At the beginning of every school year (and throughout the year), I'm often called upon to give rousing speeches on resiliency and bravery to my children—School can be hard, but you can do hard things! Remember last year when you were so scared to try out for the school play, but you were brave and did it and loved it so much? Remember when you first started swimming lessons and you were terrified of the deep pool, but now you love to jump in the deep end? And of course, lots of be brave, you can do it, don't give up, etc, etc, etc! All of the books on this list illustrate the wonderful things that can happen when we take a deep breath, gird our loins, and step into the potentially scary!
A little hummingbird is nervous about migrating South. What if he gets lost or can't find food or something worse? It's almost too scary to think about! Luckily, little hummingbird can do anything with the help of friends that reassure and encourage him to be brave!
Written by Ame Dyckman
Illustrated by Tim Miller
New York : Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc, 2026. Picture book.
When Duckie discovers a massive banana, she wants her friend, Snaps, to help her get it. But Snaps is an anxious crocodile and can imagine all sorts of dangers they might encounter while traveling through the jungle. Ignoring Snaps protests, Duckie manages to drag Snaps along on the adventure. But when a spooky noise pushes them both past their bravery limit, will they fail their quest?
Written by Mariann Edgar Budde
Illustrated by Holly Hatam
New York, NY : Flamingo Books, 2026. Picture book.
A little girl who wants to be brave but mostly isn't is invited by a bold girl on an adventure. The courageous girl encourages her new friend to try scary things and helps her as she makes steps to be more brave. The brave friend gives reassurance that being brave is a work in progress and you can always try again.
Comments