We would like to celebrate the release of Riley the Brave, written by our DDP community member, Jessica Sinarski, and illustrated by Zachary Kline.
Riley the Brave is picture book about ‘a little bear with big feelings’ who learns to ‘unlock his guarded heart’.
Since 2004 I have worked in the world of foster care and adoption as a therapist, consultant and educator. I have really struggled to find anything playful and engaging that celebrates the strength of trauma-surviving kids while supporting parents and other adults who are helping these tough little munchkins heal, grow and learn to trust…
All too often, books seem to target either the child or the adult. Riley the Brave is helpful for BOTH!
You can purchase the book directly on the Riley the Brave website. It has also been added to our DDP Library.
Recommended books for use with clients
The release of Riley the Brave set off a fantastic discussion about which books our community uses with our clients.
Please see all the wonderful recommendations from our DDP Community Members below. Happy reading!
From Dan Hughes, Ph.D.
- Even if I do Something Awful – Barbara Shook Hazen, Aladin Books, 1981.
- Mama, Do you Love Me? – Barbara M. Joose, Chronicle Books, 1991.
- The Way Mothers Are – Miriam Schlein, Albert Whitman & CO. 1963.
- The Runaway Bunny – Margaret Wise Brown, Harper Trophy, 1942.
- Mama, if You had a Wish – Jeanne Modesitt, Green Tiger Press, 1993.
- I Love You as Much… – Laura Krauss Melmed, Lothrop, Lee, & Shepard, 1993
- Guess How Much I Love You – Sam McBratney, Candlewick Press, 1994.
- Oh My Baby, Little One – Kathi Appelt, Harcourt, Inc. 2000
- Wings of Change – Franklin Hill, Illumination Arts Pub.,Bellevue, WA 2001.
- No Mirrors in My Nana’s House – Ysaye Barnwell, Harcourt, Inc. 1998.
- Why do You Love Me? – Laura Schlessinger, Cliff Street Books, 1999.
- So Much – Trish Cooke, Candlewick Press, 1994
- We See the Moon – Carrie Kitze, EMK Press, 2003.
- I Don’t Have Your Eyes – Carrie Kitze, EMK Press, 2003.
- A Home in the World – Jean MacLeod, EMK Press, 2003
- You are my I love you – Maryann Cusimano Love, Philomel Books, 2003
From Edwina Grant
- CairnsMoir Connections – (A social enterprise run by three adoptive parents – has a list of books for children and young people they recommend)
- The Meltdown Kids series – Linda Plowdon, Hugo Plowden, Independently Published, 2018
- My Big Shouting Day – Rebecca Patterson, Jonathan Cape (PB), 2012
- Relax Kids series – Marneta Viegas, Our Street Books, 2014
- The Red Tree – Shaun Tan, Hodder Children’s Books, 2010
From Julie Hudson
- Helping Children… series – Margot Sunderland and Nicky Armstrong (UK) book series, Speechmark Publishing Ltd.
From Sarah Morse, MA PGcert BSc UKCP
- Alex and the Scary Things – Melissa Moses, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2015
- Sarah Naish’s Therapeutic Parenting Books – Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2016
From Michael Benjamin, LICSW
- The Bean Seed – Judith Bush & Robert Spottswood
- A Safe Place for Caleb – Kathleen Chara and Paul Chara, Jr., illustrated by J.M. Berns, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2005
- The William Wobbly Therapeutic Parenting Books series – Sarah Naish, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2016
- Riley the Brave – Jessica Sinarski, illustrated by Zachary Kline, Cameck Publishing, 2018
- Maybe Days: A Book for Children in Foster Care – Jennifer Wilgocki, Magination Pres, 2001
- Brave Bart – Caroline H Sheppard, Institute for Trauma and Loss in Children, 1998
- A Mother for Coco – Keiko Kasza, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2003
- The Rainbow Egg – M.D. Linda K. Hendricks, WestBowPress, 2012
From Anna Benincasa
- The Invisible String – Patrice Karst, Little, Brown Young Readers US, 2018
From Jessica Sinarski, LPCMH
- Elfa and the Box of Memories – Michelle Bell, British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF), 2008
From Gela Griffiths
- The Boy Who Built a Wall – Ali Redford, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2015
- The Scared Gang Series – E Bhreathnach, Alder Tree Press, 2011
From Dr Rachel Swann
- No Matter What – Debi Gliori, Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, 2002
