The preschoolers next door were our pod companions during the recent year of isolation, especially in summer when we shared exciting news about our sprouting gardens, and later when we shared the fruits of our gardening with each other. Sharing what we could—smiles, seeds, tomatoes—made everyone feel a little bit better. Here are some new books for children that explore good ways to keep our social selves healthy.

Sharing feelings is not always easy, but I’m Happy-Sad Today gives kids a way to talk about them. We all know how it feels to be happy or sad, but how about both at the same time? We might call that “shappy!” Often, we have multiple feelings bombarding us at the same time, and one way to explain is to play a word game—for example, “happycited” for feeling both happy and excited, or “smad,” which combines sad and mad. We have all been there. A Guide for Caring Adults offers insights, as well as activities and ideas for helping kids know that all of their feelings are valid. A different book from Free Spirit Publishing, 1-2-3: My Feelings and Me, is another fine introduction to talking about feelings with small children.
I’m Happy-Sad Today: Making Sense of Mixed-Together Feelings by Lory Britain, illustrated by Matthew Rivera (Free Spirit Publishing, 2019) Ages 3 – 6.
1-2-3: My Feelings and Me by Goldie Miller and Lisa A. Berger, illustrated by Priscilla Burris (Free Spirit Publishing, 2019) Ages 3–6.

We all had a difficult 2020, but some of us met the challenge with great creativity, and many kids came up with great ideas for seeing each other through the pandemic. What Kids Did is the inspiring story of more than 20 children from age 6 to 15, plus a youth choir from South Africa, a Girl Scout troop from Virginia Beach and a hockey team from Toronto, who found innovative ways to make isolation easier for others. Two 12-year-olds from Brooklyn wrote a cookbook called Lockdown Leftovers, a 9-year-old from Kenya built a hand-washing machine and a 13-year-old from Japan sewed hundreds of masks. Finally, a 6-year-old from British Columbia made his neighbors laugh with his walk-by joke stand.  Everyone has something to give!
What Kids Did: Stories of Kindness and Invention in the Time of Covid-19 by Erin Silver (Second Story Press, 2020) Ages 6–10.

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“Taking time to be kind to others makes everyone feel good,” says Kiko, the little gardener in Grow Kind. Kiko delights in the gardens she has planted, but more than that, she delights in sharing the bounty. From her family to her neighbors, from the hungry woman on the way to school who loves peaches to her fellow kindergarteners who enjoy delicious snacks at show and tell—all of them remind Kiko of the benefits of gardening that go beyond healthy eating.
Grow Kind by John Lasser and Sage Foster-Lasser, illustrated by
Christopher Lyles (Magination Press, 2020) Ages 3–7.

In another delightful story about the emotional benefits of gardening, Jayden’s Impossible Garden, Mama tries to tell her son, “There is no nature in the city.” But Jayden just wants to be outdoors, studying flowers and insects and meeting friends who share his love of the earth. An elderly neighbor teaches him to pay attention, and together they collect and recycle, build and plant until they have a lush urban garden. Their small efforts bring color, beauty and birdsong to their corner of the city, and open Mama’s eyes to the healing power of gardening. This heartwarming story is accompanied by some simple recycling ideas and information about common garden flora and fauna.
Jayden’s Impossible Garden by Melina Mangal, illustrated by Ken Daley (Free Spirit Publishing, 2021) Ages 4–8. 

For slightly older children, A Place Inside of Me: A Poem to Heal the Heart is a timely book that reaches deep into the place where feelings hide. The main character is a city kid, a skateboarder who explores all the emotions experienced on the basketball court, in school and while watching the news on TV – from fear to hope, from anger to compassion. In a time when so much feels painful and confusing, Zetta Elliott reminds us to look at the good inside, and to remember to love ourselves most of all.
A Place Inside of Me: A Poem to Heal the Heart by Zetta Elliott,
illustrated by Noa Denmon (Farrar Straus Giroux, 2020) Ages 7–10.