Therapeutic Children’s Picture Books to Help with Anxiety, Depression, and Trauma and More

If a child is struggling with anxiety, depression, or trauma, therapeutic children’s picture books can help. Picture books are a great way to engage young children in conversation as it provides a safe space for them to potentially talk about difficult emotions without having to talk directly about themselves. Use these recommended reads in session or as homework for family bonding.

Please preview all books before recommending them to clients as to screen for fit.

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Picture Books on PRIDE & Gender Identity

• My Own Way: Celebrating Gender Freedom For Kids by Joanne Estrela
• Pride Puppy! by Robin Stevenson and Julie McLaughlin
• Pink, Blue, and You!: Questions for Kids about Gender Stereotypes by Elise Gravel & Mykaell Blais 
• Rainbow: A First Book of Pride by Michael Genhart PhD and Anne Passchier
• The Meaning of Pride by Rosie Thor
• Twas The night before Pride by Joanna McClintick
• Pronoun Book by Chris Ayala-Kronos
• Grandad’s Camper by Harry Woodgate

Picture Books on Female Empowerment

• More than a Princess  by Delanda Coleman & Terrence Coleman
• The Girl with Big, Big Questions (The Big, Big Series Book 2) by Britney Winn Lee

Picture Books on Boundaries

• I Choose to Say No by Elizabeth Estrada
• Don’t Hug Doug (He Doesn’t Like It) by Carrie Finison
• I Can Say No by Jenny Simmons
• Don’t Touch My Hair! by Sharee Miller 
• Leave Me Alone! by Vera Brosgol 
• Speak Up by Miranda Paul  
• More Than Fluff by Madeline Valentine
• We Listen To Our Bodies by Lydia Bowers
• The Clown Said No by Mischa Damjan
• We Accept No by Lydia Bowers
• We ask Permission by Lydia Bowers
• We Check in With Each Other by Lydia Bowers

Picture Books on Big Emotions

• The Tunnel by Sarah Howden 
• Sweep by Louise Greig 
• Thank You Mind: Understanding My Big Feelings on Tricky Days by Jennifer Cohen Harper
• When Sophie’s Feelings Are Really, Really Hurt by Molly Bang
• It’s So Difficult by Raúl Nieto Guridi 
• The Way I Feel by Janan Cain
• My No, No, No Day by Rebecca Patterson
• The Boy with Big, Big Feelings (The Big, Big Series, 1) by Britney Winn Lee
• When a Donut Goes to Therapy by Erin Winters

Picture Books on Mindfulness, Deep Breathing and Other Strategies

• Alphabreaths Too: More ABCs of Mindful Breathing by Christopher Willard PsyD & Daniel Rechtschaffen MA
• Mindfulness Makes Me Stronger by Elizabeth Cole 
• My Way to Kindness by Elizabeth Cole
• Breathing Makes It Better by Christopher Willard and Wendy O’Leary 
• It’s Great to Be Grateful!: A Kid’s Guide to Being Thankful by Michaelene Mundy 
• A Book of Prayers for All Your Cares by Michaelene Mundy 

Picture Books on Anger

• Angry Me by Sandra V. Feder  
• I Was So Mad by Mercer Mayer
• I Love You When You’re Angry by Erin Winters
• I Am Stronger Than Anger by Elizabeth Cole
• I Choose To Calm My Anger by Elizabeth Estrada
• Mad Isn’t Bad: A Child’s Book About Anger by Michaelene Mundy 
• When Sophie Gets Angry – Really, Really Angry… by Molly Bang

Picture Books on Anxiety

• Brave Every Day by Trudy Ludwig
• Nervous Nigel by Bethany Christou
• I Am Stronger Than Anxiety by Elizabeth Cole
• Big Problems, Little Problems by Ben Feller
• Stop and Smell the Cookies by Gibson Frazier
• I Choose To Calm My Anxiety by Elizabeth Estrada
• My Beautiful Voice by Joseph Coelho
• Sometimes I’m Afraid: A Book about Fear by Michaelene Mundy 
• The Unicorn Came To Dinner by Lauren DeStefano
• Olivia Wrapped in Vines by Maude Nepveu-Villeneuve
• Fear Not? How to face your fear and anxiety head on by Christina Furnival
• The Whatifs by Emily Kilgore
• Thank You for the Little Things by Carly Hart

Picture Books on Self Esteem & Self-Acceptance

• Sometimes All I Need Is Me by Juliana Perdomo
• Pop!: Otto, the Kernel Who Didn’t Pop by Karen Kilpatrick
• Thank You Body, Thank You Heart: A Gratitude and Self-Compassion Practice for Bedtime by Jennifer Cohen Harper & Karen Gilmour

Picture Books on Body Image and Positivity

• Bodies are Cool by Tyler Feder
• I Love My Body Because by Shelly Anand, Nomie Ellenson
• The Bare Naked Book by Kathy Stinson
• The Secret Code Inside You: all about your DNA by Rajani LaRocca
• Laxmi’s Mooch by Shelly Anand

Picture Books on Grief and Loss

• All From A Walnut by Ammi-Joan Paquette 
• The Rough Patch by Brain Lies
• The Treasure Box by Dave Keane
• Sad Isn’t Bad: A Good-grief Guidebook for Kids Dealing with Loss by Michaelene Mundy 
• The Invisible String by Patrice Karst
• Grandpa’s Stories by Joseph Coelho
• I Miss You: Grief and Mental Health Books for Kids by Pat Thomas
• The Memory Box: A Book About Grief by Joanna Rowland
• Many Shapes of Clay by Kenesha Sneed
• Out to Sea by Hellen Kellock
• When Someone Dies: A Children’s Mindful How-To Guide on Grief and Loss by Andrea Dorn
• Addy’s Cup of Sugar by Jon J Muth
• If You Miss Me by Jocelyn Li Langrand

Picture Books on Friendships & Relationship Conflicts

• Almost Always Best, Best Friends
• Luna Loves Art by Joseph Coelho
• My Way to Making Friends by Elizabeth Cole
• Ricky, the Rock That Couldn’t Roll by Mr. J
• Luli and the Language of Tea by Andrea Wang 
• The Not So-Friendly Friend by Christina Furnival
• Better Than You by Trudy Ludwig
• Fox Tells a Lie by Susanna Isern
• How to Be a Friend: A Guide to Making Friends and Keeping Them (Dino Tales: Life Guides for Families) by Laurie Krashny Brown

Picture Books on Tough Conversations

• Thursday (Divorce) by Ann Bonwill
• Dinosaurs Divorce (Dino Tales: Life Guides for Families) by Marc Brown and Laurie Krasny Brown
• See You Soon (Incarceration) by Mariame Kaba
• Saturday at the Food Pantry (Food Insecurity) by Diane O’Neill 
• The Strongest Thing: When Home Feels Hard (Domestic Violence) by Hallee Adelman

Picture Books on Disability Awareness

• Sam’s Super Seats by Keah Brown
• Surgery on Sunday by Kat Harrison
• Powwow Day by Traci Sorell
• A Way With Words by Stacy Burch 
• What Happened To You? By James Catchpole

Picture Books on Trauma

• Tell Someone by Debra Kempf Shumaker 
• A Blue Kind of Day by Rachel Tomlinson 
• Breathing Makes It Better by Christopher Willard and Wendy O’Leary