These books may help kids ease their fears
It’s hard for adults to process the devastation of Hurricane Harvey. But what if you’re a kid? In the storm’s aftermath, the beauty of humanity continues to play out in the stories of strangers helping strangers. This makes for so many teachable moments for children with lessons on how to give, how to weather a storm and even how to understand what a storm is all about. Here’s a collection of books — new and classic — that do just that.
“ALEXANDERTERRIBLE,GOOD, VERY HORRIBLE,BAD AND DAY” THE NO By Judith Viorst; illustrated by Ray Cruz Simon & Schuster, $13.99, 32 pgs. Ages 4-8 Yes, people of all ages have terrible, horrible days. Alexander reminds readers that things may not be all that bad even when they are bad.
“THE GIVING TREE” By Shel Silverstein HarperCollins,Ages 4-8 $17.99, 64 pgs. This 1964 classic is a lesson about giving and follows the lives of a female apple tree and a boy, who have a relationship in which the tree is very “giving” and the boy evolves into a “taking” teenager, man, then elderly man.
“BEAR FEELS SCARED” By Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman. Simon & Schuster, $17.99, 40 pgs. Ages 4-8 A delightful story about Bear, who gets lost on the way home, and when he finally finds his way back to his cave he relishes how safe he feels with his friends all around.
“LOLA’S RULES FOR FRIENDSHIP” By Jenna McCarthy and illustrated by Sara Palacios. HarperCollins, $17.99, 32 pgs. Publishes Nov. 2017. Ages 4-8 Sometimes friends do not-sofriendly things. That’s the message in this fun read for young readers, and they learn that friends make mistakes but they can forgive each other.
“RAINDROPS ROLL” By April Pulley Sayre. Simon & Schuster, $17.99, 40 pgs. Ages 4-8 How does rain happen and why? Tiny tots can discover the wonder of water in this colorful exploration of rain, raindrops and the water cycle.
“AL WEATHER:Typhoons, ROKER’S and Tornadoes, EXTREMEOther Weather Phenomena” by NBC “Today Show’s” Al Roker. HarperCollins, $16.99, 48 pgs. Ages 8-12 Older readers interested in science can dive deep into a world of fascinating weather with NBC “Today Show’s” co-anchor and meteorologist Al Roker. He covers everything from thundersnow to fogsicles, along with uncovering the mysteries of extreme weather.