Whether you're trying to curb a biting problem in a toddler or young child, or you simply want to teach good manners in preparation for day care or preschool, using a children's book can help tremendously. By showing children characters with whom they might empathize, you can help curb the biting habit for good.
Great Books About Biting
Biting is not a popular topic among book authors. However, there are a few excellent children's selections on the topic, ranging from board books to early readers.
Teeth Are Not for Biting
Teeth Are Not for Biting is a board book by Elizabeth Verdick with simple text and colorful illustrations. This book sends the message to your toddler that biting hurts other people and is not the thing to do. It recognizes some of the emotions that may be behind biting someone, and offers other, gentle solutions for little ones to express their feelings.
The book also comes with tips for parents and caregivers on how to deal with a biter. According to reviews on Barnes and Noble, the book has won several awards including the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award, and a SNAP (Special Needs Adaptable Product Award).
No Biting!
No Biting! by Karen Katz is a delightful board book that shows toddlers that there are better things to do than bite when they are frustrated. While it seems on every page that a frustrated tyke is going to use his teeth to release some frustration, when you lift the flap you see other ways in which the baby is going to deal with his feelings.
The book's tone is humorous, and one editor's review suggests that it can be a helpful tool to give toddlers tangible things to do instead of bite.
No More Biting for Billy Goat!
No More Biting for Billy Goat! by Bernette Ford and Sam Williams follows Billy Goat on his first day of school as he struggles to fit in. Out of frustration he bites a couple of his new, would-be friends. Thankfully, Ducky is sympathetic to Billy Goat's plight, and helps him see that teeth are for eating, not biting.
Reviewers note that teachers will appreciate the way the book portrays Billy Goat as frustrated rather than 'bad,' and the gentle correction the book offers for biting.
No Biting, Louise
No Biting, Louise by Margie Palatini and Matthew Reinhart tells the tale of Louise, an easily excitable alligator with a tendency to bite everything and everyone. Even grandma gets a little chomp taken out of her when she tries to assure Louise (and others) that this is only a stage. The book is written at a slightly higher reading level, so it makes an ideal read-aloud for preschool and early elementary classrooms.
The book's humor is sure to win over children, assures Publisher's Weekly.
Using Books to Curb Biting
The National Association for the Education of Young Children recommends a 'group' meeting sort of approach where you address the biting behavior and give kids behaviors to do instead of biting. Introducing this kind of public meeting with a children's book is a natural and seamless way to bring up the topic in a way that is non-threatening and easily relatable to young children.
