Young children are hyper aware of the world around them. Whether or not you and your family have been directly impacted by the incident of gun violence on April 17th, your child may come to you with questions. As caregivers, talking with children about violence can seem like a daunting task, but sharing a book can help to guide a conversation. Having conversations with trusted adults and receiving emotional support can help to comfort a child after a tragedy occurs.
The titles below can help you talk with an older child, reassure a younger child or offer an invitation to your child to express their emotions. If these titles don’t contain the information or topics you’re looking for, we’re happy to offer personalized assistance to find titles that can meet your needs.
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If you’re looking for more book suggestions, we’re happy to recommend them to you! Use this Book Recommendation form to send us some information about what you like to read and we’ll curate a list just for you.
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Miles wants to move away after his cousin Keisha is accidentally shot in their neighborhood park, but Keisha and Miles’ father work with others to make their community a safer place. Includes reader’s note with discussion questions and advice for caregivers.
You can also check out this title as an eAudio on Hoopla.
Illustrations and easy-to-read text express a child’s awareness of being filled with deep emotions, from joy to sorrow and anger to compassion, but above all, love. You can also check out this title as eBook on OverDrive/Libby.
An anti-anxiety toolkit of easy-to-understand methods for recognizing anxious behaviors and identifying the causes of worried thinking.
A touching story about a little boy whose worry monster follows him everywhere he goes. It’s there when he gets dressed, when he wants to play with his toys, and even when his friends come over to visit. How can he escape his worries?
Gloria loves to sing and play with her friends, but her Big Problem follows her around and tells her that she can’t.
You can also check out this title as eBook on OverDrive/Libby.
Daniel Tiger gets scared when a bad storm hits the neighborhood and learns to look for people who can help. You can also check out this title as eBook on OverDrive/Libby.
What should we do when things don’t go to plan? We may feel mad, frustrated, or overwhelmed, but by talking it through, compromising, and seeing another point of view, we can start fresh, begin anew.
Llewellyn, a little rabbit overwhelmed by his emotions, hides away his feelings in glass jars, until he discovers life is more colorful when he sets his emotions free.
Also Available as an eAudiobook & movie on Hoopla
A children’s book that celebrates honest and intimate moments of gay parenting. You can also check out this title as eBook on Hoopla.
When we learn about something bad – even when we hear only bits and pieces of it – our brains get busy trying to make sense of what we’ve heard. Seeing distressing events on the news, or hearing about them later, can feel scary and overwhelming. Talking about what happened, and how we feel about it, is hugely important.
Using illustrations, full-color photographs, and straightforward text, this nonfiction picture book introduces the topics of tragedy and disaster to young readers. You can also check out this title as eBook on OverDrive/Libby, as eBook on Hoopla or as eAudio on Hoopla.
This book is designed for older elementary children who have directly experienced trauma, to be used as a resource in conjunction with therapy. Caregivers looking to use this book with a child are advised to review the book before presenting it to a child.