Picture books that help young children practice big feelings, brave choices, friendship, and school-readiness skills.

Bumper & McDog stories turn everyday preschool and kindergarten challenges into warm, funny read-alouds for home, circle time, and early SEL lessons.

Start with the skill your child is practicing

Each book helps children explore a real-life emotional or social skill through a simple, funny story.

Nervous about trying something new?

Start with
Grow Brave

with Practice

Helps with bravery, practice, calming down, and trying again.

Explore Grow Brave

Getting ready
for school?

Start with
Fun, Friends &
the First Day

of School

Helps with first-day feelings, friendship, fear, and belonging.

Explore First Day

Learning to
express feelings?

Start with
Be Yourself!
Express Yourself!

Explore Be Yourself!

Helps with self-expression, confidence, and big emotions.

Learning to
work with others?

Start with
Team Up for

the Science Fair

Explore Team Up

Helps with teamwork, empathy, flexible thinking, and cooperation.

A GREAT PLACE TO START

Grow Brave with Practice

A funny, confidence-building story for children who get nervous trying something new. Bumper wants to tell jokes at school, but first he has to practice, calm his body, accept help, and try again.

Learn About Grow Brave

Built for story time, circle time, and early SEL conversations

Each Bumper & McDog book gives children a simple story framework for talking about real skills: handling big feelings, asking for help, working with friends, calming down, and trying again.

For preschool and Pre-K
Simple emotional situations children recognize.

For kindergarten readiness
Stories support the social-emotional skills children need before and during school.

For teachers and librarians
Easy read-aloud themes for classroom discussion, SEL lessons, and book displays.

"Jack loves Bumper the robot and Grow Brave with Practice.
We need more books like it, they don't make them like this anymore."

- Jasmin,

Jack's mom

Picture books that help young children practice big feelings, brave choices, friendship, and school-readiness skills.

Start with the skill your child is practicing

Nervous about trying something new?

Getting ready for school?

Learning to express feelings?

Learning to work with others?