(Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Jonathan-Whatif-Monster-Michelle-Nelson-Schmidt/dp/161067118X)
Jonathan James and the Whatif Monster by Michelle Nelson-Schmidt. Kane Miller, 2012.
Brief Synopsis: At the beginning of the book Jonathan has a Whatif monster which tells him that certain situations could be negative (what if he falls out of a tree, etc). Later Jonathan realizes that his “what if’s” can be made positive (what if he has an awesome time).
How it relates to mental health: This book has a lot of different examples of how you can look at one situation in many ways depending on your attitude and perspective. Lots of children have “what-ifs” that can make them feel upset, but this book is a great tool to show that sometimes we just have to be positive about uncertain or new situations.
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(Retrieved from http://www.amazon.ca/Something-Beautiful-Sharon-Dennis-Wyeth/dp/0440412102)
Something Beautiful by Sharon Dennis Wyeth illustrated by Chris K. Soentpiet. Dragonfly Books, 1998.
Brief Synopsis: A little girl is upset when she looks around her neighbourhood and sees a lot of negative things like graffitti and trash. She says that she wants to find something beautiful. By talking to different people in her neighbourhood she finds out that there are lots of beautiful things all around if you just look for them.
How it relates to mental health: Sometimes we need to change our perspective to make ourselves feel better. This is a great story to prompt children to look at the good things in their own life, and help them to have a more positive outlook.
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(Retrieved from http://www.amazon.ca/Imagine-Place-Sarah-L-Thomson/dp/1416968024)
Imagine a place by Sarah L. Thomson paintings by Rob Gonsalves. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2008.
Brief Synopsis: SImple yet descriptive text accompanies beautiful paintings which show lots of different places that your imagination can take you.
How it relates to mental health: Imagination can be a powerful tool in dealing with stress in our lives. Remembering happy moments can make a child’s day a bit better, and imagery and guided imagery can be a great way to calm students down when their emotions or energy are at a very high level.
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(Retrieved from http://www.amazon.ca/Peace-Book-Todd-Parr/dp/0316043494/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396547986&sr=1-1&keywords=peace+book)
The Peace Book by Todd Parr. Little Brown and Company, 2004.
Brief Synopsis: This book shows that there are many different kinds of peace, both in yourself and between yourself and others. There are many relatable or identifiable types of peace for students to identify with.
How it relates to mental health: Having peaceful relationships with others, as well as a sense of peace within yourself can all contribute to a happier and more positive outlook and a happier mindset. This can lead into a good conversation on ways to cope with difficult situations and what brings each individual a sense of peace and calm.
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(Retrieved from http://www.amazon.ca/How-Full-Your-Bucket-Kids/dp/1595620273)
How Full is your Bucket? For Kids by Tom Rath and Mary Reckmeyer illustrated by Maurie J. Manning.
Brief Synopsis: Felix wakes up one morning with an invisible bucket which fills up when positive things happen to him during the day, and starts to empty when his day is not going so well. Through the day he finds that helping other people fill their own buckets by doing nice things for others actually fills his own bucket too.
How it relates to mental health: This book acknowledges that we all have bad days and things that make us upset, but provides tangible examples of things that we can do to help ourselves and others feel better about themselves. The bucket idea provides a way to make ones happiness and overall mood a bit more clear or concrete for children.
Healthier Minds Through Songs and Rhymes 