Kids books about Flexibility

Flexibility is one of the hardest things for my family. My son loves the predictable, loves his routine, and can be extremely inflexible to things that are not in “his” plan.

Sometimes things don’t go as expected and we can’t always control it. Flexibility is when we can change and adapt to new circumstances. When we are flexible, we don’t let our emotions take over. We figure out a new way to approach challenges. When we are flexible, we are open to the ideas of others. We can compromise to find a solution that works for everyone, or we can even change our minds and accept another’s idea entirely. When we are flexible, we can look critically at ourselves and make changes that make us better.

We talk a lot about flexibility in our house. My son attends a program called Social Thinking that helps teach social skills. One of the curriculums they use is the Superflex Superhero curriculum where the “villains” are these different Unthinkabots that get in the way of positive social dynamics. One of them is the Rock Brain.

We try to defeat Rock Brain a lot in our house!

We also read a lot of books. Here are five books that feature flexible characters. When we read them, we talked about where Rock Brain was showing up and how the characters defeated rock brain by being more flexible.

Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats

Do you love the Snowy Day? Here is another book featuring Peter, the boy in the Snowy Day. In this story, Peter learns to be flexible with things he has outgrown to gift to his baby sister.

Mike Mulligan and the Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton

This is a favourite story with a great big problem and a very clever solution. The characters are flexible in pivoting from the original plan to accommodate the new creative solution.

Something from Nothing by Phoebe Gilman

We love Phoebe Gilman books! She also wrote the Jillian Jiggs books I’ve recommended in previous posts. In this story, a boy is flexible as his favourite blanket is mended into a jacket, then a vest, then a tie, and smaller and smaller until there is nothing left but a story.

Are You Ready to Play Outside? by Mo Willems

Elephant and Piggie are two of my favourite characters. These books are great for toddlers, but also perfect to keep around for early readers, and useful beyond as inspiration for small skits two kids can do together.

In this story, Piggie and Elephant must be flexible with their plans as the weather changes.

Let’s go for a drive! by Mo Willems

Another Elephant and Piggie classic – these two learn to be flexible in their travel plans as circumstances change!

Do you have any favourite books featuring flexible characters? I’d love to hear of them! Please comment below with any suggestions!

Flexibly,

-Heather

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