Books to Help Children
Overcome Separation Anxiety
The following books are designed to help parents who have a child who feels severe anxiety when they have to leave their Mom or Dad and go to preschool, kindergarten or whatever for the first time.
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Llama Llama Misses Mama
by Anna Dewdney
Age Range: 2 - 5 years
Grade Level: Preschool - Kindergarten
Lexile Measure: AD240L
Series: Llama Llama
ISBN-10: 0670061980
ISBN-13: 978-0670061983
Strange new teacher.
Strange new toys.
Lots of kids and lots of noise!
What would Llama like to do?
Llama Llama feels so new . . .
It’s Llama Llama’s first day of preschool! And Llama Llama’s mama makes sure he’s ready. They meet the teachers. See the other children. Look at all the books and games. But then it’s time for Mama to leave. And suddenly Llama Llama isn’t so excited anymore. Will Mama Llama come back?
Of course she will. But before she does, the other children show Llama Llama how much fun school can be!
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The Invisible String
by Patrice Karst (Author)
Geoff Stevenson (Illustrator)
Age Range: 4 - 8 years ISBN-10: 0875167349; ISBN-13: 978-0875167343
In a simple way, that even a small child can understand, the author explains how we are all connected with our loved ones with an invisible string of love that joins our heart to their hearts: "People who love each other are always connected by a very special String, made of love. Even though you can't see it with your eyes, you can feel it deep in your heart, and know that you are always connected to the ones you love." This simple sweet story is helpful for children that might feel separation anxiety when they're alone or when they need to start kindergarten, as well as for older children who just might feel lonely or who miss loved ones who are far away.
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The Kissing Hand
(Part of The Kissing Hand Series)
by Audrey Penn (Author)
Ruth E. Harper (Illustrator)
Age Range: 3 - 8 years
Grade Level: Preschool - 3
ISBN-10: 1933718102, Book & CD edition
ISBN-13: 978-1933718101, Book & CD edition
This New York Times #1 Bestseller is a sweet story that can help small children with the feelings of separation anxiety that they might experience when going to kindergarten or doing some unknown thing for the first time. It is about a little raccoon named Chester that has to go to night school kindergarten for the first time (raccoons are nocturnal). As one might guess he doesn't want to go and he doesn't want to leave his mom and his toys. So she tells him a secret about the "kissing hand" so that he will feel his mom's love wherever he is. Beautifully illustrated, it leaves you with a warm feeling inside and can be a great help to small children.
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A Pocket Full of Kisses
(Part of The Kissing Hand Series)
by Audrey Penn (Author)
Barbara Leonard Gibson (Illustrator)
Age Range: 3 - 8 years
Grade Level: Preschool - 3
ISBN-10: 1933718021
ISBN-13: 978-1933718026
A tenderly told compassionate story about Chester the raccoon being jealous of his little baby brother. He becomes especially down heartened when he sees his mom giving his little brother Ronnie, " 'his' kissing hand". So his mom very lovingly and diplomatically explains how they can both have kissing hands and not run out of the love which flows from the palm of their hand into their hearts. Then she gives him an extra kiss on his right hand and tells them that those kisses are for his pocket because being a big brother he never knows when he might need some extra care. Then all is well again in the raccoon family. For helping to smooth over the changes that come as a family expands.
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