February 9th to 15th is children’s mental health week. This year’s theme is ‘This is My Place’ and children’s mental health charity Place2be is encouraging ‘peers, families, schools and communities to create inclusive and nurturing environments, where children and young people feel they belong and can say “This is My Place”.’
Picture books can often help children to deal with feelings, problems and situations in which they may need support. With the theme ‘This is My Place’ in mind we’ve chosen books about finding and creating homes and spaces where you can feel a sense of belonging.
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Creating a home
Searching For Home by Chantal Bourgonje
When house sprite Noa can’t find a friend he decides that having a new home will help him. As Noa travels he meets several animals who join him on what turns out to be a long and eventful journey. Finally they find the perfect house but Noa’s reaction surprises everybody. Can his new friends persuade him to live there?
This beautifully illustrated story about friendship highlights the fact that feeling at home is as much about the friends or family you share a home with as bricks and mortar.
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Little Home Bird by Jo Empson
Moving House? Of course you want to take all your favourite things with you! But what if you are a bird flying south for the winter?
Little Bird takes his things with him but throughout the flight he has to get rid of them. When he finally arrives all his favourite things have gone but then Little Bird finds new favourite things that can help him feel a new sense of belonging.
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Big Brown Bear’s Cave by Yuval Zommer
Big Brown Bear thinks that filling his new cave with ‘stuff’ will help him make him feel at home. But when he gets stuck in his cave Bear’s friends help him realise that it isn’t ‘stuff’ that makes a house a home!
This fabulously illustrated picture book shows that having lots of possessions doesn’t necessarily make a place feel like somewhere you can belong.
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A New Home for Little Fox by Janet Bingham & Rosalind Beardshaw
As Little Fox and Daddy go for a walk they come across a variety of animals, insects and birds who are nest building, spring cleaning and tidying. Daddy answers Little Fox’s questions about the animals’ homes, explains why they aren’t suitable for foxes.
But by the end of the story Daddy and Little Fox have created the perfect place for them to live.
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Home Is Where The Heart Is by Jonny Lambert
Home Is Where The Heart Is tells the story of Bear, Hare and the development of their relationship as they discover what they need to create a happy home.
This beautiful story can stimulate discussion about friendship, caring and making a house a place where you feel that you belong.
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Finding your place in the world after life changing experiences
Mabel’s Topsy-Turvy Homes by Candy Wellins & Jess Rose
Mabel experiences a range of emotions as she comes to terms with splitting her time between two houses. But with the help of her adorable sidekick, Izzy the iguana, she’s able to work through her emotions and start to feel more settled and optimistic in her two homes.
This heartwarming, hopeful story can help stimulate family conversations about dealing with parents living in separate houses. It can provide support and reassurance to children who may be in the same situation as Mabel.
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Diwali in my New Home by Shachi Kaushik & Aishwarya Tandon
Diwali in my New Home is the story of how Priya and her family find a different way to celebrate Diwali in their new home, thousands of miles away from family and friends in India.
The story acknowledges Priya’s sadness that she’s so far from home but also shows how sharing traditions can also sow the seeds for a sense of belonging in a new neighbourhood.
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Home for a While by Lauren Kerstein and Natalia Moore
This is the heartwarming story of the relationship that develops after Calvin moves in with his new foster carer, Maggie. Calvin has lived in a succession of houses but hasn’t found anywhere that he can really call home. Will things be different for him at Maggie’s?
Home for a While gives an insight into the insecurities of a foster child who doesn’t have a forever home. It’s a great book to stimulate discussions about the emotions that can affect a child when they are unable to live with their birth parents.
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Finding a new place in the world after being forced to leave a country
Saving The Butterfly by Helen Cooper & Gill Smith
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This poignant picture book gives an insight into the emotional trauma suffered by child refugees. It tells the story of a brother and sister’s emotional experiences as they come to terms with living in a new country.
Saving The Butterfly can stimulate discussions about why families in war torn countries may need to leave their homes and the ways in which we can show kindness and offer support as they try to find a new place to belong.
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No Ballet Shoes in Syria by Catherine Bruton
Eleven year old Aya has fled war torn Syria with her mother and baby brother. While visiting a community centre Aya hears ballet music. She is welcomed into the class by teacher, Miss Helena, and through dancing she makes friends who support her as she adapts to her new situation.
Aya’s story is moving and thought provoking. It stimulated interesting discussions and helped us understand more about the challenges and problems that refugees may face as they try and find a new place to call home.
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We also have suggestions for children who are navigating the complexities of friendship in our blogpost for children’s mental health week 2023 and chose books that can help children understand, accept and experience a variety of emotions for our 2025 ‘Know Yourself, Grow Yourself’ children’s mental health week blogpost.
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