Children's Literature - Bibliotherapy - Indianapolis

Follows a pair of birds on a snowflake-filled journey through a winter landscape, where everything everywhere, from branches and leaves to forests full of trees, is unique.

Despite the advice of others in her family, Ella Sarah persists in wearing the striking and unusual outfit of her own choosing.

Biff is not like ordinary dogs. He doesn't do dog stuff like peeing on lampposts, scratching his fleas or drinking out of toilets. Biff likes music and moonlight and walking on his tiptoes. You see, Biff doesn't think he's a dog, Biff thinks he's a ballerina. Which is all very well but dogs don't do ballet - do they?

Leo, a young tiger, finally blooms under the anxious eyes of his parents.

Ferdinand, a bull, loves to smell the flowers.

His mum is a spoon, his dad is a fork, and he's a bit of both: he's Spork, a utensil who just doesn't seem to fit into the regimented world of the cutlery drawer, and this is his "multi-cutlery" tale, a humorous commentary on individuality and tolerance, that capture the experience and emotions of all who have ever wondered about their place in the world.

All the elephants of the jungle were gray except Elmer, who was a patchwork of brilliant colors until the day he got tired of being different and making the other elephants laugh.

When Grandpa Eldo asks Elmer and Wilbur to help a young elephant find her way back to her herd, they are surprised to find that she is pink, but even greater surprises are in store for them.

A young girl draws a family portrait, then makes it more accurate by adding common objects to show aspects of each member's personality, such as her father's playfulness, her mother's sweetness, and her brother's strength.

Eulah the cat is square and, while she longs to be round like other cats, her friends show her the benefits of the shape that she has.

A young girl discovers that best friends can enjoy and do well at different things as long as they are good at being friends.

After hibernating for the winter, a bear wakes up to discover that a huge factory has been built over his cave and that nobody believes he is a bear.

Bored with just hopping and jumping, a frog discovers dancing.

Every time Crawford caught sight of his ordinary raven's feathers, he wished he looked differently.

Batty's efforts to impress visitors at the zoo fail, but he is determined to be popular like the other animals. First he goes to the penguin pool but the water is cold and he doesn't like fish. Then he tries the gorilla enclosure but he doesn't have any fleas for the gorillas to pick off him. He tries to laze in the sun with the lions but its far too bright for his sensitive eyes. When eventually he returns to his bat cave he finds that everyone else is trying to be like him, hanging upside down. This clever and witty story is brought to life with Batty's upside down view of his surroundings, involving the reader in turning the book upside down with him. With its warm-hearted theme it is sure to delight readers young and old.

Invites the reader to visit a new zoo, where each of the animals sports underwear suited to his or her own personal style.

A small stray dog is accepted into a household full of cats by learning to "fit in", but when his mistress is hurt, he demonstrates that being a dog is not all bad.

Describes peace as making new friends, sharing a meal, feeling good about yourself, and more.

Illustrations and brief text describe all kinds of differences that are "okay," such as "It's Okay to be a different color," "It's Okay to need some help," "It's Okay to be adopted," and "It's Okay to have a Different nose."

Nobel Prize recipient Toni Morrison and her son, Slade, retell Aesop's fable The Bundle of Sticks, in this gentle, environmental tale. Full color.

For anyone with a beloved pet, this delightful and heartwarming story set at the circus shows that quiet qualities like friendship, kindness, and loyalty are important and worthy.   Jane is an ordinary dog in an extraordinary circus. She isn't strong, graceful, or brave like her family. When she tries to be those things, Jane just doesn't feel like herself, but she also doesn't feel special. Is she really meant for this kind of life? Her Ringmaster thinks so, but not for the reasons Jane believes.   Ordinary can be extraordinary!

A shy little ghost who's new to the group has trouble fitting in -- until his special talent comes to the fore. Boo is new. And even if the other kids are welcoming, it can be scary being new, especially for a shy ghost who can't play any of their games. ("You tagged me? Oh, sorry. I couldn't feel it.") Can Boo find a way to fit in and make friends with the rest of the group? From the creator of Rex Wrecks It! comes a funny story about feeling invisible -- and finding a way to be seen and appreciated for who you are.

Thunder Boy Jr. is named after his dad, but he wants a name that's all his own. Just because people call his dad Big Thunder doesn't mean he wants to be Little Thunder. He wants a name that celebrates something cool he's done, like Touch the Clouds, Not Afraid of Ten Thousand Teeth, or Full of Wonder. But just when Thunder Boy Jr. thinks all hope is lost, he and his dad pick the perfect name...a name that is sure to light up the sky. National Book Award-winner Sherman Alexie's lyrical text and Caldecott Honor-winner Yuyi Morales's striking and beautiful illustrations celebrate the special relationship between father and son.

From NBC's TODAY coanchor Savannah Guthrie and educator Allison Oppenheim comes an empowering fairy tale with a twist.  In the tradition of Not All Princesses Dress in Pink and Princess in Black, Princesses Wear Pants follows the unflappable Princess Penelope Pineapple, who knows how to get the job done while staying true to herself. Princess Penelope lives in a beautiful palace with a closet full of beautiful dresses. But being a princess is much, much more than beauty. In fact, every morning Princess Penelope runs right past her frilly dresses to choose from her beloved collection of pants!   What she wears each day depends on which job she has to do. Will she command the royal air force sporting her sequined flight suit? Will she find her zen in her yoga pants and favorite tee? Or, will she work in the kingdom's vegetable garden with pocketed overalls for all of her tools?   Unfortunately for Princess Penelope, not everyone in the Pineapple Kingdom thinks pants are always appropriate princess attire. When the grand Lady Busyboots demands that Princess Penelope must wear a gown to the annual Pineapple Ball, the young royal finds a clever way to express herself. Penelope's courage (and style choices) result in her saving the day!    In their debut children's picture book, Savannah Guthrie and Allison Oppenheim team up for a savvy and imaginative story that celebrates fashion and girl power. Perfect for fans of Nickelodeon's Nella the Princess Knight, Princesses Wear Pants challenges gender stereotypes in the name of individuality, showing girls it's not how they look but what they do that matters.  

This charming story presents a new way for young children to understand how to creatively embrace who they are, no matter what others think. Carlas lunch box is filled with odd delights like the Olive, Pickle and Green Bean Sandwich, the Banana-Cottage-Cheese Delight, and the unforgettable Chopped Liver, Potato Chips, and Cucumber Combo. To Carla, they are delicious and creative lunches, but her teasing classmates are unconvinced and abandon her at the lunch table to eat her bizarre sandwiches alone. One day, however, tables turn when Busterthe worst tease of allforgets his lunch on the day of the picnic and Carla thoughtfully offers him her extra sandwich. Her own spirited nature helps Carla teach her classmates that "unusual" can actually be good. Lively illustrations help showcase the book's messages of acceptance, tolerance, individuality, and creativity, and the funny plot and authentic dialogue are sure to make this tale a favorite among elementary school children. Carla's creative sandwich solutions provide young chefs-to-be with the inspiration to create sandwich masterpieces of their own. Age: 4 - 8

Have you ever wondered why you are you? Or who you would be if you were someone else? Someone taller, faster, smaller, smarter? Someone lighter, older, darker, bolder?   Presented as a poetic exchange between two characters -- who don't realize they are thinking and asking the very same questions -- this beautiful celebration of our humanity and diversity invites readers of all ages to imagine a world where there is no you or me, only we.   If the first step toward healing the world is to build bridges of empathy and to celebrate rather than discriminate, Why Am I Me? helps foster a much-needed sense of connection, compassion, and love.

Jumpstart's Read for the Record® selection! A cat who thinks he's a duck?  He must be Quackers!! This quirky funny book is about standing out, fitting in, and building a life with room for all.   Quackers is a duck. Sure, he may have paws and whiskers. And his quacks might sound more like...well, meows, but he lives among ducks, everyone he knows is a duck, and he's happy. Then Quackers meets another duck who looks like him (& talks like him, too!)--but he calls himself a cat. So silly! Quackers loves being among his new friends the cats, but he also misses his duck friends, and so he finds a way to combine the best of both worlds. Part cat, part duck, all Quackers!

There will be times when you walk into a room and no one there is quite like you. There are many reasons to feel different. Maybe it's how you look, talk, or where you're from; maybe it's what you eat, or something just as random. It's not easy to take those first steps into a place where nobody really knows you yet, but somehow you do it. Jacqueline Woodson's lyrical text and Rafael Lopez's dazzling art reminds us that we all feel like outsiders sometimes-and how brave it is that we go forth anyway. And that sometimes, when we reach out and begin to share stories, others will be happy to meet us halfway.

The empowering story of little elephant Num-Num, who discovers the importance of simply being YOU! From the creators of international bestseller and much-loved classic Giraffes Can't Dance. It's time for the Elephant Games! One by one, the young elephants compete to impress King Elephant Mighty and earn their Elephant Name. Nina is the strongest, so she becomes Elephant Strong. Norcus is the loudest, so he becomes Elephant Noisy. Little Elephant Num-Num thinks he will never discover his own special talent - until he learns that the very best thing you can be is YOU!

There's more to being a boy than sports, feats of daring, and keeping a stiff upper lip. A Boy Like You encourages every boy to embrace all the things that make him unique, to be brave and ask for help, to tell his own story and listen to the stories of those around him. In an age when boys are expected to fit into a particular mold, this book celebrates all the wonderful ways to be a boy.

Every girl is a wonder! A Girl Like You encourages girls to embrace what makes them unique, to choose kindness, and to be their own advocates. In an age when girls can be whatever they want, this books reminds them of all the ways to be beautiful, brilliant, and uniquely themselves.

The star of Julián Is a Mermaid makes a joyful return--and finds a new friend--at a wedding to be remembered. Julián and his abuela are going to a wedding. Better yet, Julián is in the wedding. Weddings have flowers and kissing and dancing and cake. And this wedding also has a new friend named Marisol. It's not long before Julián and Marisol set off for some magic and mischief of their own, and when things take an unexpected turn, the pair learns that everything is easier with a good friend by your side. Jessica Love returns with a joyful story of friendship and individuality in this radiant follow-up to Julián Is a Mermaid.

Edward, a shy young bear, is not ready for birthday pool parties with high-spirited, grade-school bears.