Check out this list of favorite books for Black History Month (and anytime!) from Reading Rockets. Some describe different histories while others show the joys and challenges that are shared by all children as they learn and grow.
100 Books About Social and Emotional Learning
Big emotions, little people! Kids can't get everything right the first time, they often need help managing their emotions and maintaining positive relationships. This list has been compiled to include books that can help your child acquire social and emotional skills that can be used for the rest of their life.
infants & toddlers (0 - 2 years)
Are You My Mother? by P. D. Eastman
Baby Happy Baby Sad by Leslie Patricelli
Big Dog…Little Dog by P. D. Eastman
Feet Are Not For Kicking by Elizabeth Verdick
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd
Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard
Hands Are Not For Hitting by Martine Agassi
Hug by Jez Alborough
Hug Time by Patrick McDonnell
I Am a Big Brother by Caroline Jayne Church
I Can Do It Too! by Karen Baicker
I Love You, Too! by Eve Bunting
Little Gorilla by Ruth Bornstein
Little Monkey Calms Down by Michael Dahl
Mean Soup by Betsy Everitt
Mommies Say Shh! by Patricia Polacco
My Heart is Like a Zoo by Michael Hall
One Love by Cedella Marley
Owl Babies by Martin Waddell
Peekaboo Morning by Rachel Isadora
Teeth Are Not For Biting by Elizabeth Verdick
The Color Monster: A Pop-up Book of Feelings by Anna Llenas
The Moon Sees You & Me by Caleb Buroughs
The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
The Very Lonely Butterfly by Eric Carle
What's Wrong, Little Pookie? by Sandra Boynton
Whose Mouse are You? by Robert Kraus
You Are My Cupcake by Joyce Wan
You Are My I Love You by Maryann Cusimano Love
preschool (3 - 4 years)
A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker
Archie Snufflekins Oliver Valentine Cupcake Tiberius Cat by Katie Harnett
Aren't You Lucky! by Laurence Anholt
Bunny Cakes (Max and Ruby) by Rosemary Wells
Chopsticks by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Daddy Hug by Tim Warnes
David Gets In Trouble by David Shannon
Do You Want To Be My Friend? by Eric Carle
Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother Too? by Eric Carle
Gaston by Kelly DiPucchio
Glad Monster, Sad Monster by Ed Emberley and Anne Miranda
Goodnight, I Love You by Caroline Jayne Church
Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
Horrible Bear! by Ame Dyckman
Hug You, Kiss You, Love You by Joyce Wan
I Love You All Day Long by Francesca Rusackas
I Love You Like Crazy Cakes by Rose A. Lewis
In Grandma's Arms by Jayne C. Shelton
Is A Worry Worrying You? by Ferida Wolff and Harriet May Savitz
Just Grandma and Me by Mercer Mayer
Just Grandpa and Me by Mercer Mayer
Just Me and My Dad by Mercer Mayer
Little Bot and Sparrow by Jake Parker
Lola at the Library by Anna McQuinn
Love Is by Diane Adams
Love Is Everywhere by Jim Benton
Maisy Makes Lemonade by Lucy Cousins
Mighty Dads by Joan Holub
Nelly Gnu and Daddy Too by Anna Dewdney
Noisy Nora by Rosemary Wells
Otis by Loren Long
Pax and Blue by Lori Richmond
Peter's Chair by Ezra Jack Keats
Shy by Deborah Freedman
So Much! by Trish Cooke
Swimmy by Leo Lionni
The Granddaughter Necklace by Sharon Dennis Wyeth
The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
The Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza) by Philomen Sturges
The Pigeon Has Feelings, Too! by Mo Willems
The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen
The Sandwich Shop by Queen Rania of Jordan Al Abdullah and Kelly DiPucchio
The Very Best Daddy of All by Marion Dane Bauer
Two Bad Ants by Chris Van Allsburg
Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes
early school (5 - 6 years)
A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams
A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
All Too Much for Oliver by Leila Boukarim
Be A Friend by Salina Yoon
Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bicycle by Chris Raschka
I Can Do That: A Book on Self-Regulation by Kayla J. W. Marnach
I Love My New Toy! by Mo Willems
I'm a Big Sister by Joanna Cole
In My Heart: A Book of Feelings by Jo Witek
It's Hard to Be Five: Learning How to Work My Control Panel by Jamie Lee Curtis
Leonardo, the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems
Mama Cat Has Three Kittens by Denise Fleming
Mama Don't Allow by Thacher Hurd
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton
The Friend Ship by Kat Yeh
The Hello, Goodbye Window by Norton Juster
The Invisible String by Patrice Karst
The Way I Feel by Janan Cain
There Are No Animals in This Book (Only Feelings) by Chani Sanchez
Weekends with Max and His Dad by Linda Urban
When Andy Met Sandy by Tomie DePaola and Jim Lewis
When Sophie Gets Angry - Really Really Angry… by Molly Bang
Where Are You Going? To See My Friend! by Kazuo Iwamura
Wherever You Are My Love Will Find You by Nancy Tillman
You Belong Here by M. H. Clark
Want to read more? Check out our next category of 100 books all about the arts. And make sure to share your journey to 1,000 on social media and tag us! #1000Books
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