’s regulation strategy was unsuccessful, it can be helpful for kids to see that there are often many different ways of solving the same problem.
As you read, pay close attention to Gerald and Piggie's facial expressions. How do you think they are feeling in this picture? Do you think they are feeling the same way?
Conversation starters:
When reading about Gerald’s rumination, ask your child what Gerald could have done instead of causing himself all of that extra worry.
Gerald and Piggie have two different responses to the same problem. Has that ever happened to you? Has there ever been a problem that you and a friend, family member, etc. had and dealt with in separate ways? What was that like?
Elephant & Piggie: My Friend Is Sad
By Mo Willems
Piggie sees from Gerald’s facial expressions that he is feeling sad. Piggie uses direct problem solving to try to make Gerald happy, which includes dressing up in silly outfits. Although Gerald smiles initially, with each attempt, he goes back to frowning and being sad. Finally, after dressing up three times doesn’t work, Piggie goes to offer Gerald social support without a costume. This is successful, as Gerald just wanted to spend time with her. It takes Piggie some time to understand this, but eventually, she is happy she could help Gerald.
This story models healthy ways kids can give social support. While making the person smile and laugh can sometimes work, this book shows that sometimes the best thing you can do for someone feeling down is to simply be there for them. It’s very valuable for kids to learn that they can’t always get rid of their “bad” feelings right away, and it’s ok to sit with them for a little bit.
Conversation starters:
As you read, talk about how Piggie and Gerald are feeling by looking at their facial expressions.
Imagine you are Piggie, and you want to help your friend who is feeling sad. What are some ways you could do that?
Have you ever felt sad like Gerald did? What are some things you can do if you feel that way?
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Gerald's facial expressions are a central part of this story.
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Evelyn Del Rey is Moving Away
By Meg Medina
Illustrated by Sonia Sanchez
Two best friends, Evelyn and Daniela, are sad that Evelyn is moving later in the day. To deal with this sadness, they first use behavioral distraction, playing together and having adventures “just like today is any other day.” This is a successful short-term coping strategy, as the girls get to enjoy their last day together. Later they turn to the active strategy of cognitive decision making, where they plan for the future and brainstorm ways to keep in touch. After Evelyn leaves, Daniela is sad, as can be seen by the image of her crying. Towards the end of the story, Daniela finally accepts that although Evelyn has to move away, she will always be her “first mejor amiga,” her “número uno best friend.”
This story serves as a healthy model for coping with uncontrollable stressors. By using behavioral distraction, the girls make the most of the time they have left together. Cognitive decision making is another healthy strategy, as it gives the girls some sense of control regarding their uncontrollable stressor. Finally, ending the book with acceptance models a very healthy choice. Saying goodbye can be very difficult, but Daniela recognizes that at some point she must say goodbye to her old relationship with Evelyn in order to move on and grow a new long distance relationship with her.
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Daniela feels very sad when she has to say goodbye to her friend.
Conversation starters:
Have you ever had to say goodbye to someone? How did you feel? Did this feeling change with time?
At the end of the book, we see Daniela has received some letters from Evelyn. How do you think Daniela felt when she got those letters?
Grumpy Monkey
By Suzanne Lang
Illustrated by Max Lang
Jim Panzee wakes up feeling very grumpy. First, he disengages from this feeling by ignoring and denying it. Then, he receives emotion-focused support from his friends. His friends tell him it’s a wonderful day and he should look happy. We can see from Jim’s facial expression that even though he is smiling, he doesn’t really feel happy on the inside. Jim’s friends then provide opportunities for behavioral escape by inviting him to participate in a variety of activities with them. None of these strategies work for Jim, leading him to emotionally vent and scream “I’m not grumpy!,” again, denying his feelings. Jim feels sorry after his outburst. He finally accepts that he is grumpy and just “needs to be grumpy.” He shares his feelings with a friend, who agrees that “It’s a wonderful day to be grumpy.” After Jim accepts and shares his feelings, he finds he “already feels a bit better.”
This story provides a wonderful model of emotional regulation. All of Jim’s regulation attempts before his acceptance are unsuccessful. Jim learns he cannot ignore or escape his feelings; no matter how much he presses them down, they will always find a way out (a great lesson for kids!).
The book’s portrayal of social support offers a fantastic lesson. The first time Jim receives social support is unsuccessful. This is because Jim’s friends are trying to change his emotion and are making him feel like he has to be happy. The second time Jim receives social support is much more successful. Instead of trying to change Jim’s emotion, Jim’s friend accepts Jim’s grumpy feeling and sits with him through it. By meeting Jim where he’s at, instead of trying to change his feelings, Jim’s friend offers stronger social support than what was given earlier in the story. While this is a slightly more advanced lesson regarding social-emotional skills, it provides a great model of how to offer effective social support.
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Pay close attention to Jim's facial expressions throughout the story. Can your child understand how Jim is feeling just based on his facial expressions?
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Conversation starters:
Have you ever had one of those days like Jim Panzee where everything seems to be going wrong? What are some things you can do on those days?
How can you help your friend if they are having a bad day? (This is a great opportunity to talk about how it’s ok to not be happy all of the time, and sometimes just letting a friend know you’re there for them can be very helpful.)
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A helpful analogy can be made here: Jim kept all of his feelings inside, and he exploded with an emotional outburst. Just like if you keep filling up a balloon with more and more air, it will explode.
Jabari Jumps
By Gaia Cornwall
This book offers a fantastic look into the coping process, as Jabari uses many strategies to overcome his fear of jumping off the diving board. Jabari first uses avoidant actions by letting other kids go in front of him in the line for the diving board. He then turns to distracting thoughts, which buys him some more time before climbing up the ladder. When he finally starts climbing, he feels “just a little tired” and decides to climb back down the ladder (another example of an avoidant action). Jabari then states he thinks tomorrow might be “a better day for jumping.” This is when Jabari’s dad steps in (emotion-focused social support) and encourages Jabari to see the diving board as a surprise, not something to be afraid of (positive cognitive restructuring). With this unique combination of social support and cognitive reframing, Jabari successfully jumps off the diving board.
Jabari is dealing with a controllable stressor. This is why his initial attempts at coping are unsuccessful; he is avoiding and distracting himself from taking the steps necessary to overcome the stressor. This is also why his later attempts at coping (emotion-focused support and positive cognitive restructuring) are successful; they give him the power to take action in facing his fear. Overall, this book models coping in a very healthy way and shows kids it’s okay to take a few tries to overcome a feeling or stressor. Additionally, the use of positive cognitive restructuring provides an excellent model for older kids who are beginning to add more cognitive coping skills into their repertoire.
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Conversation starters:
Have you ever felt afraid like Jabari did? Can you think about the situation in a different way that makes it seem less scary?
How do you think Jabari felt once he jumped off the diving board? (Facial expressions can serve as great context clues here.)
Towards the end of the book, Jabari takes a deep breath to help himself feel calm before he climbs up the ladder. What are some ways you can help calm down when you’re feeling worried or scared?
Watch Jabari's facial expressions change as he slowly overcomes his fear of jumping off the diving board.
Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse
By Kevin Henkes
Lilly problems begin when she interrupts class time. As a result of her poor behavior, she has had her new purse taken away from her. She feels very sad when her teacher confiscates her new purse. She ruminates on these feelings until she becomes “furious” and vents her emotions by drawing a mean picture of her teacher and putting it in his bag. Later, Lilly realizes her mean picture may have hurt her teacher’s feelings. This time, she deals with her sadness in a healthier way. She seeks support from her parents and also uses direct problem solving by writing her teacher an apology letter. When her teacher forgives her, Lilly feels relief and happiness.
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Lilly’s unhealthy regulation attempts have negative consequences, such as feelings of regret and crying. Her healthy regulation attempts have positive consequences, such as receiving forgiveness from her teacher and feelings of happiness. This is important because not only can readers learn what not to do when they are feeling upset, but they are also provided with healthier alternatives to use instead.
Can your child see Lilly's feelings change from sad to angry in these pictures?
Conversation starters:
Journaling and drawing can be great coping strategies; it can be very helpful to get our ideas and feelings out of our heads and onto paper. How might this look different from what Lilly did?
Have you ever felt your stomach lurch and feel like crying like Lilly did when she got her purse taken away from her? What did you do when you felt like that?
Miss Nelson Is Missing!
By Harry Allard
Illustrated by James Marshall
Though coping is not a central aspect of this popular story, the students of room 207 try two strategies to cope with the disappearance of their teacher. The first is direct problem solving, which occurs when the students set out to look for Miss Nelson themselves. The students cannot control where Miss Nelson goes, but they can control their responses to the situation. This initial response has the potential to reach a solution. However, when their search is unsuccessful, the children turn to rumination, a form of emotional dysregulation. The children realize they can’t take any more active steps towards finding Miss Nelson. Instead of accepting this reality, they worry about all of the possible things that could have happened to Miss Nelson, from shark attacks to swarms of angry butterflies. Their rumination results in feelings of discouragement.
Pay attention to the students' facial expressions as they grow more worried throughout the story.
Conversation starters:
Have you ever felt your worries spinning out of control like the students of room 207 did? What are some things you can do if you feel worried?
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Did worrying about the worst outcomes actually help the students of room 207? What are some other things they could have tried to feel better?
Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon
By Patty Lovell
Illustrated by David Catrow
Molly Lou Melon looks a little different from other kids her age. Through a combination of social support and positive cognitive restructuring, she learns how to be confident in herself and celebrate what makes her unique. Her grandmother encourages her to be proud of who she is and embrace her differences. When she goes to a new school, a boy starts to bully Molly because of these differences. Again, Molly uses positive cognitive restructuring to reframe the bully’s insults into something positive. Her optimistic mindset is positively reinforced when after a few days, her bully turns into her friend.
Both strategies used in this story offer healthy models of coping and emotional regulation. Molly’s physical traits cannot be changed; thus, it is healthy for her to think about her differences in a positive way. She also cannot directly change her bully’s actions, but she can control how she responds to his rude comments. In terms of social support, it is healthy for young Molly to look to a trusted adult for advice and comfort when regulating emotions. This is a developmentally-appropriate model for both younger and older readers.
Conversation starters:
Molly receives a lot of support from her grandma. Who is someone you could turn to for advice or comfort?
Imagine Molly is your friend, and you saw her being picked on. What are some ways you could help her?
The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family
By Ibtihaj Muhammad and S. K. Ali
Illustrated by Hatem Aly
At the beginning of this story, young Faizah doesn’t understand why some of her peers are laughing at Asiya’s (her sister) hijab. This is followed by anger, as can be seen in Faizah’s facial expressions. She then uses a combination of emotion-focused support and positive cognitive restructuring, referring back to her mother’s words of wisdom. This allows Faizah to reframe the situation and focus on the pride she has for her family instead of the hurtful words from others. We see this pride in Faizah’s drawing, in which both she and her sister are wearing hijabs. When yet another peer makes fun of Asiya’s hijab, Faizah reframes the situation using her mother’s words again, in addition to walking away from the peer (avoidant actions).
Faizah feels very angry when she witnesses her peers bullying her sister.
This story models healthy ways to deal with uncontrollable stressors. Faizah recognizes that while she cannot control what her peers say, she can control how she reacts to them and whether or not she gives them the attention they seek. Social support and positive cognitive restructuring both allow her to take control of her response to the situation, without having to take control of the situation itself. Though younger readers may not be quite ready for these cognitive coping strategies, Faizah can serve as a great role model for older kids who are beginning to explore more cognitive strategies.
Conversation starters:
Faizah feels better when she is with her sister and uses her mother’s words to help her through a tricky situation. Who is someone you can turn to to help you through tricky situations?
What would you do if you saw someone getting picked on, like Asiya was? What are some ways you could help? (This act of putting themselves in another person’s shoes can be great for kids starting to develop theory of mind; this can also start great conversations about empathy.)
The Three Questions
By Jon J. Muth
Problem-focused support seeking is the coping strategy used in this story. First, Nikolai turns to his three friends and asks them if they know the answer to his three questions. When “their answers didn’t seem quite right,” he turns to his older, wiser friend for answers. This friend answers his questions, but Nikolai is still not happy with his responses. Some time passes, and Nikolai decides to ask his friend his three questions one final time. This time, Nikolai’s friend points out that Nikolai has had the answers all along; he just needed some help finding them.
While coping isn’t a central part of this story, Nikolai does deal with his problem in a healthy way. He has tried to find the answer to his three questions by himself and was not successful, so turned to his friends for help. Learning that it’s ok to ask for help can be a great lesson, especially for older kids as they begin to face new social and academic challenges.
Conversation starter:
Imagine you are like Nikolai, and you have a question you really want to know the answer to. Who would you ask for help?
What the Road Said
By Cleo Wade
Illustrated by Lucie de Moyencourt
This book is unique in that it talks about coping strategies in a broader sense, rather than in response to specific stressors. The narrator of the book is very uncertain about the road and future ahead. They ask a lot of questions (seeking understanding) to learn information about what lies ahead. Though, some of these questions suggest rumination, as the narrator fixates on the unknowns about the future and asks a lot of “What if” questions. They also turn to the Road for guidance when they are afraid (emotion-focused support seeking), trusting it to guide them through a scary forest. The Road is very responsive to the differences in their requests; the Road provides information at some times, and reassurance and comfort during others.
It is likely that kids will resonate with this story, as they often share some of the big questions the narrator has about their futures and life in general. Turning to a source of social support for answers to these questions and guidance along the way is a very healthy coping / regulation strategy. Regarding the narrator’s rumination about “What ifs” about the future, it can be reassuring and validating for kids to know that they are not the only ones with these big questions. The comfort the Road provides in response to these worries can also be comforting to kids, reminding them that it’s okay to not have all the answers right now.
Conversation starters:
Who is someone you can turn to if you have questions about the future?
Who is someone you have supporting you as you walk along your own road?
The narrator in this story feels a little worried about the future. Have you ever felt that way? How did you deal with that feeling?
Where the Wild Things Are
By Maurice Sendak
When Max gets sent to bed without dinner, he is initially upset, as can be seen by his frowning facial expression. He then turns to a disengagement form of emotional regulation: escaping to his own world where he is the ruler of the wild things. While he is happy here for a while, he eventually begins to feel lonely. We see his facial expressions shift from mad to sad. He then uses an engagement form of regulation by returning home where he can receive emotional support from someone who “loved him best of all.” His facial expression shows relief when he returns home and finds a hot dinner waiting for him.
This classic story shows how imagination can be used to regulate negative emotions. It serves as a good model to demonstrate the importance of support, whether this comes from “wild things” or trusted family and friends. It is also a great lesson in facing our problems: although Max avoided his problem for a short period of time, he eventually had to come home and directly deal with his problem.
Conversation starter:
Max’s facial expressions play an important role in this story. Pay close attention to them and ask your child how they think Max is feeling throughout the story.
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Can your child tell how Max is feeling just by looking at his facial expressions?
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A note on books that were excluded from the analysis:
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There were 5 books that were selected and read, but excluded from the analysis. These books have nothing wrong with them! They were excluded for one of two reasons:
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1. The characters did not encounter a stressor, thus there weren't any coping or regulation experiences to analyze.
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2. There was a brief mention of a coping or regulation attempt, but not enough detail was provided to analyze it.
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These are fun, engaging reads that contain a variety of lessons; these lessons just fall outside the realm of stress, coping, and regulation.
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Excluded books:
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
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The images on this page should NOT be copied or reproduced. These images are used for educational purposes (Section 107 of 1976 Copyright Act). All rights and credit go to the original authors and illustrators. No copyright infringement intended.