Many children’s books have recently taken on a more direct approach to helping young ones deal with their emotions, professionally known as social-emotional learning. This week, we are featuring both fiction and nonfiction books with themes of social-emotional learning. Inspired by the beloved movie Inside Out 2, Luna Chi’s picture book portrays the characters—anthropomorphized emotions that live inside the mind of a girl named Riley—as they get ready for bed. Joy has finished her bedtime routine, Disgust is keeping watch on night duty at the emotion console, and the rest of the emotions are tucked comfortably into their beds starting to drift off to sleep. However, Anxiety can’t seem to fall asleep, and she eventually wakes everyone else up with her pacing, worrying, and general unrest. For any reader who has had a hard time falling asleep, this fun, hilarious, and hopeful picture book will help show readers how to calm their minds when they are feeling restless before bed.

For more books in our collection about social-emotional learning and self-care below!

Go to Sleep, Anxiety!
Written by Luna Chi
Illustrated by Gurihiru
Published by Disney Press
Available now

Gray
Written by Laura Dockrill
Illustrated by Lauren Child
Published by Candlewick Press
Available now

Kit and the Missing Notebooks: A Book About Calming Anxiety
Written by Chris and Linsey Wheeler
Illustrated by Carmen Saldaña
Published by Zonderkidz
Available now

Look
Written by Gabi Snyder
Illustrated by Samantha Cotterill
Published by Paula Wiseman Books
Available now

That Always Happens Sometimes
Written by Kiley Frank
Illustrated by K-Fai Steele
Published by Alfred A. Knopf
Available now

Wonderful Me: A First Guide to Taking Care of Yourself
Written by Nancy Shapiro
Illustrated by Vânia Sacramento
Published by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
Available now