Books to support mental health awareness for ages 5+

Written in clever rhyming verse, this fun picture book uses humour to tackle big feelings of worry and anxiety.

Are your thoughts kind, or are they sometimes confusing? This practical, comforting book offers ways for children to deal with negative self-talk. 

A lovely book helping children to navigate their feelings and emotions – both positive and negative – as well as gently discussing mental health issues.

Rajiv doesn’t know why he’s thrown his toy against the wall, so his dad shows him a way to identify his feelings. Gentle and beautiful, this could spark conversations about emotions with pre-schoolers. 

The little boy depicted in this gorgeous book is a ball of energy; a gentleman and a scholar; a hilarious friend and a good brother. But, sometimes, he is afraid of the world around him. A stunning visual poem dedicated to supporting and loving black boys.

Something strange happens to Charlie at random times for no apparent reason: he changes into animals. This book cleverly portrays ways of dealing with stress and anxiety, and provides some sound advice throughout. Brilliant and positive. 

After storming off to bed upset and in a terrible mood, Erika wakes up in the most incredible place ever: there are rainbow-coloured trees, super bouncy grass and waterfalls that flow up instead of down. But she’s in danger of being trapped there… can she find her way home?

This inspiring and dynamic poetry collection from Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho is about courage in lots of different forms. Not only are there poems about courage – from facing a fear or setting a boundary to trying something new – it also guides children on how to be brave through poetry, whether that’s through performing a poem aloud or having a go at writing their own.

Shara’s mum is going away for a couple of days with her netball team, and so Shara and her little brother Keita are going to stay with her grandfather Baba while she’s away. The thing is, Shara doesn’t want to admit it, but she’s actually quite worried about Mum being away. 

The quest continues for Sam Wu to prove that he is not afraid of anything. This time he is out to prove that he is not by any means afraid of the dark… This series is going from strength to strength and is a great accessible read.

A Jacqueline Wilson title popular with boys and girls alike that deals with the issues children can have. Good for children to read by themselves but also a good chapter-a-night or read-aloud book.

A stunning collection of poems, beautifully illustrated, that explores and celebrate feelings of all kinds. Perfect for reading aloud, and for curling up with.