These are books that I think work to help young children learn some valuable lessons.

Lisa Brown’s Sometimes You Get What You Want offers great side-by-side examples of getting what you want and not getting what you want, and how both are a part of life. Following a day in the lives of a brother and sister, the colorful illustrations and straightforward text make this a great choice for helping kids see that not everything will go their way, but sometimes it will.

Elivia Savadier’s Will Sheila Share? is another good one. Little Sheila does not like to share. Her facial expressions and movements are fantastic, as she turns bright pink or possessively clutches things to let the audience know in no uncertain terms that she does not like to share. Sometimes Sheila will share, but not with everything and everyone. But when she finally sees how saying “No!” hurts someone’s feelings, she learns to be nice. Simple illustrations against plain white backgrounds give this little book high impact, and the text helps drive home Sheila’s emotions. I liked it.