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SEAL books and teaching ideas by primary Theme

with thanks to Floreat Education (Character programme), Teaching Philosophy and BookTrust

Community

Frederick by Leo Lionni

Winter is near and all the field mice are busy preparing and gathering food for the cold months ahead - all except for Frederick. Always the daydreamer, Frederick is preparing a small surprise that will warm the hearts and feed the spirits of his fellow mice when they need it most.

Questions for Philosophical Discussion

1. What makes a community? 2. Try to think of some communities you are a part of. How do you know they are communities? 3. Your school is a community and everybody contributes something to it. The mice have a community, too, and everyone is contributing

something. What and how do the mice contribute? 4. Does everybody have to do his or her part in a community? 5. What does Frederick contribute? 6. Frederick is a part of the mouse community. Does Frederick deserve to get some of the food

even though he didn’t gather any of it? 7. Do you think it’s fair that he gets some of the food? Why or why not?

You could follow up by asking children to think about and give a few examples of what people in their school community contribute. They could create a table with the names of people in the community and their contributions.

The Araboolies of Liberty Street by Sam Swope

General Pinch keeps strict order on Liberty Street by threatening the residents with the possibility of an army invasion. The people live under a shadow of fear and gloom. That is until the colourful Araboolies move in and shake things up. The children hatch a plan of revolution and bring liberty to Liberty Street.

One of the goals for a discussion of this story is for the children to think about rules and what areas of our lives they think they should be applied to. In the Araboolies of Liberty Street (ALS), General Pinch has rules for everything, which makes for a pretty unhappy populace. This is one

New Beginnings

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extreme. On the other hand, what would life be like without any rules? Is there a problem with letting people live however they please?

Questions for Philosophical Discussion

1. Would you like to live on Liberty Street? 2. Would you be happy if there were rules that told you what to do all the time and how and

when to do those things? 3. Would you be happy if there were no rules? 4. What would a school without rules be like? 5. Why do you think there are rules in schools and communities? 6. Do you think that there should be rules for such things as what side of the road we drive on?

How about rules for how you decorate your bedroom? Why do you think there should be rules about some things and not about others?

7. Can there ever be too many rules? 8. Can there ever be not enough rules? 9. How do you think we can tell the difference between an unfair rule and a fair rule? 10. If there is an unfair rule, what do you think should be done to get it changed? 11. Is it ever okay to break an unfair rule?

The Big Box by Toni Morrison

The Big Box is about three very energetic children “who just can't handle their freedom.” To make these children abide by their rules, the grown-ups create a world inside a box, a world with toys and games, treats and gifts, and all kinds of stuff they think kids need to be happy and carefree. There are three locks on the door, which opens only one way.

Good for older KS2 and even secondary, the book invites discussion about rules, happiness, and comfort zones.

Questions for Philosophical Discussion Would you want to stay in the box? What would we need to give you that would make you happy to live in the box? Do we need rules in our homes, classroom, school, and community? Why? Do the rules we have make our communities perfect? What if there were no rules? Would you like to go to a school with no rules? What would be good about it? What might be bad about it? What does that line mean, when the adults say to the kids, "You simply can't handle your freedom"? What if your parents decided you could completely handle your freedom and just told you to go free? What would happen? Why do people call our country a free country if there are rules here? When you are free, do you still have to follow some rules?

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Sharing

Stone Soup by J. Jon

Traveling down a mountain road, three monks, Hok, Lok, and Siew, inquire what it means to be happy. They come upon a small famine-ridden and war-torn village in the mountains that seems to be empty. Upon closer inspection they find that everybody here is afraid of them and hiding in their homes due to suspicion. To teach these people about happiness, the three monks begin to make “stone soup,” a soup concocted of nothing more than water and three round stones. This entices the villagers out of their homes in the hopes to learn how to make soup from nothing but stones. One by one the monks convince the village people to help them make their soup by sharing with the

monks their spices, vegetables, and other valuable ingredients. This act of sharing brings kindness and trust to the village, and together they make a feast for the three monks who have now discovered what it means to be happy.

Questions for Philosophical Discussion

1. How many of you have ever shared something with someone? What did you share? Why did you share this with them?

2. Why do you think the villagers started to share? 3. Do you think that the villagers should have shared their own ingredients? Why or why not? 4. What makes sharing important? How do you know that sharing is important? 5. Does sharing make a person “rich”? Why or why not? 6. When is it okay not to share?

As a follow up, get the children to break into small groups and task them with creating a rule for sharing: when should we share and when shouldn't we? Bring the groups back together and have one member from each group share their rule with the group. Allow time for the groups to ask questions about each group’s rule.

The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

The most beautiful fish in the ocean is asked to share one of his shining scales with a little blue fish, and to which he refuses. All the other fish in the sea leave him alone, and he wondered why. He goes to the wise octopus for advice, and she tells him to give away his scales. Rainbow Fish reluctantly does so, except for one. In the end, he is less beautiful then he was before, but he has new friends and is now the happiest fish in the sea.

Questions for Philosophical Discussion

Before reading

1. How many of you have ever owned an item that you didn’t want to share?

2. If you were made to, did it make you happier or sadder? 3. Would you rather do the right thing or do the thing you want to do? 4. Would you rather have something really special all to yourself or have friends?

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5. Is being unique more important than being liked?

Questions after reading

1. Was Rainbow Fish's decision to share worth it? 2. Rainbow Fish was happy with his scales, and he was happy with his new friends. Are there

different kinds of happiness? 3. Are they true friends if one of the main reasons they like Rainbow Fish is because he gave

them something pretty? 4. If Rainbow Fish refused to give the blue fish the scale politely, would this have changed the

other fish’s perception of him? 5. Do you share with your friends? Do you share everything with them?

Also for sharing: The Selfish Crocodile by Faustin Charles and Michael Terry

Getting on and Falling Out

Friendship

On Sudden Hill by Linda Sarah and Benji Davis

Two friends play on Sudden Hill. One day a new boy wants to join in and is accepted, but one of the original pair doesn’t like the change. This is a story about a change in a friendship group, and reminds children that you can have lots of friends.

Talk about the idea of having a ‘best’ friend. Do you have to have a best friend? Can you have more than one friend? How does it feel not to have a best friend? Could it be that you haven’t met them yet? Can you be friends with lots of people at the same time? What does it feel to be

new? How can we make friends? Why was Shu a good friend in the story?

You might like to follow up with this Kind Hands activity from Floreat’s character programmme.

Ask pupils to sit in a circle on the carpet. Place a bowl of warm water in the middle of the circle and explain to the children that you are going to pour some special (glittery or beautifully scented) soap into the water. This makes a ‘kind hand potion’. The children take turns to wash their hands in the potion.

The children can discuss how this makes their hands feel different. Now the children all have kind hands, ask them what kind things they might do. Take some suggestions from the children.

Children can then paint hand prints which can be cut out and stuck around the edge of a display board. Explain to children that when they see another member of the class doing something kind, they can recognise them by moving their handprint to the centre of the board. Children could write a sentence on the handprint to say how that person showed kindness e.g. I saw Tom lending Fred his football boots when he had none of his own, Kate invited me to play with her when I was on my own

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Flop-Ear and Annie by Guido Van Genechten

Flop-Ear, the rabbit, desperately wants to make friends with Annie, whom he admires greatly. Annie, however, does not appear to be interested in him at all, and so Flop-Ear resorts to all kinds of ways of making her notice him, including wearing long trousers, putting on his grandfather's glasses, covering himself in brown spots and even disguising himself so well that he scares her and makes her run away so fast she falls over. Eventually, Annie agrees to be friends with him, as long as he agrees to be himself. A very appealing picture book about friendship.

Other books for friendship:

The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco

The Cathedral Mouse by Kay Chorao

The Value of Friends – a Jataka Tale

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves by Margaret Early

Puss in Boots by Charles Perrault

A Bit Lost by Chris Haughton

Ebb and Flo and the Baby Seal by Jane Simmons

Lovabye Dragon by Barbara Joosse

Jamaica and Brianna by Juanita Havill

The Biggest Thing in the World by Kenneth Steven

The Bog Baby by Jeanne Willis and Gwen Millward

Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel

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Anger

When Sophie Gets Angry--Really, Really Angry... by Molly Bang

Sophie is playing with a toy gorilla when her sister takes it from her for her turn. Sophie gets really angry and she is ready to explode, but instead she cries, climbs a tree and tries to calm herself.

Questions for Philosophical Discussion

The Nature of Anger

1. What makes you angry? 2. Who are the people we get angry with? 3. Was Sophie right to be angry? Was her anger justified? If someone did something that they think is right and you think is wrong, should you be angry at them? 4. If two people have different ideas of what is right and wrong and are

angry with the other, how can we decide on who is right? 5. Does an angry person have to look a certain way or do a certain thing to show he is angry? 6. Can you be angry without looking angry? 7. Is feeling hurt and being angry the same thing? 8. Could you ever forgive someone who destroyed your favourite toy instead of being angry?

When and why? Should people who are angry, forgive?

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

One night Max puts on his wolf suit and makes mischief of one kind and another, so his mother calls him 'Wild Thing' and sends him to bed without his supper. That night a forest begins to grow in Max's room and an ocean rushes by with a boat to take Max to the place where the wild things are. Max tames the wild things and crowns himself as their king, and then the wild rumpus begins. But when Max has sent the monsters to bed, and everything is quiet, he starts to feel lonely and realises it is time to sail home to the place where someone loves him best of all.

Empathy

Stand in my shoes by Bob Sorenson

When Emily asks her big sister what the word empathy means, Emily has no idea that knowing the answer will change how she looks at people. But does it really matter to others if Emily notices how they're feeling? Stand in My Shoes shows kids how easy it is to develop empathy toward those around them. Empathy is the ability to notice what other people feel. Empathy leads to the social skills and personal relationships which make our lives rich and beautiful, and it is something we can help our children learn. This book teaches young children the value of noticing how other people feel.

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My World, Your World by Melanie Walsh

Pierre says 'bonjour'. George says 'hello'. But . . . they both say 'achoo!' when they sneeze. The world is full of all sorts of people, speaking different languages and living different kinds of lives, but deep down people are basically the same wherever they live.

Two Monsters by David Mckee

Two monsters live on different sides of the mountain. They speak to each other through a hole in the mountain but they never see each other. One day they get into an argument and start throwing rocks which destroy the mountain and enables them to see each other’s point of view for the first time.

When it was starting to get dark in the evening, what did the blue monster call it?

What did the red monster call it?

Who was right? Both, they’re different ways of seeing the same things

When it was starting to get light in the morning, what did the blue monster say?

What did the red monster say?

Who was right? Both, they’re different ways of seeing the same things

What happened on the last page? They were able to see the sunset from each other’s perspective.

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka

Alexander T. Wolf was framed! All he wanted to do was borrow a cup of sugar to make a cake for his granny. Unfortunately, a bad cold and some unfriendly neighbours land Al in a heap of trouble. Now in jail, Al recounts what really happened to the Three Little Pigs.

Questions for Philosophical Discussion

1. How is this version of the story different from the traditional version? How are they alike? (Consider creating a Venn diagram to illustrate this) 2. Which version of the story do you like better? Why?

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3. Is it possible to determine if one is the truth? Why or why not? 4. Is Al treated differently because he’s a wolf? How so? 5. Imagine that you are a pig in this society. How would you feel when you heard about what

happened to the Three Little Pigs?

This Is Our House by Michael Rosen and Bob Graham

George refuses to allow any other children into the house, even when the children tried to include him in their games. When George was away, the other children went straight into the house and would not let him back in. Only then does George have empathy for how he had made the other children feel. His new perspective leads him to change his actions and declare ‘this house is for everybody’.

What reasons did George give for not letting the other children play? Are these fair reasons? How did the children feel about this? Do you

think George knew how the children felt?

When we try to imagine how other people feel, that’s called having empathy. Having empathy helps us to be kind to other people. So for example, when Miss XXXX had a broken arm, you noticed that she needed help to open the door. You showed empathy, which helped you to be kind. Why did the children decide not to let George in? They wanted him to know how it felt not to be allowed in. They wanted him to show empathy. How could George show empathy next time?

Also for empathy:

Upside Down Babies by Jeanne Willis and Adrian Reynolds

Me and You by Anthony Browne

For lots more lovely suggestions, look at http://www.whatdowedoallday.com/2015/08/picture-books-to-teach-empathy.html

Working in groups/teams

Elmer and the Hippo by David McKee

This tale of tolerance and teamwork is a delight. The elephants are unhappy that some hippos are using their river, so Elmer the patchwork elephant steps in to investigate. He discovers that the hippo’s own river has dried up, meaning they have been forced to seek water elsewhere. When Elmer checks the rhino’s river he realises that it has been blocked by rocks but that if the elephants and hippos work together they can fix things. Elmer’s ingenuity saves the day and after a lot of hard work the elephants and hippos form a friendship through their teamwork.

This picture book teaches readers about the importance of acceptance and working together and will provoke interesting classroom discussion.

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Also for teamwork: The Bundle of Sticks, Aesop's Fable

Mr Grumpy's Outing by John Burningham

Ruff and the Wonderfully Amazing Busy Day by Caroline Jayne Church

Henny Penny by Vivian French and Sophie Windham

Little Croc and the Whale by Tony Maddox

Anti-Bullying

Is It Because? by Tony Ross

A light-hearted and sympathetic tale about bullying that even-handedly presents both sides of the story.

Employing both humour and rhyme to great effect, a little boy, addressing his dog, runs through the possible reasons - 'Is it Because...?' - why a certain Peregrine Ffrogg is bullying him, ultimately showing that the so-called victim is actually a much-liked, well-rounded and extremely positive individual.

Accompanied by Tony Ross's characteristically engaging pen-and-watercolour illustrations, this is an excellent introduction to the issue of

bullying for young readers.

Cloud Busting by Malorie Blackman

Narrated in verse, Cloud Busting is an exploration of an unlikely friendship between two very different boys. Sam is the Class Bully and he makes Davey, who is imaginative, instinctive - a born poet, in fact - the Class Idiot. But gradually a close relationship develops between them as Davey opens Sam's eyes to a whole new world: one that is alive with words, rhythm, music and colour, and the boys become Best Friends - but only in secret.

Sam's reluctance to acknowledge Davey and to protect his privacy has terrible consequences for them both. But in the bittersweet conclusion Sam realises that though he has lost Davey, he has also gained something incredibly precious.

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On Monday When It Rained by Cherryl Kachenmeister

In simple, straightforward text and marvelously expressive pictures, the author and photographer have captured the thoughts and feelings of one small boy. Whether he is proud or scared, lonely or excited, the boy’s face mirrors his emotion with the wonderful directness of childhood.

My Secret Bully by Trudy Ludwig

Here is the all-too-familiar story of Monica. She and Katie have been friends since kindergarten. Monica loves being around her when she's nice. But there are times when Katie can be just plain mean. And Monica doesn't understand why.

Monica is a target of relational aggression, emotional bullying among friends who will use name-calling and manipulation to humiliate and exclude. But with a little help from a supportive adult her mother Monica learns to cope and thrive by facing her fears and reclaiming power from her bully.

Just Kidding by Trudy Ludwig

A rare look at emotional bullying among boys from the best-selling author of My Secret Bully. D.J.'s friend Vince has a habit of teasing D.J. and then saying, Just kidding!" as if it will make everything okay. It doesn't, but D.J. is afraid that if he protests, his friends will think he can't take a joke. With the help of his father, brother, and an understanding teacher, D.J. progresses from feeling helpless to taking positive action, undermining the power of two seemingly harmless words. Trudy Ludwig takes another look at relational aggression, the use of relationships to manipulate and hurt others, this time from the boy's point of view. Back matter includes discussion questions, a "dos and don'ts of teasing" list, and a resource guide for teachers.

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Also for bullying: Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andrede. Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes. Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes.

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One by Kathryn Otoshi. The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes.

Going for Goals

The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper.

In this story a long train must be pulled over a high mountain. The large trains are asked to help to pull, but won't. The smallest engine agrees to try and succeeds in pulling the train over the mountain repeating the motto "I-think-I-can

Class discussion questions:

Did the blue engine think it would be hard or easy to push the other train up the hill?

What did the blue engine say to herself to help her persevere/keep going?

What could we say to help other people to persevere?

You could use these slides from Floreat’s Character Programme R Perseverance and ask the children to explain in a full sentence, using the word persevering, what they can see? With each new slide, ask pupils to work in Perfect Partners before one child shares their full sentence with the class.

You could also ask pupils to sit in a circle on the carpet, and think about a time they found something difficult but persevered.

Holding a special object (that denotes the child allowed to speak), ask them to share, beginning with “I persevered when I….”.

Follow-up questions to some children might include: Why was it difficult? What helped you persevere and not give up?

Have the class watch Finding Nemo and use the words "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming" from the film to help them persevere in school.

Other books for perseverance:

The Little White Owl by Tracey Corderoy

The Fox and the Grapes, Aesop's Fable

The Velveteen Rabbit by Marjorie Williams

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Waiting for what you want

Christopher Nibble by Charlotte Middleton

Guinea pig Christopher Nibble loves munching dandelion leaves. In fact, everyone loves eating dandelion leaves and one day there are none left! Christopher Nibble discovers the very last dandelion. Resisting the temptation to eat it, he nurtures the dandelion patiently until it has produced a perfect head of tiny seeds. Then he blows the seeds so that each dandelion seedling takes root and grows into a new plant until there is enough for everyone again.

Before reading the story, ask the class to sit in a circle and place a marshmallow in front of each child. Tell the children they can

choose to eat their marshmallow while you are reading the story, or they can choose to wait until the end of the lesson. The children who wait until the end of the lesson will be given another marshmallow! This is a real test of their ability to control themselves in order to receive a greater reward later on.

This story helps children to understand the concept of delayed gratification. Through the example of Christopher Nibble, children can understand the temptation to eat the dandelion for instant gratification. However, Christopher Nibble knows that if he can resist eating the dandelion now there will be much greater rewards later on. Through the activities, children are encouraged to understand that putting off something appealing in order to secure a greater goal is part of what it means to have self control. Examples of this could be doing their homework instead of watching television, practising the piano instead of going out with their friends.

Keeping trying, following your dreams, resilience and positive thinking

Caterpillar Dreams by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross

Two caterpillars dream of the time they will be fully grown and splendid butterflies. However, when they emerge from the chrysalis they discover that nature has a different plan! One has grown into a butterfly, spreading her glorious wings in the sun – but the other has become a moth and finds joy flying in the moonlight instead.

This story shows children that rather than be disappointed when something doesn’t turn out as planned, we can instead find the good in the new situation. We can be optimistic and

joyful about what we have, and recognise that there are certain things we simply cannot con

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Reach for the Stars by Serge Bloch

This uplifting book follows the characters on their journey through life, using a series of well known idioms such as ‘fork in the road’ ‘uphill battle’ and ‘reach for the stars’ to encourage them to look on the bright side of life, even when they face challenges.

The story explains that although things might not always go to plan for us, we should be optimistic and ‘reach for the stars’. This unit is designed to teach children that they can choose to look at things in a cheerful way. The idiomatic language such as ‘in over your head’ and ‘in the doghouse’ helps to communicate this message because despite the situations they describe, the phrases are still cheerful or humorous. By reminding us that everyone gets into difficult situations and faces challenges, they also encourage us to gain some perspective, and not worry unduly.

Giant Steps to Change the World by Spike Lee

Following the success of their much beloved picture books, Please, Baby, Please and Please, Puppy, Please, Spike Lee, and his wife Tonya Lewis Lee offer up an inspirational picture book about activism and taking the big steps to set things right set to beautiful illustrations by the award-winning Sean Qualls. Using examples of people throughout history who have taken "giant steps", this book urges kids to follow in their footsteps and not be hindered by fear or a sense that you are not good enough. Despite the challenges, even the smallest step can change the world. So, what's your next step going to be?

Also for following dreams: How to catch a star Oliver Jeffries Augustus and His Smile by Catherine Rayner Petar’s Song by Pratima Mitchell and Caroline Birch Twinkle Twinkle Squiglet Pig by Joyce Dunbar

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Good to be me

Positive thinking Tiger-Tiger, is it True? By Byron Katie and Hans Wilhelm

When Tiger-Tiger has a bad day, he starts thinking that nobody likes him or cares about him. But when wise Turtle shows-up and asks him how he knows these things to be true, Tiger-Tiger discovers that it is only his own thoughts that are making him unhappy. Tiger-Tiger, is it True? raises a lot of ideas about the nature of our thoughts and feelings. It is the story of a little tiger who believes that no one likes him or cares about him, and continues to find evidence to prove the truth of this thought throughout the course of his day, until his belief is brought into question. It turns out that when he takes a step back from the frightening thought, he can find plenty of evidence to disprove it as well.

Questions for Philosophical Discussion

Thoughts

Tiger-Tiger thought that no one liked him or cared about him.

1. Do you think it’s true that no one likes or cares about Tiger-Tiger? Why or why not? 2. If it’s not true, why did Tiger-Tiger think so? 3. Are our thoughts always true? 4. If our thoughts aren’t always true, how can we know which ones are and which ones aren’t? 5. Where do thoughts come from? 6. How come we all have different thoughts? Why don’t we all have the same thoughts, all the

time? 7. Can a thought hurt you? 8. How can you tell what you are thinking?

Feelings

Tiger-Tiger felt upset when he thought that no one liked him or cared about him.

1. How did Tiger-Tiger feel when he thought nobody liked him or cared about him? Have you ever felt like that?

2. Do our feelings change what we think/believe? 3. In the past, when you have felt sad/upset/scared/angry, how did you act? 4. What about a time you felt really, really happy? How did you act? 5. What are feelings? Where do they come from? 6. How is feeling different from thinking? 7. Why do we have feelings? 8. What is the difference between a good feeling and a bad feeling? 9. What if we were just happy all the time? Would that be good?

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Uniqueness and identity The Crow’s Tale by Naomi Howarth

This is a visually spectacular retelling of a Lenni Lenape Native American legend about how the crow came to have black feathers, and about what counts as real beauty: not how you look, but how you behave. Deep in the middle of a snowy winter, the animals are all cold and hungry. Crow volunteers to bring back some warmth from the sun, but in doing so he is changed forever. Will his friends still love him? You see, Crow used to have breathtakingly brilliant feathers in every colour under the sun. But where there’s fire, there’s soot, and

Crow despairs at how his outward appearance is transformed, when all he wanted to do was help his friends. What this dazzling story tells us all, however, is that “your beauty inside” is what really matters and shines through. Selfless, brave and still beautiful, Crow learns that what his friends really value is his kindness, generosity and courage, not whether his feathers are black or shot through with rainbows.

Exclamation Mark

The Exclamation Mark can’t fit into sentences, and he doesn’t sound or look like any of his friends, who are all periods (full stops, to us). He tries everything he can to make himself change, but nothing works. Just when he suspects he’ll never find his place… he meets a curvy question mark who helps him see the world a little differently and find his own potential.

Questions for Philosophical Discussion

Conformity

"It seemed like the only time he didn’t stand out... was when he was asleep."

1. What does it mean to “stand out?” 2. Do you remember what the Exclamation Mark did to try and make himself more like the

others? Why do you think he wanted to do this? 3. How are the exclamation mark, question mark, and period different? Are they all important?

Why or why not? 4. What are some things that are the same about you and your friends? What are some things

that are different? 5. Does anything bother you about acting, looking, or feeling different from your friends?

Explain. Why do you feel this way?

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6. Do you ever see people in magazines or on television who look very different from you? [Discuss.] How does that feel? Why do you think it makes you feel that way?

7. Have you ever tried to change yourself to be more like someone else? Why or why not? If so, would you do it again?

8. When you see someone that looks different from you, does that ever make you feel ashamed of your body? Why or why not?

9. The Exclamation Mark tries to hide himself or make himself smaller to be the same shape as his friends. Have you ever wanted to hide or change a part of yourself? What makes you feel this way?

Fish is Fish by Leo Lionni

Two friends, a tadpole and a fish, live in a pond until the tadpole becomes a frog and leaves. He brings back fantastic descriptions of the outside world and the fish tries to explore this other world for himself. However, he finds out that he cannot breathe outside the water and is saved by the frog.

The story clearly shows that there is one thing that the frog can do but the fish cannot: breathe outside of water. You can start an interesting discussion about whether this limitation makes the fish inferior to the frog. This can be extended to a conversation about human capabilities and what it means not to be able to do something that others can.

Questions for Philosophical Discussion

1. Are there things the fish can do that the frog cannot? 2. Do you think the frog is better than the fish? 3. Does it make sense to compare the frog and the fish? 4. Have you ever tried doing something and then realized you just can’t do it, even though

some other people can? 5. Some people are better than others at certain things, like shooting baskets or skipping rope.

If a person is better at something than other people, does that make her a better person?

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Zero by Kathryn Otoshi

Zero, the main character, explores issues of value and self-worth. She worries about whether she is worth anything and goes on a roller coaster ride to find the value in her. She fails miserably at first, but in the end she discovers that she does have value, just like the other numbers, and she can help the other numbers count for more. The importance of self esteem is portrayed here in a very playful manner, as we can see Zero rise up from feeling hopeless about herself to becoming very happy and proud in the end when she finds that she has value too. The reason Zero felt valueless in the beginning was because she had a hollow centre and as a result, she felt empty inside. She

compared herself with 1 and got intimidated by his solid, bold strokes and started thinking that she needs to ‘look’ more like 1 and the other numbers in order to have value. However, she later goes on to realize that regardless of her looks, she holds value. This book can be used beautifully to explain how appearance isn’t what gives you value.

Questions for Philosophical Discussion

Zero compared herself with 1 and got intimidated by his solid, bold strokes and started thinking that she needs to ‘look’ more like 1 and the other numbers in order to have value.

1. Does physical appearance give you value? Why or why not?

We know all things don’t have the same value.

1. Does something worth $10 necessarily have more value than something worth $5? 2. How do we decide how much value something has?

Donkey Donkey by Roger DuVoison

Donkey-Donkey thinks that he looks ridiculous with long ears that stick straight up, so he consults his friends on the farm. Each animal has its own idea of beautiful ears—all remarkably like their own. Poor Donkey-donkey becomes sadder and sadder as he tries to follow their advice, with hilarious results. Finally, a little girl visiting the farm admires his long ears and, with new self-esteem, Donkey-donkey keeps his beautiful long ears upright from then on.

A good one for work on body image.

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Harold finds a Voice by Courtney Dicmas

Harold is an amazing mimic, and can imitate the sound of everything in his home. Tired of repeating the same old noises, he yearns to find out what other voices there are in the big, wide world. But what happens when he suddenly realises that he doesn’t yet have a voice of his own?

This fantastic debut by author/illustrator Courtney Dicmas recounts Harold’s hilarious tale. It’s full of colour, humour and invention, and children will love to join in with Harold as he mimics everyday noises.

Good for Foundation Stage/KS1 work on our own uniqueness/individuality

Igor: the bird who couldn’t sing by Satoshi Kitamura

Igor has a loud and distinctive voice, and he cannot sing in tune. He is drummed out of the Dawn Chorus for not being musical enough, so he takes singing lessons. But his teacher says that not only is he always out of tune, he has no rhythm either. Poor Igor. He goes off into the desert, where at least he can sing to himself without being asked to stop. He builds a nest on a big rock, and starts to sing. But the rock is in fact a gigantic bird - a Dodo! - who likes his music so much it wakes up in order to join in.

Fears

Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears by Emily Gravett

Not so much a story to be read as a springboard for discussing and imagining, this award winning book is built on a simple, down-to-earth premise brought to life through amazing illustrations and a comfortably interactive format. Immediately inside the front cover, Gravett sets out the basic tenets: "Everyone is scared of something. Living with fear can make even the bravest person feel small ... a fear faced is a fear defeated." She has managed her own fears, she says, through art and doodling, and she welcomes Little Mouse, and the reader, to do the same on the pages of her book.

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Franklin Goes to the Hospital by Paulette Bourgeois and Brenda Clark

Franklin has a small crack in his shell and he has to have an operation at the hospital. When he has to have an X-ray, he is afraid that people will find out that even though he looks brave on the outside he is scared on the inside. Franklin learns that even though he is scared, he is still brave.

Questions for Philosophical Discussion

Fear

1. How does a person act when they are scared? 2. Could you tell that Franklin was afraid before he told Dr. Bear? 3. Have you ever hid your fear from a friend? Why or why not? 4. Why do you think someone would hide their fear from another person? 5. If people think you are not scared, are you still scared? 6. Are there different levels of fear? 7. If all people have the same fear, how does their fear differ? 8. What does it mean to be scared?

Bravery

1. Can you think of a time that you acted brave? 2. How does someone act when they feel brave? 3. Dr. Bear says, “Just because you’re afraid doesn’t mean you aren’t brave”. Do you agree? 4. Is it possible to be both brave and afraid at the same time? 5. Both Bear and Dr. Bear told Franklin he was brave, if someone tells you that you are brave

does that make you brave? 6. Are people’s perceptions of another’s bravery always correct? 7. Is it possible to be brave all the time?

Friendship and Support

1. Are you less afraid if you have a friend with you? 2. What are some items or people that help you overcome your fears? 3. Franklin had a lot of support from his friends and family, is it easier to be brave when you

have others to help you? 4. Is it better to deal with your fears alone or with a friend? 5. Is it easier to be brave when someone walks you through your fear, the way that Dr. Bear

did? 6. Is someone braver if they can deal with situations alone?

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The Paradise Garden by Colin Thompson

In the quiet of a great garden, away from the noise and fumes of the city, Peter finds the peace and contentment that is missing from his home life. Yet just as summer turns to winter, so must Peter return home. But his paradise garden goes with him. A memorable story, with baroque pictures. Question for philosophical discussion: Should you run away from your problems and fears?

Mum’s Late by Elizabeth Hawkins

Fear of abandonment by mum who is five minutes late to pick up her child. Great for Foundation Stage exploration of fears and worries.

Chester the Brave by Audrey Penn

Little Chester Raccoon, the beloved character who has helped so many children with issues in their lives, learns the meaning of bravery and a method for overcoming his fears in this new Audrey Penn title. After sharing the story of a little bird who is afraid to have flying lessons in front of his friends, Mrs. Raccoon tells Chester that being brave doesn't mean being unafraid; being brave means not letting that fear stop him. Mrs. Raccoon teaches Chester an important strategy: Think-Tell-Do. When he thinks he is afraid, he tells himself he can do it, and then he just does it. Of course, getting a Kissing Hand helps a little too. This simple strategy can be helpful to children in many different situations.

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The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger

As all the other leaves float off and fly past, Little Yellow Leaf thinks, I'm not ready yet.

As the seasons change all around, Little Yellow Leaf holds on to the tree. Still not ready.

Will Little Yellow Leaf ever be ready?

This is a story for anyone who has ever been afraid of facing the unknown—and a celebration of the friends who help us take the leap.

The Owl who was Afraid of the Dark by Jill Tomlinson

A young barn owl called Plop is frightened of the dark. Over seven nights Plop learns something new about the dark: dark is exciting, dark is kind, dark is fun, dark is necessary, dark is fascinating, dark is wonderful and dark is beautiful. Plop is gradually persuaded that the dark isn't so scary and can have its advantages.

Why is Plot afraid of the dark? What helped Plop be brave in this story? Can you think of a time when you have been brave? What helped you overcome your fear? Is bravery something you can do on your own or with other people?

The Rabbit who Overcame Fear - A Jataka tale

A little white rabbit is startled by a falling conker and becomes terrified that an earthquake is coming. The rabbit warns everyone he meets until the panic has spread to all the animals in the forest and they’re all running in a blind panic closer and closer to the edge of a cliff. It is only when a brave lion emerges and teaches them to cope better with fear that they realise the danger they had put themselves in.

Drawing out the virtue- ideas from Floreat’s character programme

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In this lesson, the activity should be done before reading the story. The activity builds children’s understanding of what fear feels like and will therefore help them to understand the story better.

To introduce this topic talk about how fear can make small things seem more frightening, for example hearing a strange noise is much scarier if you are alone in a dark forest than if you are with your friends at home. Ask the children to talk about times when they have felt afraid. What happens when you feel scared?

You can give groups of pupils the worksheet Y2 Bravery which has an outline of a human body and ask them to label how the body tells us we’re scared (brain working really fast, dry mouth, rapid heartbeat, trembling hands etc.)

Talk about how these feelings help us to know we are afraid. Sometimes they warn us about danger – but many things are not as scary as they seem! Talk to the children about strategies they might use to help them when they feel like this e.g. taking a deep breath, talking to a friend, visualising themselves achieving the thing they are afraid to do.

Now share the story together as a class., then discuss:

How did the rabbit’s imagination make him more frightened in this story?

What danger did their fear nearly lead them into?

Why did the other animals stampede after him?

How does being frightened affect the people around you?

How did the Lion help them?

Don't be Afraid, Little Pip by Karma Wilson

Many of us have enjoyed Wilson and Chapman's initial Little Pip tale, Where Is Home, Little Pip? It was a warm reassuring story for youngsters to hear or read. The same is true of Don't Be Afraid, Little Pip, again relating to a feeling young ones can understand, fear, and presenting the joy and adventure that awaits when fears are overcome. This story begins on the day all young penguins will be learning to swim. Oh, oh, Pip is afraid, thinking, "The ocean looked awfully dark and deep. She gazed up. The blue sky looked bright and cheerful. I

think I'd much rather fly than swim..." So, when the other young penguins lined up to go into the ocean Pip skittered away down the shoreline. First, she asked a Snow Petrel to show her how to fly, and then a Giant Albatross. They were both helpful, but, after all, penguins are not meant to fly. It takes Pip a tumble and some time but she learns how important it is to be yourself, and discovers the great happiness to be found in doing just that. Other books about fear and bravery:

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The Timid Little Tiger by Joseph Palecek

David and Goliath by Beatrice Schenk de Regiers

Brave Irene by William Steig

Red Ted and the Lost Things by Michael Rosen

Relationships

Sadness

Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot by Horatio Clare

Adventurous Aubrey is a happy little boy who enjoys Night Venturing. Entering his fierce and vivid imagination as he lies in bed, he explores the forest outside and finds that he can talk to the animals there. But one day, a horrible sadness - the Terrible Yoot - takes hold of his father and won’t let go. Aubrey travels into his imagination to find a solution and finds that he can help his father by confronting the Terrible Yoot together. This fabulously illustrated book addresses the difficult subject of parental depression, at once describing the horror of Aubrey’s dad’s experience but also remaining upbeat and full of surreal humour.

The Red Tree by Shaun Tan

Sometimes the day begins with nothing to look forward to...

The Red Tree follows a young person as they go through their day, feeling depressed and uncertain, but in the end they see the seed of hope in a red tree.

The perfect blend of words and pictures, this is a wonderful book to share with anyone suffering from depression or uncertainty to help them explore their feelings. The poignant, expressive paintings perfectly illustrate the book.

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Loss

Granpa by John Burningham

A sensitive and moving exploration of the relationship between a young girl and her grandfather. When Syd and Grandad go through the door in the attic, they find themselves on a sailing ship. They sail to an island covered with jungle. They explore, have fun and make friends with all the animals. It's the most perfect place, but Syd knows it will soon be time to go home. Grandad is having such a good time though, that he decides to stay. Syd will miss Grandad

very much and has to steer the ship home all by himself.

Grandad's Island by Benji Davies

When Syd and Grandad go through the door in the attic, they find themselves on a sailing ship. They sail to an island covered with jungle. They explore, have fun and make friends with all the animals. It's the most perfect place, but Syd knows it will soon be time to go home. Grandad is having such a good time though, that he decides to stay. Syd will miss Grandad very much and has to steer the ship home all by himself.

A subtle story about love and loss enhanced by delightful illustrations.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate decimal

The magical story of the adventures of a lost toy rabbit from a New York Times bestselling author, twice winner of the Newbery Medal. Abilene loves her blue china rabbit, but Edward Tulane is extremely vain and only loves himself. On a voyage from New York to London, Edward falls overboard and from there finds himself on an amazing journey. He travels with tramps, works as a scarecrow, comforts a dying child ... he learns about love and experiences the pain that comes with loss and death, and wonders if he can risk loving again.

Rabbityness by Jo Empson

This beautifully illustrated, simple book will engage young readers, and address the sorrow of any bereavement they experience.

Rabbityness she explores what we think of as typical of a rabbit, to which every child will relate, and illustrates this in simple black and green images. But Empson's Rabbit also likes unusual things like painting and making music, and the pages explode into colour and movement. When Rabbit vanishes his

grieving friends discover that he has left them the materials to paint and make music themselves, and they can celebrate his memory.

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Seal Surfer by Michael Foreman

A welcome re-publication of Foreman's timeless and evocative account of a boy's relationship with life and death. Walking on the cliffs with his grandfather in spring, the boy witnesses the seal's birth, watches its growth, and in the summer is rescued by it when surfing. By the next spring, grandfather comes no more, and the seals are gone, but in the summer the young seal returns with her own pup, as the boy will return in the future with his own grandchildren.

Magical, tender illustrations support a powerful text which addresses trust, love and the ability of relationships to transcend generations, species, abilities and even death itself. Foreman successfully includes a disabled character in his pictures, without comment. The images subtly show that the boy uses mobility aids and an adjusted surfboard.

The Heart and the Bottle by Oliver Jeffers

An inquisitive little girl, who is enchanted by the world around her, is badly shaken when she loses someone she loves.

She retreats into herself and as she gets older, stops noticing the stars and the sea, which she had previously delighted in. She puts her heart away in a bottle, where it can never be hurt again.

One day she meets a little girl whose own curiosity and zest for life reminds her of the child she once was and her heart is released and her sense of wonder restored.

This stylish and moving picture book explores love and loss and offers an ultimately uplifting resolution. It has also been made into an app. Narrated by Helena Bonham Carter and full of inventive interactive features including a drawing game that posts the drawing into the illustration, it’s available from the Apple App Store.

My Henry by Judith Kerr

The old lady sitting quietly in her armchair seems to be having a little nap before tea but in her head she is climbing Everest, riding dinosaurs and having all sorts of wild adventures with Henry, her late husband.

Henry died and went to heaven but every afternoon between four and seven they let him out to keep his wife company so she can remember the happy life they had together.

Unconventional subject matter for the very young is presented with gentle humour and a sense of great joy in this picture story with rhyming text and appropriately magical illustrations.

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Lob by Linda Newbery

Lucy and her beloved grandfather enjoy gardening together, and Lucy becomes aware that she, like him, can sense-see a small figure who helps with the gardening. When grandfather dies, Lucy fears that she has lost Lob for ever, and Lob himself seeks a new gardener to work with, rejecting those who do not allow him his freedom, until he discovers an elderly West Indian who gardens next to Lucy's family's new allotment.

Michael Rosen's Sad Book by Michael Rosen

The subject of bereavement is treated in an unusual way in Michael Rosen's Sad Book, which deals with the death of the author's own son.

The main character is an adult - Michael Rosen himself. Quentin Blake's illustrations sensitively complement an account of grief that is both searingly personal and reassuringly universal.

Milo and the Restart Button by Alan Silberberg

To Milo the world has become surrounded by fog, which descended two years ago when his mother died, and which envelops his once happy father. Since then he has moved house five times, each time shedding more of the physical objects associated with her, and burying his memories because it's too painful to remember.

Starting anew, at secondary school, he gradually learns to cope with rejection from some, but to accept friendship from unexpected sources. By doing so he learns to remember, to grieve and to restore his mother as a member of his family.

Silberberg's novel is funny, sad, and empowering for young readers who have suffered bereavement. His comical illustrations and lists both lighten and extend the text

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The Cat Mummy by Jacqueline Wilson

Mabel the cat is very special. She used to belong to Verity's mother, who died when Verity was born. One day Mabel goes missing; Verity searches for her but discovers that the cat has curled up and died at the bottom of her wardrobe.

After she learns at school that the Ancient Egyptians worshipped cats, she decides to mummify Mabel - however, a combination of Verity's odd behaviour, and an increasingly unpleasant smell emanating from her room, begins to arouse the suspicions of Gran, and Verity is very worried that she will not be able to keep her Cat Mummy secret for much longer.

As well as focusing on the trauma of a family pet dying, Wilson also examines the fact that the family never really came to terms with the death of Verity's mother. A deceptively simple tale which explores the issue of bereavement for younger readers.

Pride and jealousy

Cornelius by Lio Lionni

This story is about Cornelius a crocodile who is born walking upright. This enables him to see far beyond the bushes and see fish from above, things the other crocodiles cannot do. Though Cornelius thinks that his abilities are special, his fellow crocodiles are not impressed. In the end, Cornelius walks away angrily after his friends and family still don’t seem to care about the cool tricks a monkey taught him. But as he is walking away he looks back and sees everyone trying to stand on their heads, one of the tricks Cornelius learned from the monkey and was trying to show them. “Life on the river beach would never be the same again.”

This story provides an opportunity for children to discuss the various ways we show and hide feelings. It also asks us to think about how pride and jealousy affect our perceptions of others and ourselves.

Questions for Philosophical Discussion

When Cornelius told his friends and family about his accomplishments.

1. Was Cornelius bragging or was he just proud of what he could do? 2. If you think he was bragging do you think he knew he was bragging? 3. Should people be proud of skills they have even if they are born with them? 4. Do the other crocodiles have a good reason to be annoyed by Cornelius? 5. Do you think that Cornelius’ peers were being selfish when they wouldn’t admit that they

were in fact fascinated by the new things he was learning to do?

When Cornelius turned around and saw the other Crocodiles actually interested in Cornelius’ new tricks.

1. What are some of the ways we show our feelings?

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2. Do the words that we say show the feelings that we have? How can you be sure that someone feels the way she says she does?

3. Have you had an instance when what you said doesn’t match how you felt?

Stereotypes

Monster Stew: Beans by Mitra Modarressi

"Beans" takes the side of a hairy blue giant who falls from a beanstalk but later befriends a thief named Jack, while the title story up-ends the tale of Hansel and Gretel. Modarressi's soft, padded-looking monsters have beady eyes and spiky fur, but their facial expressions show them to be good-natured and kind. The sepia-tinged palette of terra-cotta orange, claylike brown and ash green likewise communicates warmth rather than inspiring terror. Modarressi wittily champions monsters and wryly implies that it's people who need to learn some manners. The story is rich in philosophical themes such as stereotyping, stealing, friendship, and identity.

Questions for Philosophical Discussion

Stereotypes

The boy and his family were very scared of the monster at first.

1. Why were the boy and his family so afraid of the monster? 2. What do you think of when you think of a monster? 3. What makes a monster a monster? 4. What about terrorists? What do you think of when you think of a terrorist? 5. What makes a terrorist a terrorist? 6. Are monsters like terrorists? 7. What do you think of this monster? 8. Have you ever thought something about someone you later found out was wrong?

Socrates by Rascal, Gert Bogaerts

Socrates’ parents have been snatched up by the dogcatcher, leaving him an orphan alone on the streets. Abandoned, hungry, and shunned by the other street dogs, Socrates wonders if he will ever have a home, or a friend, of his own. One day, Socrates finds a pair of glasses, and from that moment on, everyone looks at him quite differently. Stereotypes and making judgments of others based on appearances is a key discussion point for the book

Questions for Philosophical Discussion

"Socrates stepped inside the flower shop. For the first time, no one chased him away."

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1. What do people think of Socrates with his glasses on? 2. Why do some people care about his appearance, but others, like the musician, don’t seem to

care? 3. Is it ever OK to judge a person based on their appearance? 4. How can we understand people who are different from us? 5. Have you ever been judged by someone because of what you look like? 6. Have you ever judged someone based on their appearance?

Changes

A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni

A little chameleon is distressed that he doesn’t have a colour of his own like other animals. He is very sad because he cannot move around without changing colour. Because he wants to have a colour of his own so badly, he finds the greenest leaf and decides to stay there forever. This works until the seasons start to change, and the leaf turns to yellow and then to red. Finally, he finds another chameleon who suggests that they travel together and they set off on a new life of adventure.

Questions for Philosophical Discussion

Change

The chameleon stayed on the leaf in order to stay one colour and stop changing.

1. Does the chameleon’s plan work? Explain. 2. Leaves change colours in the fall. Does that make them like the chameleon? 3. Have you ever tried to stay in one place instead of changing and going somewhere new? 4. What is it like going to new places? (New school, elementary to middle school, etc) 5. Is it easier to stay in the same place and not change? 6. Is change scary? Why? 7. Can change be good? What's the difference between a good change and a bad one?

Identity

Unlike the other animals (elephants, parrots, etc), chameleons change colour wherever they go. They change colour to match their surroundings.

1. How are chameleons different from other animals? 2. Why does the chameleon want to be only one colour (like everyone else)? 3. Why would the chameleon change himself to match something else? 4. Do you change when you go different places? How? 5. Do you act the same way with your friends as you do with your parents or teachers? Are you

still the same person even if you don’t? 6. Have you ever changed how you look or act on purpose? Why? Was it difficult? 7. Is a chameleon changing colour the same as you changing how you act or dress?