A passage in “The Velveteen Rabbit” by Margery Williams Bianco never fails to bring tears to my eyes: “Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but really loves you, then you become Real.” Even as an adult, I relate to Skin Horse at that moment because he is experiencing human emotions.
For most of us, childhood is when we learn to master feelings and emotions. And this can be challenging to say the least. Just ask any adult who has carried a screaming child out of a store.
According to an article in Psychology Today, reading to your child is one of the best ways to help them develop their emotional skill sets. Children realize they are not alone when they see fictional characters struggle to make sense of their emotions. They learn that it’s okay to have feelings that you don’t always understand and that working through them is just a part of growing up.
“The Velveteen Rabbit” is one of many books we offer here at the library that introduce feelings and emotions through the eyes of inanimate objects. Here are a few more to read and enjoy with your children.
- “The Pencil” by Allan Ahlberg
- “The Day the Crayons Quit” by Drew Daywalt
- “Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel” by Virginia Lee Burton
- “Little Pea” by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
- “Friendshape” By Amy Krouse Rosenthal
- “Spoon” by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
- “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein
- “Winnie the Pooh” by A.A. Milne
- “The Indian In the Cupboard” by Lynne Reid Banks
- “Everyone Loves Bacon” by Kelly DiPucchio
- “The Eraserheads” by Kate Banks
