Stories are, above all, a way for us to understand the world. When we see a character having the same feelings as us, going through the same experiences, reacting in the same way, we discover we are not alone. Lying, teasing, being frustrated, being jealous of a friend, does not make us a bad person. It simply makes us human.

Picture books are essential in this respect. Children need to see their own situations, actions, and feelings reflected back at them. It helps them to understand and accept what is happening around and inside them. Here are a few stories that do this wonderfully.

The Show and Tell Lion written by Barbara Abercrombie and illustrated by Lynne Avril Cravath is an excellent and funny book about lying. The lovely part of this story is that the motive and imagination behind Matthew’s lie is as important as what he decides to do about it. Matthew manages to find a creative way to explain his ’show and tell lion’ to his classmates and though he still faces the repercussions, he is quickly understood and forgiven.

You’ll Be Sorry by Josh Schneider and If I Had a Dragon by Tom and Amanda Ellery are both excellent books about being annoyed with your younger sibling. These exaggerated, silly stories take sibling irratation to the extreme, helping kids identify, accept, and laugh off their feelings of frustration.

Fred stays with Me written by Nancy Coffelt and illustrated by Tricia Tusa is a book about moving back and forth between divorced parents. The genius of this book is its focus on the child’s dog, rather than the child herself.

Recess Queen written by Alexis O’Neill and illustrated by Laura Huliska Deith is a colorful, fun book about bullies. The characters are strong, the rhyme is great, and the solution is believable.

Little Donkey and the Birthday Present written by Rindert Kromhout, illustrated by Annemarie van Haeringen, and translated by Marianne Martens, and That’s mine, Horace by Holly Keller are books about wanting someone else’s toys. They both show the true yearning the characters have for the coveted toy, the details they love about the objects. Each deals in a loving manner with the feelings, never down-playing them or berating the characters.

*Special Mention: Max by Rachel Isadora is about a baseball playing boy that discovers he also loves ballet. This is a great story and a great character that tiptoes into the realm of being different without being bogged down by deeper issues.

Good issue books are extremely difficult to write, but these stories succeed by creating wonderful characters that we can love. By focusing on the stories, by using the issues as a catalyst instead of the focus, the subject matter sneaks up on you. These books entertain and comfort us as we see our own misbehaviors, problems, and fears laid open on the page.

Don’t forget to check out what else I’ve come across on my quest for 1000 picture books!

Posted in Books of the Week, The Great Picture Book Read, Picture books, Characters, Books, I heart this book, Writing

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