Too Much: An Overwhelming Day written by Jolene Gutierrez, illustrated by Angel Chang

Subject Matter: SENSORY PROCESSING DISORDER

Illustrated with evocative, colorful illustrations, this beautiful rhyming first-person story about SPD shares a little girl’s feelings of being overwhelmed when the world gives her too much sensory input. Too much sound, light, and physical sensation on her skin. “TOO LOUD! TOO BRIGHT! TOO ITCHY! TOO TIGHT!” After school, the girl’s mom gives her a sheet-hug. Then, the girl spends quiet time in a dark place, which calms her nervous system. Back matter shares information about sensory overload,  sensory systems, and how to create a sensory diet.

Dear Stray written by Kirsten Hubbard, illustrated by Susan Gal

Subject Matter: KNOWING SELF / BIG FEELINGS

Written in letters to her newly adopted kitten, a little girl explains that she can relate to the prickly, scratchy stray kitten full of fury. Although, she admits that she imagined more purring and less scratching. As the little girl goes through the ups and downs of her emotions and her cat’s emotions, she realizes that she and her fierce little tiger need each other.

Grief Is an Elephant written by Tamara Ellis Smith, illustrated by Nancy Whitesides

Subject Matte: GRIEF

Anyone who has experienced grief will immediately relate to ALL of the metaphors in this exceptional and emotional picture book. “Sometimes Grief is an elephant…It’s hard to breathe under all that Grief.” Push her with your hands. Lean into her. Run! Other times, Grief is a deer with too-tall ears or a fox with soft small feet who settles in for a nap. When she leaves, you know she’ll come again.” The writer captures the essence of grief perfectly in all its soft, big, quiet, loud coming and going ways.

A Walk in the Woods written by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney and Brain Pinkney

Subject Matter: GRIEF , NATURE

After his dad dies, the boy finds a treasure map of the woods from his dad. In the woods, he notices the soft bird songs, a stairway of mushrooms, and the hurt lessening with each step. He remembers being in the woods with his dad. The map leads him to a brick fireplace with a rusty metal box. Inside are sketches and poems from his dad when he was a kid, plus an invitation to finish the stories and to draw and write his own.

I’m From written by Gary R. Gray, Jr., illustrated by Oge Mora

Subject Matter: SLICE OF LIFE

Punchy, vivid language captures a day in the life of a young boy, starting with pan-fried bologna and continuing to the busy, vibrating school bus, school with books that don’t click, kids who ask rude questions like, “Can I touch your hair?”, writing stories with stubby pencils, home with bear-tight cuddles and late-night belly laughs, and the reminder of who he is. He comes from dreams, hopes, ambitions, lion-like traditions…he comes from somewhere. Vibrant, motion-filled mixed media illustrations beautifully match this gorgeous story.

Invisible Things by Andy J. Pizza and Sophie Miller

Subject Matter: FEELINGS

This beautiful book seemingly starts as a book about seeing things with your five senses, but it blossoms into a rich, kid-friendly exploration of feelings — and how noticing our invisible feelings makes for a wonderful life. The creators talk about moods and feelings kids might not know like nostalgia, the heeebie-jeebies, and the blues. The feelings chart is lovely and includes the blahs, empathy, worries, guts, hope, and more.