Children’s Well-Being Platform
IN COLLABORATION WITH Eric T. Webster FOUNDATION
Childhood isn’t always this idyllic stage of life. The sky can cloud over. A best friend moves away, a grandparent passes, a beloved family dog is put to sleep, classmates reject another… Children’s books offer a means of grappling with such realities, gently and with sensitivity. Tailored to age groups, picture books and novels for young readers can help parents open up a dialogue with their kids, and provide them with an ideal opportunity to express their fears, anxieties, and sadness. These works give parents a chance to find the right words, thanks to those of children’s authors, to reassume them.
This Blue Metropolis platform provides reading and activity recommendations to bolster the emotional and mental well-being of children.
King Mouse, Cary Fagan (text), Dena Seiferling (illustrations), Tundra Books, 2019, on friendship and sharing
A Day with Yayah, Nicola Campbell (text), Julie Flett (illustrations), Tradewind Books, 2017, elders knowledge and plant life
Hungry Jim, Laurel Snyder (text), Chuck Groenink (illustrations), Chronicle Books, 2019, on moods and instincts
Pour les 6-9 ans
Little Cheetah’s Shadow, Marianne Dubuc, Princeton Architectural Press, 2020, on empathy and new perspectives
Another, Christian Robinson, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2019, on a playful journey to embracing difference
my best friend, Julie Fogliano (text), Jilliam Takaki (illustrations), Enchanted Lions Books, 2020, on the magic of friendship
Pour les 10-12 ans
Tomorrow I’ll Be Kind, Jessica Hische, Penguin Workshop, 2020, on self-esteem, bedtime and dreams
The Bug Girl: A True Story, Sophie Spencer, Margaret McNamara (text), Kerascoët (illustrations), on bullying and science
The Seed of Compassion, His Holiness the Dalai Lama (text), Bao Luu (illustrations), on kindness in a confusing world
BOOKS THAT FEEL GOOD
Here is a selection of books on various subjects for different age groups.
Ages 0-5
Freedom, We Sing, Amyra Leon (text), Molly Mendoza (illustrations), Flying Eye Books, 2020, on self-esteem and self-reliance in times of crisis
Stories of the Night, Kitty Crowther, Gecko Press, 2018, bedtime stories about bedtime
We Are Water Protectors, Carole Lindstrom (text), Michaela Goade (illustrations), Roaring Brook Press, 2020, on taking a stand and protecting the environment
Ray, Marianna Coppo, Tundra Books, 2020, on a solitary lightbulb and new experiences
Dr. Seuss’s School Things, Dr Seuss (text), Tom Brannon (illustrations), Random House Books for Your Readers, 2020
What’s up, Maloo?, Geneviève Godbout [Canadienne, Montréalaise], Tundra Books 2020, on a kangaroo’s sadness and the importance of friendship
Ages 6-9
The Strange Birds of Flannery O’Connor, Amy Alznauer (text), Ping Zhu (illustrations), Enchanted Lion Books, 2020, on a famous writer and her love of birds
Caribou Song, Tomson Highway (text), John Rombough (illustrations), Songs of the North Wind, 2016, on family and embracing nature
What Grew in Larry’s Garden?, Laura Alary (text), Kass reich (illustrations), Kids Can Press, 2020, on life in the garden, community activism, and living green
From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea, Kai Cheng Thom (text), Kai Yun Ching and Wai-Yant Li (illustrations), Arsenal Pulp Press, 2017, on acceptance and identity
The Barnabus Project, The Fan Brothers, Tundra Books, on pets and friendship
Where are you now?, Tyler Clarke Burke [Canadien], Owlkids Books, 2019, on grief and the passing of a loved one
Ages 10-12
New Kid, Jerry Craft, Quill Tree Books, on starting in a new school
I Wish, Toon Tellegen (words), Ingrid Gordon (illustrations), David Colmer (translation), Elsewhere Editions, imaginative prose poems prompted by “I wish”
King and the Dragonflies, Kacen Callender, Scholastic Inc., 2020, on grief, racism and discovering one’s identity
Look Both Ways, Jason Reynolds (text), Alexander Nobaum (illustrations), ALA Notable Children’s Books, 2019, on detours in life and the walk home from school
Making Comics, Lynda Barry, Drawn & Quarterly, on drawing and writing your own story
ACTIVITIES TO HAVE FUN AND EXPRESS YOURSELF
In this section, we propose a variety of activities for different age groups. Want to send us your child’s drawing or text? Don’t hesitate: william@metropolisbleu.org.
Ages 0-5
- Draw yourself with your friends.
- Draw your favourite animal.
- Draw yourself with your family.
Ages 6-9
- Draw the schoolyard at recess.
- Draw a mean monster and a kind monster.
- Write a five- or six-line poem about your best friend’s qualities.
- One night, you are with your little brother or sister in the living room and you hear your parents arguing in the kitchen. They look pretty mad. Your younger sibling is pretty scared and sad. What do you tell them to reassure them?
Ages 10-12
- Jumping off of the following passages, write a little text five lines to half a page long:
- It’s my first day of high school today, and I feel like…
- A girl next to me on the bus was crying. I noticed her tights were ripped at the knees and her coat was dirty. I didn’t really know what to do.
- Compose a song or slam poem on the theme of fear.
- Imagine that you are asked to speak publicly at the end of the school year about the hardest situation and the most rewarding situation you experienced since September.
Reference sites to find information or to get support
Tel-Jeunes
AMI Quebec – Listening lines
