These board and picture books will help people of all ages practice self-compassion and mindfulness, process difficult emotions, and say positive affirmations to foster resilience.
Recommendations from Kara.

A stunningly illustrated guide to simple affirmations for young children, building self-esteem and confidence.
When you are feeling scared of something new,
Stand tall,
Put your hands on your hips,
and say:
I Am Brave!
A spill. A smear. A smudge. A tear. When you think you have made a mistake, think of it as an opportunity to make something beautiful!
A life lesson that all parents want their children to learn: It’s OK to make a mistake. In fact, hooray for mistakes! A mistake is an adventure in creativity, a portal of discovery.
With a wondrously simple die-cut book, the Caldecott Honor–winning creator of the Journey trilogy brings his talents further into the light.
This is the light that brings the day.
Zoom meets Beautiful Oops! in this memorable picture book debut about the creative process, and the way in which "mistakes" can blossom into inspiration
One eye was bigger than the other. That was a mistake.
The weird frog-cat-cow thing? It made an excellent bush.
From the author-illustrator of The Book of Mistakes comes a gorgeous picture book about caring for your own heart and living with kindness and empathy.
My heart is a window. My heart is a slide. My heart can be closed...or opened up wide.

The Bear and the Moon is a picture book that follows what happens when the gift of a balloon floats into Bear's life.
The two companions embark on a journey—a magical tale that encompasses the joys of friendship and discovery.
This is a gentle book filled with humor, while tackling complex topics like the transcendence of loss and forgiveness.
A New York Times bestseller!
Five starred reviews!
Named Best Book of the Year by Barnes & Noble, The New York Times/New York Public Library, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal
They All Saw a Cat meets The Important Book in this sensitive and impactful picture book about seeing the world from different
From the #1 New York Times bestselling creators of I Am Enough comes an empowering follow-up that celebrates every child’s limitless potential.
I Believe I Can is an affirmation for boys and girls of every background to love and believe in themselves.
A #1 New York Times bestseller and Goodreads Choice Awards picture book winner! This is the perfect gift for mothers and daughters, baby showers, and graduation.
An inspiring young picture book about overcoming challenges and frustrations with the Power of Yet
I cant do it!
Cant do it yet.
A stunning celebration of mindfulness, meditation, and enjoying each moment, from the team behind the award-winning Windows. This lush picture book is a fantastic tool for engaging children 3-7 who are schooling from home who are eager to feel connected to their world while managing new anxieties.
A moving and universal picture book about empathy and kindness, sure to soothe heartaches big and small.
Animals inspire their little ones to chase their dreams and reach for the stars in this modern classic-in-the-making.
Do you believe that dreams come true?
We believe it.
Absolutely!
Just like we believe in you.
From the award-winning creator of Shh! We Have a Plan comes a vibrantly colorful story about mustering the courage to try something new.
Journey through the beautifully hand-lettered messages by award-winning illustrator Jessica Hische. This uplifting and positive book - now a New York Times best seller - encourages kids to promise that tomorrow, they will try new things, do their best, and be brave.
Tomorrow I'll be all the things I tried to be today:
When you make a mistake—a big mistake, a HUGE mistake—it can weigh you down or even swallow you whole! As one kid finds herself swept away by her whale of a mistake, she takes readers along on a journey of emotions.
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 the courage to look...
A Little Bit Brave is a funny, reassuring picture book that shows that we're all a lot braver than we think.
It is not the destination, but the journey.
Have you ever had a grumpy day and not known why? Penguin is having a grumpy day like that. No matter what he does, he just can't shake it! Sometimes the only thing left to do is wash the grumpy day away and start over. The simple text and lively illustrations are the perfect cure for even the grumpiest of days.
The brilliant follow-up to the Caldecott Honor-winning and New York Times bestselling picture book They All Saw a Cat by Brendan Wenzel!
A Stone Sat Still tells the story of a seemingly ordinary rock—but to the animals that use it, it is a resting place, a kitchen, a safe haven...even an entire world.
Newbery Award honoree Ashley Bryan has hand-selected a dozen of National Book Award winner Nikki Giovanni’s poems to illustrate with his inimitable flourish.
There is nothing more important to a child than to feel loved, and this gorgeous gathering of poems written by Nikki Giovanni celebrates exactly that.
This poetry anthology, edited by Miranda Paul, explores a wide range of ways to be grateful (from gratitude for a puppy to gratitude for family to gratitude for the sky) with poems by a diverse group of contributors, including Joseph Bruchac, Margarita Engle, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Naomi Shihab Nye, Charles Waters, and Jane Yolen.
I breathe slowly in,
I breathe slowly out. My breath
is a river of peace.
I am here in the world.
Each moment I can breathe and be.
This is a subtle story about an elephant who is feeling sorrowful, and nothing seems to interest him or lift his spirits. Illustrated with a striking contrast between shadow and light, the moody blue elephant appears to live in a different world from his colorful savanna friends.
This sensitive, poetic picture book uses metaphors and beautiful imagery to explain the reasons for our tears, making it clear that everyone is allowed to cry, and that everyone does.In a soft voice, Mario asks, Mother, why do we cry? His mother thinks for a moment, and then begins to tell him about the many reasons for our tears.
A gentle metaphor for understanding and processing anxiety and sadness.
Maloo the kangaroo has lost his hop. Can his friends help him find it again? This sweet picture book explores the idea of sadness and the importance of friendship through ups and downs.
Embrace empathy with the instant #1 New York Times bestselling companion to I Am Love and I Am Peace!
Being human means we are full of possibility. We learn, we dream, we wonder at the world around us.$16.99ISBN: 9781465492449Availability: Usually Ships from Wholesaler in 1-5 DaysPublished: DK Children - August 11th, 2020$16.95ISBN: 9781943200009Availability: Usually Ships from Wholesaler in 1-5 DaysPublished: Compendium Publishing & Communications - June 1st, 2016"What do you do with a problem? Especially one that follows you around and doesn't seem to be going away? Do you worry about it? Ignore it? Do you run and hide from it? This is the story of a persistent problem and the child who isn't so sure what to make of it. The longer the problem is avoided, the bigger it seems to get.
$18.95ISBN: 9781592703036Availability: On Our Shelves Now (Subject to Availability)Published: Enchanted Lion Books - December 3rd, 2019"To turn the pages of this book is to witness transformation in real time." -The 2019 New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Books List
A story about difference, exclusion, and ultimately self-acceptance, Child of Glass explores the interplay between inner and outer and the journey we have to go on to become ourselves.