Bibliotherapy

After disaster or loss, children may find talking about their feelings or exploring their feelings really hard and scary. Books are a safe way for children to explore their own feelings by relating to the characters or situations in the story.  Not only are stories a great tool to help understand feelings, but they can also offer hope in times of disaster or loss. We have picked out some of our favorite stories that talk about disasters, difficult times, and hard feelings. Click a category and/or age group below to explore our book lists.

Tips for Storytelling

Reading together helps children feel safe, comforted and cared for.  Sit close with children next to you or with them on your lap. Have your child hold something that makes them feel comfortable, like a  favorite stuffed animal.

It is okay to only read a few pages of a story at a time. If they seem uninterested in reading the story at that time or uncomfortable with the story, put the book to the side until they are ready to come back to it.

Ask open-ended questions related to the story. These are questions where the answers are more than just “yes” and “no.” Some questions you could ask include:

Why do you think they feel that way?
When you feel that way, does it look like theirs or different?
What would you do?

Leave a book in a place where your child can find it and look at it on their own when they want to. It gives them some control and they get to ask questions and explore the story whenever they want.

Keep coming back to stories that mean a lot to your family. Revisiting stories many different times can bring new points of view, new questions and new understanding. If a question comes up that you don’t know the answer to, be honest and say, “I don’t know, but let’s see what we can find out together.” 

You can read storybooks with teenagers too! It’s important to approach it by saying you know it’s a story intended for younger children, but you want to hear their opinion on the story. You can invite your teenager to read the book to you like you are a child. Afterwards, ask your teenager their opinion on the story, asking if the story would have been helpful to them when they were younger.

Showing 171-180 of 181 Books
What Is Death What Is Death

WHAT IS DEATH? addresses children s natural curiosity about this difficult subject. Introducing the concept of death with examples of...

Grief & Loss Etan Boritzer
What’s Inside Your Backpack What’s Inside Your Backpack

Zoey Harmon just wants to feel light-hearted and carefree. Unfortunately, she keeps getting weighed down by pesky "books" in her...

Feelings/Coping Jessica Sinarski
When Dinosaurs Die: A Guide to Understanding Death (Dino Tales: Life Guides for Families) When Dinosaurs Die: A Guide to Understanding Death (Dino Tales:...

Straightforward and comprehensive, this indispensable book is a comforting aid to help young kids and families through a difficult time...

Grief & Loss Laurie Krasny Brown
When Sadness is at Your Door When Sadness is at Your Door

In When Sadness Is at Your Door, Eva Eland brilliantly approaches this feeling as if it is a visitor. She...

Feelings/Coping, Sadness Eva Eland
When Someone Very Special Dies When Someone Very Special Dies

"A practical format for allowing children to understand the concept of death and develop coping skills for life."

Grief & Loss Marge Eaton Heegaard
When Something Terrible Happens When Something Terrible Happens

Creates ways for children to explore the fright, confusion, and insecurity caused by traumatic events in their lives. The 'Drawing...

Disasters (Natural & Manmade), Feelings/Coping, Worry/Fear Marge Eaton Heegaard
When Stars Are Scattered When Stars Are Scattered

Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, have spent most of their lives in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. Life...

Disasters (Natural & Manmade), War/Refugee Victoria Jamieson & Omar Mohamed
Why Do We Cry? Why Do We Cry?

This sensitive, poetic picture book uses metaphors and beautiful imagery to explain the reasons for our tears, making it clear...

Crying/Tears, Feelings/Coping Fran Pintadera
Woke: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice Woke: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice

"Historically poets have been on the forefront of social movements. Woke is a collection of poems by women that reflects...

Diversity & Social Justice Elizabeth Acevedo, Mahogany L. Browne, and Olivia Gatwood
You Are a Lion!: And Other Fun Yoga Poses You Are a Lion!: And Other Fun Yoga Poses

With simple instructions and bright, clear illustrations, award-winning artist Yoo invites children to enjoy yoga by assuming playful animal poses....

Feelings/Coping Taeeun Yoo