Reading aloud children’s books to your elementary students is a great way to introduce and teach resilience. Below is a list of our favorite picture books to teach this social emotional learning topic. They all lend themselves well to facilitating rich classroom discussions around resiliency. The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes, The Little Engine that Could, Otis and After the Fall are part of our resiliency SEL Unit, which includes interactive read aloud lesson plans among tons of other resources for teaching resilience. Learn all about these children’s books about resilience below and how you can use them to teach resilience!
10 Children’s Books about Resilience
Below are 10 quality resilience children’s books for elementary teachers. Your kids will love these read alouds! They are great for teaching resilience, as well as many other concepts and skills.
1. The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes by Mark Pett and Gary Rubenstein
In this engaging story, you’ll meet the character, Beatrice Bottomwell, who has never made a mistake! She does everything carefully and perfectly, especially each year at the talent show. However this year, as Beatrice performs her act with her hamster, Humbert, she makes her first mistake. Students will empathize with Beatrice as she shows resiliency in the talent show. My Resiliency Solving SEL bundle includes an SEL lesson based on this picture book!
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2. The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper
A red train breaks down on a mountain, and the toys and dolls ask passing engines to help them and pull them to the other side of the mountain but the trains say no. The toys and dolls do not give up and they ask a Little Blue Engine if she can pull them. The Little Blue Engine shows resilience by agreeing to try to pull them and repeating “I think I can, I think I can” while doing it. In the end, she is able to pull the food, toys and dolls to the boys and girls on the other side of the mountain. What a feat of resilience! My Resiliency Solving SEL bundle includes an SEL lesson based on this picture book!
3. Otis by Loren Long
Otis is a tractor that lives on the farm. He spends his days working in the fields with the farmer. One day, the farmer brings a new baby calf into the barn. At night, she cries for her mother. When the calf hears the gentle purr of Otis’ engine, she is able to calm down and fall asleep. From that day on Otis and the calf were best friends. My Resiliency Solving SEL bundle includes an SEL lesson based on this picture book!
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4. After the Fall by Dan Stantat
Humpty Dumpty is terrified of heights after he falls off the wall and the king’s men have to put him back together. After building a paper airplane and having it land on the top of the wall, Humpty must be brave and overcome his fear. He is filled with joy when he gets to the top. Humpty Dumpty is no longer afraid, and hatches into the bird that he was always meant to be. This story of resilience reminds students to not give up and to be brave! My Resiliency Solving SEL bundle includes an SEL lesson based on this picture book!
5. Zog by Julia Donaldson
The fifth book on this list of children’s books about resilience is Zog. Zog was a dragon who continually failed out of Dragon School. He never gave up, and one day, he was able to be the first dragon to complete a task! Not only did Zog get a gold star, but he found his purpose. With this, Zog is a great story to use when teaching about resilience. Students will see how Zog never gives up and learns from his bumps along the way! Check out these Zog activities!
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6. Fatima’s Great Outdoors by Ambreen Tariq
One weekend, Fatima’s family picked her from school and tried a new American pastime: camping! They drove to a state park, built their tent, cooked dinner, and slept under the stars. This story beautifully intertwines Fatima’s Indian family cultures, backgrounds, and challenges they face along the way. Including morals around bullying, we see Fatima show resilience as she gains the respect of her classmates and becomes proud of her adventures! Check out these Fatima’s Great Outdoors activities!
7. The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander
This book covers ground from the deep trauma of slavery, to the bravery of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., to the more recent Serena sisters. This beautiful text includes detailed illustrations, rich vocabulary, and a timeline of all that African-Americans have endured. Students will read about how resilient these people have been, and identify characteristics that make them the heroes they are. Check out these The Undefeated activities!
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8. The 1619 Project: Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones
A young student receives an assignment in school to create a flag about her ancestry. Although her peers know exactly what to create, she struggles and feels embarrassed not to know more about her previous generations. Talking with her grandmother, she learns all about her ancestor’s past. This beautiful story shows the resilience her family has gone through, and honors those who fought for their freedom. Check out these The 1619 Project activities!
9. Manana Iguana by Ann Whitford Paul
Iguana is planning a fiesta with her friends! However, as each task needs to be done, it seems that no one is able to help her. In the end, when she gets to welcome the guests alone, her friends realize how resilient she has been, while they have been lazy. This twist on the Little Red Hen reminds students to be a team player and to be resilient when it comes to getting tasks done. Check out these Manana Iguana activities!
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10. Chicks and Salsa by Aaron Reynolds
The last book on this list of children’s books about resilience is Chicks and Salsa. In this story, the animals in the barn copied a cooking show and made their own chips and salsa from the garden. But when all the vegetables were gone, Rooster problem solved! He watched a cooking show to learn how to make French cuisine. The lack of resources did not stop Rooster from finding a way to feed his friends. Showing characteristics of resilience, students will get a laugh out of this tale! Check out these Chicks and Salsa activities!
Integrated SEL and Literacy Activities
Below are some integrated SEL and literacy resources for elementary teachers.
SEL Unit
Our Resiliency Unit, which is available individually or as part of a year-long SEL bundle, includes lessons for the first four books on this list. This unit is packed with lesson plans, teaching resources, games, and activities. Click an image below to either get this individual resiliency unit or get ALL 30 SEL units!
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SEL Book Companions
As I mentioned earlier, I love teaching SEL skills using picture books. That’s why I created the Starts With a Story Collection. High quality children’s literature supports elementary teachers in delivering meaningful and accessible SEL lessons. All of the read alouds on this list are part of this book companion collection. Check out the book companions below!
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In closing, we hope you found this list of children’s books about resilience helpful! If you did, then you may also be interested in these posts:
