Social Problem Solving

If you haven’t heard of, or read, the “What Should Danny Do?” series by Ganit and Adir Levy, you need to check them out!

Written in a “Build Your Own Adventure” kind of way, each book contains 8-9 separate stories. As children read the book, they are given choices about how Danny (or now, Darla!) should react or proceed. Based on the choices they make, the story leads them down a different path.

The scenarios in the book are all ones that are familiar to kids – fighting over toys with a sibling, breaking something that belongs to someone else, standing up for others. With each choice they make, kids will begin to see how Danny’s actions determine the consequences.

This series really is a must-have for any school or home library! There are so many different social-emotional learning skills that are reinforced throughout the books, and the format of the books really encourages conversation between grown-ups and kids!

There’s a new favorite book in our house.

It all started about a week ago when I snagged this book at the library while searching for books to use in an SEL project I’m working on. I read it, liked it and then decided it didn’t exactly fit the section I intended it for so I set aside to return to the library the next day.

That night, my youngest asked me to read him some books before bedtime. He spied this book sitting on the end table so we sat down and read it. As soon as we finished, he asked me to read it again. Since that evening, I have probably read it to him 5-6 times.

Here’s the thing about this book…it doesn’t have fancy illustrations or rhyming text. Heck, it was originally published in 1973 so it’s even, dare I say, a bit outdated. What it does have, though, is a premise that is a bit silly and a bit ridiculous. More importantly, it has several great underlying themes and messages. It’s even great for kids who want to flex their logical-mathematical muscles.

So what is this magical book that captured the attention of my 5 year old? It’s The Brownstone by Paula Scher.

It’s all about 6 different families of animals that live in a three-story brownstone, and just as in real life, sometimes conflict arises between these neighbors. It’s Mr. Owl’s job, as the landlord, to help them all figure out how to live harmoniously in the brownstone.

The book really hits, not only on conflict resolution, but also on the themes of friendship, kindness, social problem solving and acceptance and diversity. There’s a LOT to pull out of this short, easy to read picture book! Plus, as I mentioned, your kiddos that enjoy a good puzzle or problem to solve will get a kick out of trying to solve the puzzle before Mr. Owl does.

Enjoy!