Published by HarperCollins

Summary:  Can you be like a dog?  Dogs are always in the present, not the past or the future. They stretch when they wake up, then greet the day and the people they love.   Dogs feel their feelings, then let them go.  They play every day, and sniff deeply wherever they go.  And at the end of the day, dogs notice the night, feel their fatigue, and drop and dream.  Includes lists of ways to use each of your senses on a mindfulness walk and a mindful breathing exercise.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A delightful way to teach mindfulness that kids will easily understand and relate to, with Pete Oswald’s fun dog illustrations providing the visuals.

Cons:  Not everyone lives in a climate where they’ll be able to find the things listed on the mindfulness walk.

Published by Tundra Books

Summary:  Bernadette’s oldest friend is Rodney, a tortoise is older than she is, older than her dad, even older than her Great-Aunt Clara.  Bernadette loves to play games with Rodney, to bring him to school for show and tell, and to read to him before bedtime.  Rodney has always been slow, but he gradually gets slower until one day he dies.  Bernadette brings her grief with her to school, where it feels like the other kids don’t really care.  Like Rodney, she sits on a rock at recess, drawing deeper into her shell.  Then one day, a boy named Amar climbs onto the rock with her, acknowledging her sadness about Rodney and remembering some good things that he remembers about the tortoise.  Amar used to have a budgie named Samuel, so he’s not unfamiliar with loss.  Bernadette responds by inviting Amar over for a game of Crokinole, something she used to enjoy with Rodney.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  This gentle tale of love and loss will resonate with anyone who has ever experienced grief.  

Cons:  I had never heard of Crokinole and had to use my context clues to figure out what it is.

Published by Albert Whitman and Company

Summary:  When the food supply dwindles at Molly’s house, her mother tells her they’re going to the food pantry on Saturday.  “Everybody needs help sometimes,” says Mom, lifting her chin a little higher.  Waiting in line, Molly says hi to Caitlin, a girl from her class, but Caitlin turns away.  When Molly walks over to her, Caitlin says she doesn’t want anyone to know she and her grandmother are there.  Molly convinces Caitlin to draw pictures with her while they wait in line, and they cheer people up with their creations.  Inside, Molly and Mom fill their cart, and they walk out with Caitlin and her grandmother, who turn out to be neighbors.  They decide to eat lunch together, the adults sharing stories of job loss and illness, and the two girls remembering how their drawings made people happy.  Includes a note about food insecurity from Kate Maher, CEO of the Greater Chicago Food Depository.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A realistic look at what it’s like to shop at the food pantry with important messages addressing the stigma that kids might pick up on from adults.  

Cons:  There are too few books that address issues faced by low-income families.

Published by mineditionUS

Summary:  A storm comes to town that is unlike any that has ever been seen before, and a family is forced to stay inside.  It feels strange to be indoors together for so long and soon tempers flare.  Everyone is mad at each other and just wants to be alone.  One night, though, a violent thunderstorm and power outage bring them all back together again, and after that things start to get better.  There are still occasional fights, but each day the family bond gets stronger, until one day the storm is gone and the sun is shining again.  When they head outside, there’s a lot of storm damage, but it’s clear from the last picture that the family will be working together to clean it up.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  While this story seems clearly to have been inspired by the pandemic lockdown, it could also be used to show how a family moves through different stages during any sort of difficult time.  The family’s resilience in overcoming anger and learning to pull together during a tough time make this an excellent story for social and emotional learning.  

Cons:  The ending felt a little abrupt.

Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Ari is excited that Uncle Lior is coming for a visit.  Uncle Lior uses they/them pronouns, and they always ask Ari, “What are your words?”  Usually Ari knows right away; it may be “Happy! Creative! Funny! He/him” or “Thoughtful! Athletic! Silly! She/her.”  Today, though, nothing quite seems to fit.  Ari worries about it as the day progresses, with more introductions (including pronouns) around the neighborhood, finishing up with a barbecue and fireworks.  As the first ones burst across the sky, Ari suddenly discovers the words for today: “Impatient! Excited! Colorful! They/them.”  Uncle Lior tells them, “That’s definitely you, Ari.”  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  This book will be a valuable resource to anyone working with transgender, nonbinary, or gender fluid kids and will help others to understand the importance of pronouns.  The illustrations are cheerful and colorful; I especially liked the endpapers that showed a variety of people and pronouns.

Cons:  The story was definitely secondary to the lessons being taught.