Children's books are a great way to supplement teaching social-emotional skills to kids.  They create relatable characters, and through the story and images, they can show kids how to effectively cope with whatever issue they are struggling with.  Children's books are also a great way to spark discussion!  This is why we created this list of popular books that cover a variety of social-emotional topics.  For descriptions and pricing, Amazon links are provided by clicking on the image.
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**This page contains affiliate links.  This means that Mylemarks makes a small commission, at no cost to you, on purchases made through these links.

Children's Books about Anger

Grumpy Bird

by Jeremy Tankard

Mouse Was Mad

​by Linda Urban

When Sophie Gets Angry

​by Molly Bang

Llama Llama Mad at Mama​

by Anna Dewdney

Anh's Anger​

by Gail Silver

I Was So Mad​

by Mercer Mayer

Hands Are Not For Hitting

by Martine Agassi

When I Feel Angry

by Cornelia Maude Spelman

Cool Down & Work Through Anger

by Cheri J. Meiners

When I'm Feeling Angry

by Trace Moroney

Maya Was Grumpy

by Courtney Pippin-Mathur

When Miles Got Mad

by Sam Kurtzman-Counter

I Hate Everything!

by Sue Graves

How to Take the Grrrr Out of Anger

by Elizabeth Verdick

You Get What You Get

by Julie Gassman

Grumpy Monkey

by Suzanne Lang

Children's Books about Anxiety and Worry

Scaredy Squirrel

by Melanie Watt

Wilma Jean the Worry Machine

by Julia Cook

It Will Be Okay

by Lysa Terkeurst

Worry Says What

by Allison Edwards

The Worry Glasses​

by Donalisa Helsley

Wemberly Worried

by Kevin Henkes

But What If?

by Sue Graves

Hey Warrior

by Karen Young

Don't Think About Purple Elephants

by Susanne Merritt

David and the Worry Beast

by Anne Marie Guanci

Is a Worry Worrying You?

by Ferida Wolff

Help Your Dragon Deal with Anxiety

by Steve Herman

I Can Handle It!

by Laurie Wright

What to Do When You Worry Too Much

by Dawn Huebner

Don't Feed the Worry Bug

by Andi Green

Anxious Ninja

by Mary Nhin

Children's Books about Behavior & Responsibility

No, David!

by David Shannon

Berenstain Bears & the Blame Game

by Stan Berenstain

What if Everybody Did That?

by Ellen Javernick

But It's Not My Fault

by Julia Cook

Clark the Shark

by Bruce Hale

But Why Can't I?

by Sue Graves

What Were You Thinking?

by Bryan Smith

I Just Don't Like the Sound of No!

by Julia Cook

Children's Books about Friendships and Social Skills

We are Best Friends

by Roger Priddy

Big Friends

by Linda Sarah

How Do Dinosaurs Play With Their Friends?

by Jane Yolen

Making Friends is an Art!

by Julia Cook

How to Lose All Your Friends

by Nancy Carlson

My Mouth is a Volcano

by Julia Cook

Personal Space Camp

by Julia Cook

Love Monster and the Last Chocolate

by Rachel Bright

Enemy Pie

What if Everybody Said That?

Interrupting Chicken

We Don't Eat Our Classmates

by Derek Munson

by Ellen Javernick

by David Ezra Stein

by Ryan T. Higgins

Children's Books about Empathy and Kindness

We're All Wonders

by R.J. Palacio

How Full is Your Bucket?

by Tom Rath

Hey, Little Ant

by Phillip M. Hoose

A Sick Day for Amos McGee

by Philip C. Stead

I Am Human

by Susan Verde

The Hundred Dresses

by Eleanor Estes

The Invisible Boy

by Trudy Ludwig

The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade

by Justin Roberts

Be Kind

by Pat Zietlow Miller

Chrysanthemum

by Kevin Henkes

Children's Books about Bullying

The Recess Queen

by Alexis O'neill

The Juice Box Bully

by Bob Sornson

My Friend Maggie

by Hannah E. Harrison 

FAB (Friends Against Bullying) Club

by Alex Hallatt

Weird!

by Erin Frankel

Giraffe is Left Out

by Sue Graves

Llama Llama and the Bully Goat

by Anna Dewdney

Nobody!

by Erin Frankel

Leave Me Alone

by Kes Gray

Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon

by Patty Lovell

Tease Monster

by Julia Cook

Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun

by Maria Dismondy

Stick and Stone

by Beth Ferry

Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns About Bullies

by Howard Binkow

Children's Books about Diversity and Inclusion

All Are Welcome

by Alexandra Penfold

The Skin You Live In

by Michael Tyler

It's Okay To Be Different

by Todd Parr

I'm Like You, You're Like Me

by Cindy Gainer

Chocolate Milk, Por Favor

by Maria Dismondy

What If We Were All the Same!

by C.M. Harris

The Day You Begin

by Jacqueline Woodson

The Sneetches and Other Stories

by Dr. Seuss

Last Stop on Market Street

by Matt de la Peña

The Sandwich Swap

by Queen Rania of Jordan

Where Oliver Fits

by Cale Atkinson

Just Ask!

by Sonia Sotomayor

 

LGBTQ+ Children's Books

Julian is a Mermaid

by Jessica Love

When Aidan Became a Brother

by Kyle Lukoff

My Shadow is Pink

by Scott Stuart

I am Jazz

by Jessica Herthel

The Bravest Knight Who Ever Lived

by Daniel Errico

Love is Love

by Michael Genhart

Children's Books about Self-Esteem and Identity

I Am Enough

by Grace Myers

Giraffes Can't Dance

by Giles Andreae

Woolbur

by Leslie Helakoski

Julian is a Mermaid

by Jessica Love

Amazing Grace

by Mary Hoffman

A Bad Case of Stripes

by David Shannon

The Name Jar

by Yangsook Choi

Jacob's New Dress

by Sarah Hoffman

I'm Gonna Like Me

by Jamie Lee Curtis

Elmer

by David Mckee

I Like Myself!

by Karen Beaumont

I Like Me!

by Nancy Carlson

You Should, You Should!

by Ginny Tilby

The Princess Knight

by Cornelia Funke

Good Enough Dinosaur

by Steve Herman

Marvelous Me

by Lisa Marie Bullard

Children's Books about Feelings

Today I Feel Silly

by Jamie Lee Curtis

Hurty Feelings

by Helen Lester

Glad Monster, Sad Monster

by Ed Emberley

The Way I Feel

by Janan Cain

My Many Colored Days

by Dr. Seuss

Taking a Bath with the Dog

by Scott Menchin

B is for Breathe

by Melissa Munro Boyd

Visiting Feelings

by Lauren J. Rubenstein

The Color Monster

by Anna Llenas

Positive Ninja

by Mary Nhin

​Little Big Feelings

by Deb Mills

I'm Feeling Macaroni and Cheese

by Tina Gallo

Children's Books about Families of all Types

Yes, I'm Adopted!

by Sharlie Zinniger

Do You Sing Twinkle?

by Sandra Levins

Was it the Chocolate Pudding?

by Sandra Levins

Families, Families, Families!

by Suzanne Lang

One Family

by George Shannon

Mama, Do You Love Me?

by Barbara M. Joosse

Who's in My Family?

by Robie H. Harris

Love Makes a Family

by Sophie Beer

Step 1, 2, 3, and 4

by Maria Ashworth

The Family Book

by Todd Parr

Fred Stays with Me!

by Nancy Coffelt

I've Loved You Since Forever

by Hoda Kotb

A Family is a Family is a Family

by Sara O'Leary

Zak's Safari

by Christy Tyner

My Family, Your Family

by Lisa Bullard

Stella Brings the Family

by Miriam B. Schiffer

Children's Books about Hygiene

Germs Are Not for Sharing

by Elizabeth Verdick

The Tooth Book

by Edward Miller

Pig the Stinker

by Aaron Blabey

Time for a Bath

by Phillis Gershator

Hygiene...You Stink!

by Julia Cook

Teach Your Dragoon Good Hygiene

by Steve Herman

Germs vs. Soap

by Didi Dragon

Babaroo the Alien Learns about Hygiene

by Kate Melton

Children's Books about Growth Mindset

The Most Magnificent Thing

by Ashley Spires

Jabari Jumps

by Gaia Cornwall

The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes

by Mark Pett

Thanks for the Feedback

by Julia Cook

Izzy Gizmo

by Pip Jones

Flight School

by Lita Judge

Not Yet

by Lisa Cox

After the Fall

by Dan Santat

How to Catch a Star

by Oliver Jeffers

The Carrot Seed

by Ruth Krauss

Your Fantastic Elastic Brain

by JoAnn Deak

The Thing Lou Couldn't Do

by Ashley Spires​

Children's Books about Grief and Loss

Chester Raccoon and the Acorn Full of Memories

by Audrey Penn

The Goodbye Book

by Todd Parr

Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs

by Tomi dePaola

Someone I Love Died

by Christine Harder Tangwald

Ida, Always

by Caron Levis

The Invisible String

by Patrice Karst

The Memory Box

by Joanna Rowland

Why Do I Feel Sad?

by Tracy Lambert-Prater

Children's Books about Sportsmanship

Howard Learns About Sportsmanship

by Reverend Ana

If Winning Isn't Everything...

by Bryan Smith

Sally Sore Loser

by Frank J. Sileo

Austin Plays Fair

by Tony & Lauren Dungy