Bringing Heart and Mind into Storytime: Using Books and Activities to Teach Empathy, Tenacity, Kindness, and Other Big Ideas

Review
"In this book, Heather McNeil shows how storytime presenters must be involved with introducing children to social emotional learning concepts. Using an extensive variety of examples, McNeil shows how presenters can truly make 'the biggest difference in our world,' as they bring empathy, teamwork, generosity, patience and more to storytime, always with a sense of fun, and always with a personal and creative touch. She reinforces a phrase I often used when I gave training sessions to children's librarians: 'You never know the influence you have on a child.'" --
Kathy Barco, Retired Children's Librarian and Literacy Coordinator; Co-Author (with Melanie Borski-Howard) of Storytime and Beyond: Having Fun with Early Literacy
The emotional challenges many children experience consume the time of teachers, exhaust parents, and sometimes lead children toward behaviors that prohibit social and academic success. Storytime to the rescue! Library storytimes prepare children for kindergarten; storytimes at home and in preschools allow teachers, parents, and children to think and talk about empathy and the importance of honoring your own and others' feelings.
In Bringing Heart and Mind into Storytime, Heather McNeil teaches librarians and teachers how to use books to open conversations with children to teach such concepts as patience, tenacity, kindness, and teamwork. McNeil shares research on brain development, social-emotional learning, and the importance of play, but she also emphasizes maintaining the fun of storytime. She recommends songs, action rhymes, games, and crafts that contribute to fun and healthy storytimes. Extensive lists of recommended books will help readers find the right ones for their audience.