Big Feelings, Little Books

If your children are anything like mine, you may have found yourself answering rather a lot of questions about the weather recently.

Why is it so hot again? Why are there wildfires? Why are some places flooding? Are storms getting worse? Is this because of climate change? And, perhaps the hardest one to answer when you have a child who really thinks about these things: is everything going to be okay?

For children who notice patterns intensely, have a strong sense of justice, or are prone to anxiety, the constant stream of images and conversations about extreme weather can be a lot to process. Simply avoiding the subject isn’t always possible either. Our children are noticing what is happening around them, and many want proper answers.

So this month’s book list is about weather and our changing climate, but I have been particularly mindful about how those subjects are presented.

There are books here to satisfy the child who wants to know exactly how a thunderstorm works, stories about our extraordinary planet, and books that introduce climate change and environmental action without placing the responsibility for fixing the world onto children’s shoulders.

The aim isn’t to frighten them into caring.

It is to give them knowledge, context and, hopefully, a sense that understanding something frightening can make it feel a little less enormous.

These curated monthly book lists (from tots to teens!) are for SENDinMama’s paid subscribers! If you’d like to receive them as well as a monthly downloadable resource to support your SEND, neurodiverse or trauma affected children, please consider becoming a paid subscriber for the price of a coffee - £3.50 per month! Your support allows me to continue making resources for families who need guidance.

So here we go!