Picture Books To Help Children Cope With Stress

We all experience stress from time to time. Although we may think of stress as part of adult life - stress at work, stress in relationships with partners, financial stress - children experience stress too. Children may experience day-to-day stresses such as worries at bedtime, concerns about separation, learning how to make and keep friends, or just having a bad day. They may also experience the stress of major, life-changing events, such as starting school, having a new sister or brother, their parents' divorce, the death of a pet or a close person, natural disaster, or war.

It's my opinion that stories can serve as a resource for healing. The metaphors of stories may reach us in an emotionally meaningful way that more direct or literal communications don't. Stories may be particularly helpful for children because kids naturally express their feelings and process their experiences metaphorically, through make-believe play.

Essentially, a story is an experience. Just as some experiences can be disruptive, distressing, and painful, the best picture books - stories that take an empathic, positive approach, acknowledge kids' feelings, and show them new ways to understand or cope with a situation - may help children feel calmed, soothed, hopeful, and competent to face challenges successfully. Stories may also help children develop and strengthen lifelong internal resources that can help them cope with stress. These resources include a resilient sense of self, a sense of security in relationship, imagination, and emotional awareness.

To help you find stories that speak straight to the heart of the challenges your child faces, I've written HEALING STORIES: PICTURE BOOKS FOR THE BIG AND SMALL CHANGES IN A CHILD'S LIFE. HEALING STORIES is a guide for parents, teachers, and other adults who have children in their lives to more than 500 picture books that help support kids as they face new, challenging, or stressful experiences.

"HEALING STORIES empowers parents to promote development and healing in children through books in a fun, helpful manner. The quality of her selections is excellent."
- Kari Ramstrom, M.L.I.S., Library Journal

"Parents who love and reread children's books will enjoy HEALING STORIES, and almost certainly find help within its pages for their children's tribulations, whether big, small, or in between ... Within each category are dozens of marvelous books, intelligently summarized ... this is an exceptional look at two generations of books that can both entertain our children and soothe them in time of need."
- Melanie Lawrence, Parents' Press

"comprehensive, easy-to-use ... empathic, well-informed ... Written in a warm, engaging style that is accessible to parents ... Healing Stories is an essential resource for every adult who cares about young children."
- Mary Ruth Cross, M.F.T., Play Therapy Magazine and California Association for Play Therapy Newsletter

"A valuable family resource for healing and helping children through transitions in life."
- William Sears, M.D., author of THE SUCCESSFUL CHILD

"HEALING STORIES is a unique resource for guidance in sorting through the wealth of children's picture books addressing psychosocial issues. Golding is especially sensitive to questions of inclusiveness, cultural context, and age appropriateness. This is an important book for parents."
- Alvin Poussaint, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and Judge Baker Children's Center, and author of RAISING BLACK CHILDREN and LAY MY BURDEN DOWN

"Research consistently affirms the importance of parental reading to young children as a bond of warmth as well as a stimulus for cognitive, emotional, and social development. Dr. Golding has provided an invaluable tool for parents and other caregivers by identifying and organizing lists of illustrated books for helping children experience basic securities, develop a sense of personal worth, and explore their imaginative potential. The books, arranged for different age levels, also cover a range of problematic aspects in the child's life from daily stresses, fears, or worries to responses to traumatic events. The brief but insightful explanations provided in each area may really aid many adults in helping the children in their care confront the difficulties and also the joys of growing up. In a time of national concern about school readiness and literacy this is a great way to introduce children to the pleasures and values of reading."
- Jerome L. Singer, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Child Study, Yale University and author of MAKE-BELIEVE: GAMES AND ACTIVITES FOR IMAGINATIVE PLAY; IMAGINATION AND PLAY IN THE ELECTRONIC AGE; HOUSE OF MAKE-BELIEVE: CHILDREN'S PLAY AND THE DEVELOPING IMAGINATION; and THE CHILD'S WORLD OF MAKE-BELIEVE

"A practical sourcebook of stories to help children (ages 1 to 12) cope with the difficult challenges of life. Highly recommended!!"
- Charles E. Schaefer, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, Fairleigh Dickinson University, author of HOW TO HELP CHILDREN WITH COMMON PROBLEMS, and editor of FOUNDATIONS OF PLAY THERAPY and HANDBOOK OF PLAY THERAPY

"A wonderful help for parents whose children are facing a transition or life problem, and a great resource for professionals, pediatricians, and teachers. I've frequently recommended it to parents and professionals alike."
- Mary Krentz, Ph.D., Psychologist in private practice, Oakland, CA, and Associate Professor, Wright Institute, Berkeley, CA

"An excellent resource."
- Keith Averell, Teacher, Vintage Hills Elementary School, Pleasanton, CA

"An incredibly great resource."
- Tracy Trotter, M.D., pediatrician in private practice, San Ramon, CA

"What a remarkable resource!"
- ChildCareLookup.com

"Stories can help facilitate discussion on some tough subjects. Dr. Golding touches on some pretty intense items! Browse this list whenever your child has an issue (we used a lot of the 'fear' resources when our son went through the 'I'm three, therefore I'm scared of everything' phase)."
- BlissfullyDomestic.com

At The Literacy Site, when you click once a day, sponsors donate books to children around the world. As the site puts it, "Making books a part of a child's life is the best way to encourage the love of reading, and literacy is key in breaking the poverty cycle." The Literacy Site gave over half a million books to children in 2008.



At Free Rice, you can increase your own literacy. When you answer a multiple-choice vocabulary question correctly, sponsors donate rice to the United Nations World Food Program. The site has donated enough rice to feed more than two million people since it started in October 2007. And if you'd prefer another subject besides vocabulary, you can choose from topics that include other European languages, art, geography, math, and chemistry.