Books for supporting socio-emotional development

• Why it matters: Young children often struggle to identify and express their emotions. Books offer characters and stories that model different feelings, helping children understand their own emotional experiences.
• How sharing books help: Through relatable characters facing a range of emotions—happiness, sadness, anger, fear—children learn to recognise, name, and validate their feelings, making it easier to express their own emotions.

• Why it matters: Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. It’s a foundational skill for forming positive relationships.
• How books help: When children read about characters with different perspectives, life experiences, and challenges, they begin to imagine themselves in others’ shoes. This nurtures empathy by broadening their emotional experiences and encouraging compassion.

• Why it matters: Socio-emotional growth involves learning how to handle challenges, resolve conflicts, and cope with frustration or disappointment.
• How books help: Some of the stories below depict characters overcoming difficulties, managing conflicts, or learning from mistakes. By following these narratives, children gain insights into healthy problem-solving techniques and develop resilience

• Why it matters: Interacting positively with others is a key aspect of social-emotional development. It’s important that children learn how to share, co-operate, listen, and express themselves.
• How books help: Books showcase various social dynamics—friendships, teamwork, and co-operation—giving children concrete examples of how to engage in social interactions. They learn social norms and behaviours by observing characters’ actions and reactions.

• Why it matters: Self-awareness and self-regulation are important for controlling impulses and behaviours. These skills are critical for school readiness and long-term emotional well-being.
• How books help: Through stories, children witness characters managing their impulses, calming down when upset, or reflecting on their actions. This helps young readers understand the importance of regulating their own behaviour and making thoughtful decisions.

• Why it matters: Children may experience complex emotions like grief, fear, or anxiety but struggle to articulate them.
• How books help: Books provide a safe, non-threatening way to explore difficult or sensitive topics. They can initiate conversations between adults and children about emotions or challenging situations, fostering open communication and emotional support.

Highly empowering non-fiction book about how we feel and act. Look at the pictures. How are the children feeling?

Part of a series for children to find ways to express themselves. The puppy is happy. What makes you happy? 

Finn and his grandpa discuss how it’s okay to have difficult feelings beneath our surfaces. What kind of mood is Finn in at the start of the story? 

A funny story about having a grumpy day and managing your emotions. I wonder why Barbara is feeling that way? What do you think?

Femi’s gran suggests that the way to tackle a problem is to breathe slowly and stay calm. Why is Femi worried?

This has a positive message that there are different ways to be brave, like making new friends or saying sorry. Can you be brave today? 

All books should be available from a public library or a good bookshop.