We are so excited to have Gabi Snyder join us today to share information about Social Emotional Learning Picture Books!

Gabi (rhymes with “baby”) Snyder’s short bio:

Gabi Snyder is a fan of the unexpected. Her love of dogs, counting, and unusual modes of transportation inspired her debut picture book, TWO DOGS ON A TRIKE, illustrated by Robin Rosenthal and published by Abrams Appleseed (May 2020). Her second picture book, LISTEN, illustrated by Stephanie Graegin, came out in July 2021 from Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books. And her latest picture book, COUNT ON US! CLIMATE ACTIVISTS FROM ONE TO A BILLION, illustrated by Sarah Walsh, hit bookshelves in September 2022!

Gabi studied psychology at the University of Washington and creative writing at The University of Texas. When she’s not writing, she loves taking nature walks, visiting Little Free Libraries, and baking sweet treats. She lives in Oregon with her family. Learn more at gabisnyder.com.

What is SEL?

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) defines social and emotional learning (SEL) as “an integral part of education and human development. SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.”

I also really like how author Danielle Davis describes SEL picture books as those “that in some way touch on a child’s relationships—with themselves: their identities, feelings, behaviors—as well as their relationships with others. That’s the essence of social-emotional learning or social-emotional development, how we relate to ourselves, to others, and to the wider community.” Check out her post featuring 20 recommended SEL books, including LISTEN! https://thispicturebooklife.com/20-social-emotional-picture-books/

My accidental entry into SEL books

My second picture book, LISTEN, has often been described as a SEL book. But when I drafted LISTEN back in 2018, I don’t think I’d heard of SEL. So I didn’t set out to write a SEL book. What I did set out to write was a book that I could’ve used as a child, a book I still need as an adult.

I wanted to explore the benefits of listening. I also wanted to capture the sense that the world can sometimes be so filled with noise – both literal and figurative – that it can be overwhelming, and it can be challenging to focus on what’s really important.

In addition, I wrote the book at a time when I was taking a great deal of inspiration and solace from getting outside for walks and paying attention to the sights, sounds, and sensations on those walks. I was also finding that the practice of mindfulness was helping me focus and feel less overwhelmed – a feeling I was especially prone to as a child and still occasionally struggle with as an adult. So I think the text for LISTEN grew from an exploration of the benefits of listening coupled with the practice of mindfulness. In other words, my SEL book was the book I needed as a child.

So in considering how to write an engaging SEL book, ask yourself what book your child self need that didn’t exist? Can you write that book now? It might help to consider childhood memories with strong emotions attached. What emotional memories from your childhood had to do with SEL theme? Consider how you saw your relationship with yourself, with others, or with the world around you. Did you, for instance, find certain expectations about who you should be or how you should behave didn’t match your true sense of self? Were you a girl who was discouraged from exploring her sporty side? Or maybe, like me, there was a way in which the world was sometimes hard to navigate because it felt like “too much” of something. Or maybe you felt like “too much” for your world?

And, of course, anytime you set out to write a particular type of book, it’s helpful to read a slew of books in that genre. A few of my favorite SEL books…