Jealousy can be a complex emotion for young children; mixing sadness, anger, embarrassment. It can be a particularly tricky one to articulate, even adults struggle with it. It can bubble away under the surface making us feel resentful and confused.
But, jealousy is a natural and normal emotion that we all feel from time to time. Helping children to understand this is a step in the right direction towards processing and dealing with the feelings. Using books to explore this emotion helps children to feel less alone and to understand what an appropriate response might be; both in the way they handle the emotion and what to do when they are upset.
Here are some wonderful books to start that conversation:
On Sudden Hill by Linda Sarah and Benji Davies.
Age range: KS1
Perfect for children feeling envious of other friends. This story follows the main character as he battles with feelings he can’t quite explain when a new boy arrives on the street and wants to play. He shuts himself away from his friends, upset at their new friendship until he realises that perhaps 3 is better than 2!
New Baby by Isabel Otter and Lucy Farfort.
Age range: EYFS/KS1
Sibling jealousy, particularly when a new baby arrives, can be really difficult to navigate. There are lots of wonderful books out there on this topic, and this one is great too as it focuses on sharing. Beautifully illustrated and gently told.
Milo’s Monster by Tom Percival.
Age range: EYFS/KS1
There is probably a Tom Percival book in every school in the country by now, they are so good! If you don’t have this one, we would recommend it. Told in Percival’s easy and accessible style, this story is another great book for exploring friendship jealousy.
Age range: KS2
A book that covers a whole heap of themes, it is perfect for Year 6! Friendships, social media, cyberbullying…and, of course, jealousy. What we love is that the book explores these often-tricky topics in a fun and light-hearted way.
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