The Big Bad Cold

A parent would reach for this book when their child is home from school with a cold and feeling frustrated by being confined to bed. It is a comforting resource for those days when a little one feels physically unwell and needs a reminder that they are loved and missed while they rest. The story follows Emily Elizabeth as she recovers from a cold, while Clifford and his dog friends try various silly ways to cheer her up from outside her window. The book focuses on themes of empathy and the social-emotional side of illness. It validates the 'frowns' that come with feeling sick while showing how friendship can provide a much-needed boost. Appropriate for preschoolers and early elementary students, it serves as a gentle tool for modeling how to be a good friend to someone who is hurting or feeling left out of the fun.