Parenting

With his mum very poorly, Jack is worried about what will happen when she's gone. Will Mummy take her love as well? Anna Friend was inspired to write this book in memory of her friend Ellen Wollaston-Cooper, who lost her life to breast cancer, but prepared her young family for the journey they were on with love and strength.

When someone you love has died there will be sad days and angry days but also happy days and fun days. Nobody lives forever - and some wish they could have stayed for longer. This sensitively-written and deeply-moving picture book will help children grieve, celebrate and learn how to live and love life when a parent is gone.

Fox and Wolf spend all their perfect days together - talking and laughing for hours, swimming together in the big blue lake, and watching the stars come out, one by one. Until one day, Wolf is gone. This is a moving tale of friendship and loss and learning to carry on.

All the other windows in the hospital look out on dull, grey buildings, but Daria and her grandpa can see the beach from the window in his room. Whenever Daria visits, she and her grandpa sit and watch crashing waves, flying kites, and happy families. Daria hopes for the day she and Grandpa will be able to visit the beach and build sandcastles together.

Once there was a lady with the loveliest laugh in the world. She and her daughter share big loud belly laughs, quiet giggles, and sometimes secret laughs between just the two of them. Until one day, the lady dies, and her laugh goes away with her. At first it seems impossible to go on without the lady - but when the little girl finds her laugh again, she knows that, no matter what, the memories and love that they shared will always be there.

'The Rabbit Listened' is a tender meditation on loss. When something terrible happens, Taylor doesn't know where to turn. All the animals are sure they have the answer. The chicken wants to talk it out, but Taylor doesn't feel like chatting. The bear thinks Taylor should get angry, but that's not quite right either. One by one, the animals try to tell Taylor how to process this loss, and one by one they fail. Then the rabbit arrives. All the rabbit does is listen, which is just what Taylor needs.

When a young boy's grandfather dies suddenly, he feels overwhelmed and confused. They will never see each other again. To his delight, they meet again in a dream, where his grandfather takes him to Transfer City, where our departed loved ones live on through our memories. In this modern, Eastern telling of the afterlife, death is not an ending, but a new start to life, just like the Immortal Jellyfish which is constantly maturing and then regressing, staying as present as our deceased loved ones do in our memories.

Fox has lived a long and happy life in the forest. One day, he lies down in his favourite clearing, takes a deep breath and falls asleep forever. Before long, Fox's friends begin to gather in the clearing. One by one, they tell stories of the special moments that they shared with Fox. And, as they share their memories, a tree blooms, big and strong, eventually watching over all the friends, just as Fox did when he was alive. This gentle and comforting tale celebrates life and the memories that are left behind when a loved one dies.

On the day of his mother's funeral, a young boy conjures the very visitor he needs to see - a gorilla. Wise and gentle, the gorilla stays on to answer the heart-heavy questions the boy hesitates to ask his father: Where did his mother go? Will she come back home? Will we all die? With the gorilla's friendship, the boy slowly begins to discover moments of comfort in tending flowers, playing catch and climbing trees. Most of all, the gorilla knows that it helps to simply talk about the loss - especially with those who share your grief and who may feel alone too.

One day, Fox is drawn to something in the forest - it's something small, something silent, perhaps forgotten. It's a bird, as still as can be. Fox is confused, upset and angry - is the bird broken? But then a little moth comes along. Kind and wise and comforting, Moth shares a gentle philosophy: the story of the circles in the sky.

A poignant and touching picture book exploring death and grief, as Bertle the turtle learns to cope with the loss of his best friend Hertle the hare.

Sometimes grief can feel like a heavy weight you are carrying around. It can be difficult to explain how you feel or know how you will cope carrying the grief rock around. This gentle story explores how grief is filled with all the love we have for someone who was important in our lives. Perfect to open up the conversation on difficult feelings, the book also includes a short guide for adults with tips on supporting children after a bereavement.

Finn lives by the sea and the sea lives by him. Every time he looks out his window it's a constant reminder of the stories his grandfather told him about the place where the ocean meets the sky. Where whales and jellyfish soar and birds and castles float. Finn's grandfather is gone now but Finn knows the perfect way to honor him. He'll build his own ship and sail out to find this magical place himself! And when he arrives, maybe, just maybe, he'll find something he didn't know he was looking for.

Billy misses his mummy very much. She lives in the clouds. Some days the sun is shining and Mummy's clouds are nowhere to be seen. Those are Billy's favourite days. He and Daddy would play in the garden all day long, and Billy knows that Mummy is letting the sun shine for them. But not all days are like that. Sometimes Mummy's clouds are dark, and Billy feels sad and alone.

When Arlo finds out Nana has passed away, he keeps her sweetie jar with him to feel safe and closer to his Nana. As his sadness turns to anger, a storm builds inside the jar, until Arlo has enough and smashes it open! After the storm washes him out to sea, Arlo spots Nana sailing off into the moonlight. He knows she will be happy and safe, wherever she is headed.

This title deals with the loss of a parent from a child's point of view. Perfectly pitched text and evocative artwork explore the many emotions a bereaved child may experience, from anger to guilt and from sadness to bewilderment. And importantly, the book also focuses on the positive, the recognition that the child is still part of a family.

Charlie loves to dance her way through life with her grandma. They may not always be together, but each time they part Grandma says, If you miss me, look at the moon. Then winter brings unexpected change, and not even dancing feels the same. What will Charlie do? Will Grandma come to see her dance again?

A beautifully realised, delicately handled story about a little boy coming to terms with the loss of his much-loved grandfather.

In the frost-covered forest of early spring, fox is on a mission to find food for her three cubs. As they grow, she teaches them how to survive in the wild. Until one day, fox dies. But what happens then? Can new life grow from old?

Mog was tired - dead tired. She thought, 'I want to sleep for ever'. And so she did. But a little bit of her stayed awake to see what would happen next. So Mog keeps watch over the upset Thomas family, who miss her terribly, and she wonders how they will ever manage without her.

Erin's daddy sees the colour in everything. Even on the greyest days, they put on their wellies and go splashing in puddles. But what happens when the greyest day of all comes, and Daddy isn't there any more? Can Erin learn to find colour in the world again?

Badger was dependable, and always ready to lend a helping paw. He was very old and wise, and knew that he would die soon. Susan Varley wrote this book to help children overcome the death of loved ones, and it has since become a children's classic.

Discover that bereavement can be a beginning, not an ending, in this beautiful story of one boy's grief when he loses his beloved grandfather. Dadaji loves to teach others to paint, especially his grandson. But after Dadaji passes away, the boy can't bear to use the favourite paintbrush his grandfather left for him. When a little girl knocks on the door, the boy discovers how many lives Dadaji touched with his art, and finds a way to continue his legacy.

The Bunny family has adpoted a wolf son, and daughter Dot is the only one who realises Wolfie is going to eat them all up! Dot trieds to get through to her parents, but they are too smitten to listen. A new brother takes getting used to and when (in a twist of fate) it's Wolfie who's threatened, will his big sister Dot save the day?

When Fox dies, the rest of his family are distraught. How will Mole, Otter and Hare go on without their beloved friend? But months later, Squirrel reminds them all of how funny Fox used to be, and they all realize that Fox is still there in their hearts and memories.

A gentle exploration of the adoption experience, from first meetings to creating new family traditions.

When Nicholas wants to know which of Elvi's two mums is her real mum, she gives him lots of clues. Her real mum is a circus performer and a pirate - and she even teaches spiders the art of web! Despite that, Nicholas still can't work out who Elvi's mum really is. Luckily, Elvi knows just how to explain it to her friend.

This book takes one element of 'The Great Big Book of Families', the arrival of new members into a family, and explores all the different ways a baby or child can become part of a family. The book includes natural birth within a nuclear family, adoption, fostering, same sex families and many other aspects of bringing babies or children into a family.

This work introduces children to families that have parents of the same sex. Whether a family has a mum and a dad, or two mums or two dads, this book shows that all parents love, care, and support their children in the same way.

Billy's family is not what you'd call ordinary. His mums won't listen to NORMAL music. They love to sing sea shanties and dance jigs in the lounge. Their clothes are highly unusual, they have a rude parrot for a pet, and their taste in house design is, well FISHY. Billy wishes his family could be more like everyone else's. Until a swashbuckling adventure changes everything!

Tracy is ten years old. She lives in a children's home but would like a real home one day, with a real family. Meet Tracy, follow her story and share her hopes for the future.

Taking the form of a dialogue between a little girl called Mia and her adoptive mother, this book explores questions that might preoccupy an adopted child. Mia wants to know why she looks different to her adoptive parents and why her birth parents didn't want to keep her.

A little girl wants to know where she came from and why she doesn't have a father. When her mother cannot tell her, the girl decides to find out for herself. Her journey starts with a question to the stork who nests on the roof of her home, and leads her on a quest through the woods, tracing her own story back to its source with the help of the animals she meets, until she discovers what truly matters in making a family.

For one little girl, there's no place she'd rather be than sitting between Mama and Mummy. So when Mummy goes away on a work trip, it's tricky to find a good place at the table. As the days go by, Mama brings her to the library, they watch films, and all of them talk on the phone, but she still misses Mummy. As they pass by a beautiful garden, the girl has an idea. When Mummy finally comes home, it takes a minute to shake off the empty feeling she felt all week before leaning in for a kiss.

This lyrical and heartfelt picture book is a gorgeous celebration of same-sex parents and motherhood. I love my mums and they love me together we are a family! This beautifully-told story about a same-sex family of two mums and their baby is a love letter to close-knit families everywhere.

Elfa the elephant was in a bad mood. It was a hot day, and she was carrying a box on her back. It was really heavy and felt very uncomfortable. Elfa carried it on her back everywhere she went. She never took it off because she was scared of losing it. In it Elfa kept her most precious things - her memories.

Heather's favourite number is two - she has two arms, two legs, two pets and two lovely mummies. But when Heather goes to school for the first time, someone asks her about her daddy - and Heather doesn't have a daddy! But then the class all draw portraits of their families, and not one single drawing is the same. Heather and her classmates realise - it doesn't matter who makes up a family, the most important thing is that all the people in it love one another very much.

Whether you have two mums, two dads, one parent or one of each, there's one thing that makes a family a family... and that's love. Celebrate the variety of families, and the common theme of love, in this illustrated board book for young readers.

Dennis is sad because he has to leave his mum and dad as they can no longer look after him. He goes to live on a river where he makes new friends and is cared for by grown-up ducks. Through Dennis's story, this colourful picture book explains what may be happening to young children and helps them to express some of the emotions they may be feeling about upsetting and confusing events.

Rhythmic text and illustrations with universal appeal show a toddler spending the day with its daddies. From hide-and-seek to dress-up, then bath time and a kiss goodnight, there's no limit to what a loving family can do together.

Written by an adoptive dad, 'The Blanket Bears' sensitively and accurately outlines the adoption process from a child's perspective, helping young children to understand the concept of adoption.

Rufus the cat lives with a family who looks after him, feeds him and gives him lots of cuddles. He feels happy and safe, especially when he is lying on his favourite cushion. But he didn't always feel this way. The family that Rufus used to live with were not kind to him at all and he struggles to escape from his bad memories.

Based on a true story, this charming and heart-warming tale proves that all you need to make a family is love.

Are you looking for happiness? Sometimes it can feel really far away, and sometimes you might have so much you can't help but share. You can try to chase it, control it or capture it, but even if it seems like it's gone for a while, you'll know it's never far away.

A beautiful exploration of feelings shown through colour as one little boy navigates a range of emotions - from happiness and excitement to hope and love, all on his way to present a gift to his mum. This book is the perfect introduction to both emotions and colours.

When Sadness arrives, try not to be afraid: give it a name, listen to it and spend some time together. Maybe all it wants is to know that it's welcome. This beautiful debut by new author-illustrator talent Eva Eland takes a poignant but uplifting look at dealing with uncomfortable emotions.

A fantastic first book of feelings that introduces little ones to a wide range of emotions. Why are the animals happy? What has made them feel sad? What do you feel excited about? Vibrantly illustrated by the talented Katie Abey, 'We Feel Happy!' helps children to speak about their emotions.

This thoughtful book explores happiness, sadness, anger, fear and worry in a friendly and approachable way. Adorable animal characters experience different emotions, while imaginative flaps answer important questions such as 'Why don't I feel happy all the time?' and 'How can I cheer up my friend?'.

How do you feel today? Whether you're happy, sad or anything in-between, this book is the perfect guide to understanding and celebrating all your feelings! In colourful comic-strip stories, explore a whole range of emotions and discover ways to cope when any feeling becomes overwhelming.

Why can't I be happy all the time? What can I do when I feel like exploding? Is it ok to give up? This book is packed full of tips, tools and everyday situations to help kids think about and answer these big questions for themselves.

There were so many things that Tortoise wanted to do. So many games to play and rocks to climb. Oops. Tortoise was stuck. Being stuck made Tortoise cross. Tortoise is not having a good day and now he's stuck in a hole and and is far too cross for hugs. Hedgehog sits and waits and then makes Tortoise laugh - taking the time to let the moment pass, and acknowledge how Tortoise feels.

This title opens with the question, 'How are you feeling today?', and leads on to a spread by spread presentation of a wide range of feelings. including different situations, brief text captions, and plenty of humour make sure the book is fun, as well as dealing with a serious and important subject - human feelings.

This is the story of a sweet little monster who wants help from his friend to understand the feelings he experiences.

Cub is angry, so he stomps and smashes and roars! But now he just feels worse! Maybe his friends can help? The perfect story for any child experiencing feelings of anger and learning what to do with them.

Moira Butterfield deftly broaches the many different feelings children face - from feeling cuddly like a baby bear or playful like a puppy, to wanting some peace and quiet alone, like a snail curled up in its shell. Through these charming animal comparisons, we see that all feelings are valid and are given tools for how to respect boundaries.

There are lots of ways that we can feel, so many emotions big and small. Sarah Maycock explores our feelings through a collection of animal similies and poetic prose imagined with sublime illustrations that perfectly embody each emotion. Even a big bear can feel small sometimes.

A little fox is in a big, bad mood and is worried that its mother won't love it forever. In this lyrical picture book we see a clever and resourceful mother prove to her child that a parent's love is limitless - no matter what!

Life is all fun and games when everything's going your way. But somedays, suddenly, something becomes horribly unfair. A melting ice cream, a too-tight t-shirt, a boy who doesn't share - it's enough to make you furious. But, as this little girl discovers, it's nothing that a deep breath, a happy song and a good cuddle can't sort out.

Birt and Etho are best friends, they play on Sudden Hill, making marvellous contraptions out of cardboard boxes. But then a new boy, Shu, wants to join in too. Birt isn't sure that he wants Shu to join them.

Every toddler feels frustrated sometimes, every toddler gets ANGRY. They scream, they shout, they see RED RED RED. A true-to-life, upbeat story about a toddler tantrum that offers a meditative way to calm them down. 'Why not count to ten?' Mum suggests to her son.

Milo loves spending time with his best friend, Jay. But when a new girl called Suzi moves in next door, Milo starts to feel left out. The jealous feeling gets stronger and stronger - until suddenly, a GREEN-EYED MONSTER pops up beside him! Soon, the monster is poisoning Milo's thoughts. It won't leave him alone! Can Milo find a way to free himself from the monster and repair his friendship?

Lemur is happy! Swan is scared. But how is Mr Panda is feeling? Find out and help your little bears express their emotions with Mr Panda in this board book.

This kitten may look cute and cuddly, but beware: he's angry. Really angry. Angry, angry, angry! And this isn't any old 'angry'. This is a jump-up-and-down, roll-on-the-ground kind of angry. This is a spider-scaring, tiger-scaring kind of angry. This is a burst-balloon-ing, squash-the-moon-ing kind of angry.

Masculinity is being discussed more than ever before, in a range of contexts. People talk about 'toxic masculinity', claim that there is a crisis in masculinity or argue that we need to 'reclaim masculinity'. This important and timely book looks at the big questions surrounding definitions of masculinity, and discusses where ideas of masculinity have come from and the effects of gender stereotyping.

Some friends need a great big hug to make them feel well. Some prefer to be alone. Some listen, others tell. 'How to Mend a Friend' is a heartfelt picture book which touches on empathy, loss and friendship.

A dragon with a short temper is not a good combination, as Fergal's family and friends soon find out. He burns the dinner (literally), reduces the football goal to ashes and absolutely cannot play a nice, quiet board game.It is only when he starts to notice other animals have clever tricks to calm down that Fergal begins to win back his friends.

Sadness has come to live with me and I am building it a shelter. I am building a shelter for my sadness and welcoming it inside. A small boy creates a shelter for his sadness, a safe space where Sadness is welcome, where it can curl up small, or be as big as it can be, where it can be noisy or quiet, or anything in between.

I have big feelings. You have them too. How can I help? What can we do? Follow a group of children through a day in their neighbourhood, as they play together and navigate the BIG feelings that we all experience.

Arthur's mum won't let him stay up and watch the western on TV, so Arthur gets angry. Arthur gets very, very angry until his anger is so powerful it blows the universe into little pieces.

One day Willy goes to the park. It's a sunny day, but a cloud hovers over him and he can't join in the fun. What can Willy do to make this mysterious cloud go away? A stunning and perceptive story about worry and anxiety.

Meet a cast of characterful frogs who hop their way in and out of a range of relatable scenarios, receiving lots of helpful advice along the way.

Joe is nervous about his first big party, and as Mum walks him along the darkening street to his friend's house, his imagination starts to run wild. They search for the right place, looking through the windows, wondering 'what if ...?' while making surprising discoveries along the way.

What happens when you get a Worry? They can follow you around everywhere, and they are HUNGRY. They feed on your fears and put sad thoughts in your head until they've grown so big, it can be hard to get anything done! Luckily, the Worry Doctor knows exactly what to do.

It's a beautiful day and Worrysaurus has planned a special picnic. But it isn't long before a small butterfly of worry starts fluttering in his tummy. What if he hasn't brought enough to eat? What if he gets lost in the jungle? What if he trips and falls? What if it rains? Can Worrysaurus find a way to chase his fears away and have fun?

Murray Bear has lots of worries. What if the waterfall he's visiting is too loud? What if he's not very good at climbing? And what if all his friends laugh at him? With the help of his sister, Milly, Murray makes a special box in which to keep all his worries. But can the worry box really help?

We all have a mixture of fun and not-so fun feelings. And everyone feels worried sometimes. But too much anxiety can get in the way. So this book is here to help you identify your anxiety, understand why it's just part of that thing we call life, and equip you with all the tools you need to find calm again.

What happens if you meet a Fear? It's a frightening thing, and it's different for us all. Some are helpful and keep us safe, others cannot be explained. You can fight them and tame them, but sometimes, you might find you were mistaken, and the Fear was really excitement all along!

This easy to follow illustrated book presents strategies for 9-13 year olds with anxiety. It teaches them about a specific set of skills that makes it easier to face and overcome worries and fears, and normalises their symptoms providing a set of concrete steps to overcome them.

This touching picture book subtly deals with big emotions such as loss, with an uplifting and hopeful message about being yourself and the importance of family and talking about worries.

A touching story about a little boy whose worry monster follows him everywhere he goes. It's there when he gets dressed, when he wants to play with his toys, and even when his friends come over to visit. How can he escape his worries?

Jeremy is a worrier. He worries about odd socks, spotty bananas, evil squirrels, burnt toast, dinosaurs and, most of all the wind! His friend Maggie isn't worried about anything - after all, what's the worst that could happen? But when Maggie decides to go outside and play in the wind, Jeremy must act fast to keep her out of danger, and he is soon to discover that a bit of courage leads to the most exciting adventures.

Once there was a girl called Mindi, who was afraid of something that no one else could see. This thing that she was afraid of, this thing that no one else could see, was a big goose. It came into her room as quietly as a thought comes into your head, and it stayed there for as long as it wanted to.

More than anything, Lucas wants to enjoy birthday parties like his friends, but he is overwhelmed by all of the sights, sounds and sensations that come with celebrations. A story that focuses on sensory overload within children, and the anxiety surrounding it.

Everybody worries and that's OK. This reassuring and practical picture book combines helpful tips endorsed by clinical psychologists with fun rhyming couplets and colourful pictures to help children open up about their feelings and get anxiety under control.

'Good News' is a positive, reassuring and anxiety-eliminating book designed to help children change the way they think about the world.

Once I had a secret that was big and monstery - I thought of it as Blue. But Blue the monster doesn't have to be scary. And he doesn't have to be a secret. After all, we all feel blue from time to time and talking about it helps.

There can be a lot to worry about when you are little, from monsters under the bed to Monday's maths test, but one person's scary spider is another's perfect pet, so how can we learn to stop everyday fears and worries from growing out of proportion or even overwhelming us?

Logan is a stay-at-home bunny - but he's about to discover how brave he really is. It's time for his first adventure, and he doesn't want to go. But there's an amazing world outside, if he can just pluck up courage to look.

What does it mean for people to have to leave their homes, and what happens when they seek entry to another country? This book explores the history of refugees and migration around the world and the effects on people of never-ending war and conflict.

Presented as a graphic novel and spanning 150 years of recent history, 'Women in Battle' celebrates the fight for women's rights all over the world. Topics include the suffragette movement, female world leaders, abortion and contraception, gay marriage and #MeToo.

A picture book about the Black Lives Matter movement - its deep history, background and meaning - as well as a focus on the tremendous amount of work still left to do. Through author-illustrator Maxine Beneba Clarke's artwork and lyrical text, this book fosters activism, being anti-racist and using your voice and your power for good.

Talk about race is often discouraged, but this title aims to bring everyone into the conversation. Exploring the history of race and society and giving context to how racist attitudes come into being, the book looks at belonging and identity, the damaging effects of stereotyping and the benefits of positive representation.

What's the difference between sex and gender? What does it mean to be defined by your gender? Are there only two genders? This informative book helps kids to explore these questions and many more. It explains how your gender can have an impact on your life, what it means to choose your own gender identity and the importance of gender equality.

This book looks at the how feminism and the feminist movement, have affected each area in turn throughout history, and at the issues they are working to combat today. A fantastic book aimed at children aged 9+ that explains why we should all be feminists.

Welcome to a neighbourhood where everyone is welcome. A neighbourhood where children of every culture play together, sharing food and laughter, and learning from each other's traditions. A neighbourhood where diversity is a strength.

Who are you? What is racism? Where does it come from? Why does it exist? What can you do to disrupt it? Learn about social identities, the history of racism and resistance against it, and how you can use your anti-racist lens and voice to move the world toward equity and liberation.

'This Book Is Feminist' is a vibrantly illustrated introduction to intersectional feminism for preteens and teens. Discover the history and meaning of the feminist movement through 15 reasons why feminism improves life for everyone.

The year 2018 marks a century since the first women won the vote in the United Kingdom, and this book tells the story of their fight. This is a tale of astounding bravery, ingenuity and strength, from the militant activist and wheelchair user Rosa May Billinghurst to the world-famous Emmeline Pankhurst.

A sweet and thoughtful collection of poems about friendship, diversity, empathy and respect. These poems deal sensitively with tolerance for differences (including race, religion and gender identity), feelings, empathy, respect, courtesy, bullying, disability and responsibility. They are the perfect springboard to start conversations.

With relatable comparisons, carefully researched text and striking illustrations, children can begin to understand issues in the news, how they affect people and how readers can help those who are affected.