Loving Our Families and Ourselves BHM2022

BHM22 Loving Our Family

Let’s talk about our health! Teaching children early about having healthy habits such as eating nutritious foods, exercising, meditating, talking about their feelings, and wearing masks will help them far into the future. 

Health and family are often connected. Here are some books to help us promote healthy habits (such as eating nutritious foods, enjoying fresh air, and sharing our feelings) within our families and with children in our lives and our communities.

Ages 0 - 3

Lola plants a gardenLola Plants a Garden. Author: Ann McQuinn. Illustrator: Rosalind Beardshaw.  Inspired by garden poems, Lola works with her mother to plant a garden. Link


On My SkisOn My Skis. Author: Kari Lynn-Winters. Illustrator: Christine Leist. A family enjoys the fresh air and healthy exercise by teaching a toddler to ski. Link

Ages 3 - 7

Rainbow StewRainbow Stew. Author: Cathryn Falwell. Three children spend a rainy day with their grandfather picking vegetables and then making a healthy stew filled with colorful vegetables. Link

hiking_day_480x480Hiking Day. Author: Ann Rockwell. Illustrator. Lizzy Rockwell. A family hikes up a nearby mount to discover what nature offers. Link


Rubys Reunion Day DinnerRuby’s Reunion Day Dinner. Author: Angela Dalton. Illustrator: Jestenia Southerland. Each year, Ruby’s family gathers to have a reunion day feast with each family member bringing a signature dish. Watching the delicious food cooking around her, Ruby wants to create her own signature dish for the reunion. Everyone says that Ruby’s too young to help, but maybe she will find her perfect signature dish after all! Link

Parkers ElfParker’s Elf. Author: Martha Underwood. Parker has big feelings and has worked throughout the year to try to learn how to handle them. With the help of a magical elf, Parker shows his mother and father some of the lessons he has learned from them about controlling his emotions just in time for Santa’s visit. Link

Soul Food SundaySoul Food Sunday. Author: Winsome Bingham. A grandmother teaches her grandson how to cook the family’s traditional Sunday meal. Link

Max Goes to the Farmers MarketMax Goes to the Farmers Market. Author: Adria Faye Klein. Illustrator: Mernie Elizabeth Gallagher-Cole. A little boy enjoys shopping with his mother in their local farmers market. Link


full full full of loveFull, Full, Full of Love. Author: Trish Cooke. Illustrator: Paul Howard. For the youngest member of the family, Sunday dinners at Granny's house are filled with delicious food, family, and love. Link

Ages 5 - 8

The forest surpriseThe Forest Surprise. Author: Carla Mooney. Illustrator: Steve Harpster. Jake and his family are heading to the forest for the day. Jake has everything he needs for the perfect hike. But when things start to go wrong, Jake's perfect forest hike may turn into a great forest adventure. Link

nanas favorite thingsNana’s Favorite Things. Author: Dorothy Price. Illustrator: Tamika Grooms. When a girl learns that her grandmother has diabetes and has to change some of her favorite foods, the girl introduces her grandmother to new ways to stay healthy. They both learn that they now have new favorite things to share. Link

The Camping tripThe Camping Trip. Author: Jennifer Mann. A young girl goes on her first camping trip with her aunt and cousin. She enjoys swimming, hiking, and relaxing with her family. Link 

Cooking with DaddyCooking with Daddy. Author: Corinthia Myrick. A little girl loves cooking with her daddy and can’t wait to find out his secret ingredient as they cook her favorite meals together. Link 


AwayAway: A Children’s Book of Loss. Author: WP Osborne. Illustrator: Ayan Saha. This book focuses on a little girl trying to understand her father’s sudden death due to the color of his skin. Link 

Lettuce turnipLettuce Turnip at the Community Garden. Author: Danielle Jackson. Illustrator: Mariana Suarez. A girl has fun with her father at  the community garden. This book has fun using word play. Link 

grandma got stucck in the bathtubGrandma Got Stuck in the Bathtub. Author: Alice Horton. Illustrator: Myles Madden. A little girl and her grandmother share unhealthy eating and other habits. The little girl’s mother tries to get them to eat healthier and exercise, but it doesn’t sink in until something happens that gets grandma’s attention. Link 

Grades 7 - 12

GoingDownWithDaddyGoing Down Home with Daddy. Author: Kelly Starling Lyons. Illustrator: Daniel Minter. This book reinforces the importance and power of family relationships and traditions. Link 


maker comicsSurvive in the Outdoors Maker Comics. Author & Illustrator: Mike Lawrence. When a brother and sister visit their grandfather to go fishing, they learn survival skills and how to appreciate what nature has to give them. Link 

Jada JonesNature Lover Jada Jones Series. Author: Kelly Lyons. Illustrator: Nneka Myers. Jada is excited to go on an outdoor school field trip with her grandfather as chaperone. Link