Photo by Allie Smith

Jamie Lee Curtis is a beloved American actress, but did you know she has also written 12 books for children? Laura Cornell illustrates her quirky, colorful books. HarperCollins Children’s Books have published each of her books. Parents, teachers, and young children enjoy her books because of her humor and the way she speaks to children without talking down to them.

1.) Today I Feel Silly and Other Moods That Make My Day Not only does this children book entertains children, but it also has the purpose of helping young children that there are words for all of their different feelings. First published in 1998, this rhyming storybook with silly pictures helps kids learn the words for feelings like being cranky, excited, and sad. Today I Feel Silly and Other Moods That Make My Day spent ten weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.

2.) It’s Hard to Be Five: Learning How to Work My Control Panel The topic of this book is self-control. It helps ease children into concepts that are tough for young children, such as having to wait in a long line or be patient while waiting for a turn to play. Even though the topic seems like a serious one, the rhymes and illustrations are designed to make reading or listening to this book a fun experience for the child.

3.) I’m Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem Self-esteem is the topic of this book, designed to help kids feel comfortable in their skin and like who they are. This positive, upbeat book is a good read with a child who may be having a bad day, as a reminder that there’s still a lot to celebrate about their fabulous self. It teaches children that it’s good to be different.

4.) Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born This children’s book was written specifically for children who were adopted and the parents who chose it. It’s all about a family sharing the story of how they came to be a family, answers questions young children may have about being adopted and reassures the child that they are a loved and cared for member of the family. Families who are about to adopt a new baby may also want to read it with their older children so all the children in the family can adapt to what it’s going to be like when a new baby comes into the household. Curtis and her husband, actor Christopher Guest, are the parents of two children. Their daughter and son were both adopted.

5.) Big Words for Little People Representing the 8th collaboration between Curtis and Cornell, this picture book was a bestseller when it debuted in 2008. It intends to teach kids big – but essential – words like respect and cooperation.

6.) When I Was Little: A Four-Year-Old’s Memoir of Her Youth First published in 1993, it was Curtis’s first book. This tongue-in-cheek book about how much a little girl has grown in four years helps young kids celebrate their independence. “I’m not a baby anymore,” the little girl in the book says, and the text has her reminiscing about all the things she’s learned to do for herself since growing out of babyhood.

7.) Where Do Balloons Go?: An Uplifting Mystery This “mystery” revolves around a little boy who accidentally lets his balloon go. As the balloon goes on its whimsical journey, the book also teaches kids to deal with their feelings about losing things and coping with change. It can even serve as a tool to help parents and caregivers of a child who is coping with a death in the family. As always, Curtis’s rhyming text is gentle and reassuring.

Read more about Jamie Lee Curtis Children’s Books at https://bloglingo.com/jamie-lee-curtis/