Six Books to Encourage Persistence in Kids
When was the last time you gave up? For me, it’s usually an every morning occurrence when I’m trying to feed my kid and failing miserably. #ShePersisted. I did not. Obviously, we don’t love it when kids are stubborn in their defiance. But we can all agree that, as long as it’s not pitted against us, persistence is a pretty useful skill to have in life. Spoken from experience, it’s so easy to get demotivated or bogged down and, eventually, give up. I try to remind myself that kids are learning SO MUCH, ALL THE TIME; everything has a learning curve! It can be easy to get frustrated and let negativity seep in. To help remind and encourage them (and ourselves) to keep going and keep trying, here are some of my favorite reads…
For babies and toddlers
Stuck
Written and Illustrated by: Oliver Jeffers
Recommended Age: 2-5 years
If your little one is getting frustrated, this is the book to grab to put a smile on their face. It’s a goofy, tongue-in-cheek read about a young boy whose kite gets stuck in a tree. And this is the spark to an adventure as this boy throws other things to knock his kite free but instead, they all get stuck too! As you read, the items get increasingly ludicrous and you can’t help but grin at the ingenuity of this little boy. There’s a zany exuberance as you see the concept of persistence taken to an extreme but that’s what makes the story so endearing. This young boy gets sidetracked and distracted (as kids do) but even within that he is committed. The artwork is delightful—the illustrations are colorful stick figure scribbles in action and the text is in the handwriting of a little kid. Absolutely lovely, silly little read that will be a hit with you and your kids!
Links to buy: Bookshop*
The Power Of Yet
Written and Illustrated by: Maryann Cocca-Leffler
Recommended Age: 2-4 years old
As adults, it’s easy to forget how much children learn and absorb in their first decade. Everything needs to be learned! Walking, tying your shoes, using utensils, riding a bike, brushing your teeth, etc. All the little things we do that are second nature to us are actually learned behaviors. Reading this book brought that to life for me. It’s a miracle kids aren’t tantrumming (sp?) all the time! This book is a lovely reminder that patience and hard work are the keys to accomplishing your goals. It was also a good reminder for me to be patient when what I think should be easy is, understandably, not for my kid. Little piglet is tired of feeling left behind and being told “not yet.” In a fit, piglet demands to know when “yet” will happen. And this starts the path to when “yet” happens. It’s a rhyming book so lots of fun to read aloud and I especially liked the nuance of asking for help and learning from others. Too often we think we should be able to do everything on our own when that’s simply not true. The watercolor drawings are sweet, colorful, and nostalgic. If your kid is being particularly hard on themselves, this could be a great reminder that they’ll get there soon if they keep trying!
Links to buy: Bookshop*
For little kids
The Little Engine That Could
Written by: Watty Piper
Illustrated by: Dan Santat
Recommended Age: 3-6 years
How can I write a post about persistence and not include The Little Engine That Could?! Who amongst us doesn’t have the phrase “I think I can, I think I can” seared into our brains? It’s time to indoctrinate the next generation with this little gem of a book. There are three things that I adore about this story: first, when the initial engine fails, the cargo gets out and tries to find another engine to take them over the mountain. They face rejection after rejection but still they keep trying; hoping to find an engine that will help them. Secondly, and very importantly, the cargo asks for help. Repeatedly, in spite of all the rejection they receive. And, finally, the star of the book, the little blue engine, although hesitant and not sure it can carry all the cargo recites that famous mantra (“I think I can, I think I can…”) and gives it her all and succeeds! There are so many great representations of persistence in this book. Dan Santat, Caldecott Medal winner, has done a gorgeous job illustrating this classic. The engines all have life-like expressions and you can see the desperation in the toys’ eyes. I like that the illustrations have been modernized but still retain that nostalgic quality near and dear to the older generations.
Links to buy: Bookshop*
Trini’s Big Leap
Written by: Alexander de Wit and Beth Kephart
Illustrated by: William Sulit
Recommended Age: 5-7 years old
Trini is unstoppable. The little girl is an acrobatic whiz with lots of natural talent and she knows it. One day, when she sees her peers playing with blocks, Trini wants to do that too, and decides to make a giant castle. She quickly realizes this is something that is not easy for her. Trini leans on her friends to help her realize her block castle dreams and in return, she helps them with all the acrobatics that comes so naturally to her. She learns the lesson that she can accomplish even more when she recognizes when to ask for help. Instead of giving up, she relies on her friends and together they build the perfect castle. The artwork is cute and simple, amplifying the focus on Trini and her friends. I love the message of this book which is to realize that you’re not always going to be good at everything and when that happens it’s okay to learn and work with others to improve yourself.
Links to buy: Bookshop*
For big kids
Trying
Written by: Kobi Yamada
Illustrated by: Elise Hurst
Recommended Age: 7-9 years
This book is half story and half gorgeous illustration. Sometimes you don’t know if you want your eyes to read the text or feast on the beautiful imagery. A young boy meets a sculptor and is completely fascinated by the sculptor’s works. He wants to create something as beautiful as the sculptor but feels he won’t be able to create anything as good. So he doesn’t try. The sculptor encourages him and shares a different perspective. This book is great for more advanced readers who will soon begin reading chapter books. It is an exquisite picture book with stunning sketch work. Overall, it’s a positive message, especially for those kids who find it hard to start something new for fear of failure.
Links to buy: Bookshop*
Kami and the Yaks
Written by: Andrea Stenn Stryer
Illustrated by: Bert Dodson
Recommended Age: 7-9 years
In this book, Kami, a young, deaf boy (based on a true story of a young Sherpa boy the author met on a trip to the Himalayan region), needs to find his family’s yaks before a horrible storm begins. The yaks are essential to his family’s livelihoods so Kami knows how important it is to find them quickly. This book is a lovely introduction to Sherpa society and at the very end of the book is a one-page guide to the Sherpa people, their history, and culture. While I like this book for its exposure to a new culture and to a *disability such as deafness, I especially like that neither are focal points of the story; they are just parts of Kami’s life. The beautiful watercolor illustrations draw you right into the story and the beauty of that part of the world.
Links to buy: AbeBooks
If you’re interested in learning more about how to help kids overcome their frustrations, I highly recommend checking out this amazing post by
of. It does a brilliant job of outlining evidence-backed ways to help kids develop the skill of persistence.
*Thank you for using (at no additional cost to you) the affiliate links in this post! :-)
Great suggestions. Going to check some of these out for my daughter!