10 Books that Inspire Resilience in Children

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss

During these uncertain times, many people are discovering how important resilience is in their lives and be able to persevere and overcome the obstacles they face. Resilient people demonstrate their ability to bounce back, get their lives on track and stay on course, never letting their environment take control of their emotions and decisions.

This is an important skill that needs to be developed in children from an early age, so they too, can have the resilience to handle setbacks and failures, deal with adversity and change, and to keep going when things get difficult.

As parents, how can we help our children to develop resilience?

In addition to setting positive examples for children and occasionally stepping aside to let them bounce back from small failures on their own, you can also inspire your child with the fascinating characters, role models and stories found in these 10 recommended books.

1: The Little Yellow Digger

Synopsis: This charming story is based on a real-life event that happened to the author’s grandchildren, and tells the tale of a little yellow digger who gets stuck in the mud. A bigger-sized digger is called in to help free the little digger, and this is where the story takes an inspiring turn. We’ll keep the ending a secret, so you can discover this wonderful tale with your child!
Why this book is good: This book teaches children that physical size doesn’t always matter, it’s the size of your heart and spirit that counts!

2: The Very Busy Spider

Synopsis: In this book, your child will read about a spider who was blown by the wind to a fence near a farmyard. She starts spinning her web and is absolutely focused on the task at hand – refusing to be distracted by any of the other farm animals and demonstrating resilience in accomplishing her task. She’s finally rewarded when she manages to catch a pesky fly in her web, delighting the other animals who now see her as their hero.
Why this book is good: By following the story of the very busy spider, your child can comprehend the value of striving towards their goals.

3. The Itsy Bitsy Spider

Synopsis: The classic nursery rhyme gets brought to life in this expanded adaptation. This book introduces children to the itsy bitsy spider, a tiny spider who keeps climbing a water spout, only to be washed down again – except in this story, our determined little spider has his day as he manages to achieve his goal of climbing up the spout.
Why this book is good: This fun little book will teach your child about determination, while expanding their imagination as they read about a never-heard-before story about this famous nursery rhyme character.

4. Click, Clack Moo: Cows That Type

Synopsis: Your child will love this hilarious story of Farmer Brown and his cows, who have an interesting way to telling Farmer Brown about the changes they’d like to see implemented in the barn – they use a typewriter to type their requests to him!
Why this book is good: This title shows children the value of communication, cooperation and compromise. Through the cows’ resilience, children also discover the importance of not giving up – even when things don’t always go their way.

5: A Perfectly Messed-Up Story

Synopsis: As your child goes through life, they will undoubtedly encounter hurdles and setbacks – and this story is all about these “messed up” moments. In this tale, Little Louie just wants to tell his story, but it keeps getting messed up!
Why this book is ideal: Embark on an adventure with Little Louie and let your child see how Little Louie learns valuable lessons in resilience and embracing life’s not-so-perfect times.

6: The Thing Lou Couldn’t Do

Synopsis: Lou is an adventurous little girl, but one day she faces an unfamiliar challenge. Her friends want to climb a tree and Lou is unsure of herself – so she makes up reasons for not joining her friends, saying that her arm is sore, she couldn’t climb because she had just eaten, and other excuses.
Why this book is good: This delightful picture book depicts what children often go through when confronted with difficult situations, then teaches them how to overcome their fears, become more courageous, and adopt a growth mindset.

7: The Tiny Seed

Synopsis: The Tiny Seed tells the story of tiny flower seeds that are blown across the land by the wind, and how the most resilient seeds survive many obstacles to eventually sprout into plants and bloom into flowers – starting the amazing process over again.
Why this book is good: A highly recommended read for children aged 4 to 6 years old, this short story teaches children about the life cycle of a plant and gives them a new appreciation for nature, resilience, growth and life.

8: Rosie Revere, Engineer

Synopsis: Rosie has a creative mind and dreams of becoming an engineer. She collects odds and ends that other people see as “rubbish”, and every night, uses these odds and ends to construct incredible inventions while alone in her room. But because Rosie is afraid of failure, she hides her inventions away, until one day…. someone changes her life, forever.
Why this book is good: This heartfelt story will teach your child the importance of overcoming the fear of failure and discovering the incredible joy of being their truest self.

9. After the Fall: How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up

Synopsis: Poor humpty dumpty. His biggest claim to fame is falling off a wall and not being put back together again. This fun book rewrites this famous nursey rhyme and shows a side of humpty dumpty that children haven’t seen before – his determination in getting back up again and achieving what he set out to do.
Why this book is good: Parents can use this story to teach their children about what could happen with determination and resilience. With these qualities, humpty dumpty is no longer the egg who fell off the wall, he’s the egg who back up and reached new heights!

10. Plant the Tiny Seed

Synopsis: Is your child interested in nature? If so, this book belongs at the top of their reading list. Plant the Tiny Seed follows a tiny seed through its entire life cycle as it grows into a gorgeous zinnia.
Why this book is good: The book encourages interactive play as your child is instructed to wiggle their fingers to water the seed, clap to make the sun shine, and other fun activities. In addition to learning the value of resilience, your child will also discover interesting facts about all the seeds, flowers, insects and animals that are featured in this title.

Nurturing children through strong relationships

Reading books with your child is a fantastic way to nurture a close relationship with them.

At My First Skool, we believe that a strong relationship between a child and their parents, teachers and caretakers is the key to inspiring them towards growth. Children learn better from people they trust, and when they feel safe and comfortable in their learning environment.

This close-knit relationship between teacher and child is the foundation of our relationships-based curriculum (RBC), which develops children who are confident, resilient, and have an “I can do it” mentality. These positive bonds encourage children to learn, as they feel the genuine care, concern and support that they are receiving from their teachers. This is the type of supportive relationship that RBC sets out to build.

To learn more about our curriculum, speak to us or register for a live centre tour.