Everyone's Included at the Animal Party

When a fun day splashing in the water with his Turtle buddy ends in tears, a Little Bear feels sad and confused. He knows that sometimes his "brain feels too excited, and his body just goes POW!" and that can hurt his friends. But he doesn't know what to do differently. With the help of a Little Frog, Little Bear is able to gain confidence in his body awareness skills. He learns about body boundaries, taking deep breaths, practicing empathy, checking in with his body's needs, and problem solving for safer solutions. With more skills, he is able to regain Turtle's trust and together they enjoy the Animal Party!

As is the signature of the Everyone's Included in the Animal Party series, each page has recommended reflective questions to engage young readers to connect with the character's emotions and challenges. The book is designed to encourage children to problem solve and elaborate on their feelings and coping skills with or without the guidance of a supportive adult.

Grounded in relational cultural theory and inspired by conversations with the author "Aunt Kiki's" toddler nephew, Everyone is Included at the Animal Party is a series of stories created for little ones to learn socioemotional skills in the context of diversity, equity, and inclusion.