As a life-long reader and a former children’s librarian, I’m inclined to think a book is always the answer, no matter what the question is. Now, as a mom of four young girls, one of my big questions is how to instill confidence in them. It’s no surprise that the bookshelf was the first place I turned to start these conversations. I hope you’ll find these books useful and delightful as well!
Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall
Sometimes, nobody really understand who you are. Red is a crayon with a crisp red label and so everyone assumes he is red. But he’s actually blue underneath. Everyone tries to be helpful – from his teacher who suggests he draws strawberries to his mom pairing him up with a yellow classmate so they can draw oranges together. But none of it works because he just can’t be red. Until a new friend helps he realize his true colors. This book is so sweet, about being who you really are on the inside no matter what labels other people put on you.
You know what makes elephants laugh? When they see a patchwork elephant. Elmer doesn’t like being laughed at and he thinks the solution is to make himself gray like all the other elephants. Is there any way for him to make that happen? Or can he find a way to be confident and happy as a patchwork elephant?
I just discovered this book a few weeks ago and we’ve been reading it non-stop. This true story of an almost-forgotten magician Adelaide Herrmann is so exciting and interesting – from the time Adelaide was young, she was always determined to be unique. And she was, from her first forays into being a dancer to riding a bike when they were newly invented. Eventually, she became a magician’s assistant to her husband and when he died, she took over as the main act. I love this story about a real woman who dared to be different and try new things!
The Lion Inside by Rachel Bright, illustrated by Jim Field
I love this fun rhyming book with bold illustrations. It follows a little mouse who is tired of being tiny and thinks that what he really needs is a powerful roar like a lion. He determines that he’ll ask the lion to teach him to roar, but when he approaches, he gets a surprise. The lion is afraid of HIM!
Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae, illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees
Gerald the Giraffe LONGS to dance. But when your knees are knobbly and your legs are thin and spindly, it’s pretty tricky. Is it possible for Gerald to make his dreams come true even when everyone is telling him it’s impossible? With the help of an encouraging friend, you bet!
A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon
Camilla Cream loves lima beans. But she can’t eat them because the other kids in her school think they’re weird and she is NOT going to do something that other people think is weird. But those worries pop out in a most surprising way when she develops a bad case of stripes.
Chrysanthemum loves her beautiful name. Until she goes to school and the other kids tease her about her name, pretending to sniff her and joking bout flower names. Sometimes it’s hard to be confident about something that’s different, but Chrysanthemum, with the help of some encouraging parents and teachers, help her embrace what makes her unique. Another great book about unusual names is The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi.
Exclamation Mark by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
Poor Exclamation Mark! It’s not easy to be so different from everyone else. He tries shrinking, twisting, bending, but no matter what, he just stands out. Happily, a wonderful friend comes along to show him that he was made to stand out.
The Book of Mistakes by Corinna Luyken
For those of us with perfectionist children, it can be hard to encourage them to be confident to try new things, so I love this book that embraces mistakes and shows that not only can they be okay, they can be GREAT! Here, an illustration on the first page goes slightly awry. The illustrator works it right into the story, and as it progresses, smudges, paint splotches and other errors make for a better story and final art than it could have been without the mistakes.
Janssen Bradshaw is a mama to four little girls and a former elementary school librarian. She shares her favorite book recommendations for adults and children at her blog Everyday Reading, along with ideas for a happy, simple family life. She also owns London Littles, a line of children’s rain boots designed to encourage family adventures. Her library cards are ALWAYS maxed out.
