My guest author today is Erin Dealey, whose upcoming book Squirrel Draws Big Feelings (illustrated by Luciana Navarro Powell/ Beaming Books, available April 7, 2026) shows young readers how Squirrel, Porcupine, and Bear calm their BIG feelings with chalk art and friendship. Together they learn that, even when we don’t have the words to express how we feel, we don’t need to get stuck there. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
We are giving away three copies of Squirrel Draws BIG Feelings to three winners. To enter, please leave a comment.
12 Diverse Picture Books about Art and SEL
Arlo Draws an Octopus by Lori Mortensen, illustrated by. Rob Sayegh Jr.
Arlo tries to draw an octopus and worries it’s an octopus disaster-piece! What if he’s not a good octopus-drawer? [picture book, ages 4 and up]
*comparing ourselves to others/perfection vs. perception.
The Color Monster by Anna Llenas
A little girl helps a monster sort out his mixed-up feelings as she shares what each feeling means through colors. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
*colors can represent feelings / What are your colors today?
Chalk by Bill Thomson
A wordless picture book where chalk art comes alive! [picture book, ages 4 and up]
*encourage shy young readers to tell the story/language skills
Ish by Peter H. Reynolds
Little sister Marisol teaches Ramon that thinking “ish” ly is way more wonderful than getting it “right.” [picture book, ages 4 and up]
*imperfection & seeing things differently can be GOOD things
The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds
Vashti doesn’t think she can draw until one simple dot teaches her that there are many ways to make our mark. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
*artistic expression/self-awareness
Hey, Wall: A Story of Art and Community by Susan Verde, illustrated by John Parra
A boy organizes his neighbors, and they create a beautiful mural. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
*community + belonging
Beautiful Oops by Barney Saltzberg
“A torn piece of paper is just the beginning.” [picture book, ages 4 and up]
*It’s OK to make mistakes/perfection
Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood by F. Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell, illustrated by Rafael Lopez
Based on an actual art trail in San Diego, Mira lives in a gray urban community until an artist arrives with his paints and brushes and brings color, joy, and hope to the neighborhood. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
*sharing your art can bring joy to others/community
I Worked Hard on That by Robyn Wall, illustrated by A N Kang
A spider sets out to make the perfect web, only to have her artistic efforts destroyed again and again. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
*perseverance and perspective
Chalk the Walk by Chelsea Tornetto, illustrated by Laurel Aylesworth
Siblings share the magic of a piece of chalk to make sidewalk magic and bring the neighborhood together. [picture book, ages 3 and up]
*chalk art vs screen time
Sidewalk Chalk by Jen Fier Jasinski, illustrated by Lea Marie Ravotti
Neighborhood children draw pictures with sidewalk chalk until a thunderstorm washes their art away! All is not lost when a shy girl urges everyone to join in and draw the next day. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
*moving through loss
Niko Draws a Feeling by Robert Raczka, illustrated by Simone Shin
Niko loves to draw sounds and feelings, but his abstract drawings are not always understood by others—until he meets Iris. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
*feeling misunderstood
3 Book Giveaway of Squirrel Draws Big Feelings to 3 winners!
We are giving away three copies of Squirrel Draws BIG Feelings to three winners. To enter, please leave a comment. We can only ship to U.S. and A.P.O. addresses.
Erin Dealey is an award-winning children’s author and playwright. Erin has published dozens of books celebrating kindness and community, including Just Flowers (illus Kate Cosgrove/ Sleeping Bear), recipient of a 2025 Junior Master Gardeners’ Growing Good Kids Award, Dear Earth. . . From Your Friends in Room 5 (Illus. Luisa Uribe/ Harper Collins/ NYSRA Charlotte Award) and Snow Globe Wishes (Illus. Claire Shorrock/ Sleeping Bear Anna Dewdney Read Together Honor Book). With decades of experience as a language arts and theater teacher, she loves motivating kids to read, write, and make art. She lives in Northern California with her husband. The following list is full of wonderful books for readers to pair, share, and then DRAW their own.
p.s. Related posts:
10 Picture books for SEL Discussions
7 Picture Books About Self-Confidence
6 Children’s Books Celebrating Art and Creativity
5 Japanese American Picture Books Celebrating Joy Through Creativity
WHAT IF…We Used Our Creativity to Overcome Obstacles?
Lego STEM Creativity: Building Lego Models
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The Traveling Taco:
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We Sing from the Heart: How the Slants® Took Their Fight for Free Speech to the Supreme Court
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Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
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Bank Street College’s The Best Children’s Books of the Year
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Excited to see this post! Please note they are ART & #SEL books —not ESL. (Forgive our typo!)
Can’t wait to check out these books! I’d like to recommend “Drawn Together” by Minh Le. I’d love to add a copy of “Squirrel Draws BIG Feelings” to my local laundromat library! The Laundromat Library League is a great cause and if anyone is interested in donating books or stewarding your own laundromat library, please check out the website for more information: https://www.laundromatlibraryleague.org/home/what-is-the-lll
I look forward to reading these books once they become available and sharing them with some young readers in my family. Thanks for letting us know about them! 🙂
All of these #kidlit #childrensbooks look fantastic.
I would love to #ReadAndReview #SquirrelDrawsBigFeelings on my #BookBlog and #SocialMedia accounts.
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http://Amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com
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Ooo. More titles to put out with Ish and The Dot on Dot Day!