5 children’s picture books with great confidence-building messages

My favourite books to read with my boys are ones we equally enjoy. For them, it’s all about the eye-catching illustrations and fun story and for me, it’s knowing that there is a subtle (or not so subtle) message for them to take away and learn from.

Raising a child with an in-built sense of confidence and the courage to stay true to who they are can be tough. So reading books that help them realise life is tricky, sometimes they will have doubt and feel upset but it’s all part of life and it’s how we deal with it that will help us grow, is a really important part of my book choices for them.

Here are 5 picture books, very much loved by all of us and I just think their confidence-building messages are brilliant.

5 children’s picture books with great confidence-building messages

/ Ruby’s Worry by Tom Percival

It’s all about… Taking what could be such an abstract concept for a child, helping them identify it and showing them the way to deal with it, if they find themselves worried about something. I thought this was so well done, with beautiful illustrations too, it sparked conversations with my children that I might not have had before – empowering them to know how to deal with their worries.

/ Giraffe’s Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae

It’s all about… The true freedom that comes when you realise everyone is different – with their own unique talent. The younger a child is when they embrace this message, the better, in my opinion. We’re all rooting for Gerald by the end of the book and I love how happy my boys are when Gerald dances in his own way. There are amazing illustrations by Guy Parker-Rees, too.

/ Elmer by David McKee

It’s all about… Such a favourite with my boys. The blend of amazing pictures, bright colours and heart-warming story. Feeling sad about not being grey elephant colour, Elmer tries to blend in but it’s not who he really is. Once he embraces his unique patchwork of colours, he is happier and he makes everyone else around him happier too. Elmer makes me think of the rainbow flag, so love the LGBTQ+ inclusive message that Elmer represents here too.

/ The Lion Inside by Rachel Bright

It’s all about…  A positive mindset that harnesses self-belief and bravery. Written in rhyme, it’s so lyrical to read (like the wonderful Julia Donaldson stories) and tells the tale of the little mouse who goes on a mission to ask lion how he roars and commands attention. But the lion, although large, isn’t what the mouse expects – a nice lesson in not judging someone before talking to them too. It features lovely illustrations by Jim Field.

/ Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman

It’s all about… Amazing Grace is a book that my eldest son first read at school, so we got our own copy as he wanted to read it again and again. He was drawn to the story and, subconsciously, I guess, the message. Grace is told she can’t be Peter Pan in her school play but she takes on both racial and gender stereotypes to focus on who she wants to be. I loved the focus on the importance of family too. A very inspiring read! Great illustrations by Caroline Binch.

What other books would you add to this list? Let me know!