Davids, Stacy, and Rachael Balsaitis. Annie’s Plaid Shirt. Miami, Florida, Upswing Press, 2015
Annie loves her plaid shirt and wears it everywhere. But one day her mom tells Annie that she must wear a dress to her uncle’s wedding. Annie protests, but her mom insists and buys her a fancy new dress anyway. Annie is miserable. She feels weird in dresses. Why can’t her mom understand? Then Annie has an idea. But will her mom agree? Annie's Plaid Shirt will inspire readers to be themselves and will touch the hearts of those who love them.

Ewert, Marcus, and Rex Ray. 10,000 Dresses. New York, New York, Triangle Square, 2008
Every night, Bailey dreams about magical dresses: dresses made of crystals and rainbows, dresses made of flowers, dresses made of windows … Unfortunately, when Bailey's awake, no one wants to hear about these beautiful dreams. Quite the contrary. "You're a BOY!" Mother and Father tell Bailey. "You shouldn't be thinking about dresses at all." Then Bailey meets Laurel, an older girl who is touched and inspired by Bailey's imagination and courage. In friendship, the two of them begin making dresses together. And Bailey's dreams come true! Marcus Ewert gives us a gorgeous picture book and a modern fairy tale about becoming the person you feel you are inside.

Holmes, Margaret, et al. A Terrible Thing Happened. Franklin, Tennessee, Dalmatian Press, 2000
A story for children who have witnessed violence or trauma. Sherman Smith saw the most terrible thing happen. At first, he tried to forget about it, but something inside him started to bother him. He felt nervous and had bad dreams. Then he met someone who helped him talk about the terrible thing and made him feel better.

Ippen, Chandra Ghosh, and Erich Peter Ippen Jr. Once I Was Very Very Scared/Una Vez Tuve Mucho Mucho Miedo. San Francisco, California, Piplo Productions, 2017
A little squirrel announces that he was once very, very, scared and finds out that he is not alone. Lots of little animals went through scary experiences, but they react in different ways. Turtle hides and gets a tummy ache, monkey clings, dog barks, and elephant doesn’t like to talk about it. They need help, and they get help from grown-ups who help them feel safe and learn ways to cope with difficult feelings.