Help your students develop social-emotional skills with kid-tested, psychologist and parent-approved, tiny-knee-slapping stories from Zoy.
Why build a story app for kids? As all great educators know, stories are incredible learning tools! Not only are they good for literacy, but they are also engaging tools for teaching social-emotional skills like empathy, self-esteem, and communication. With our SEL education-aligned storybook app, we can bring that magic to every classroom.
Our social skills books for preschoolers and elementary-age kids promote emotional development and essential social-emotional learning. But, more than that, they bring classrooms together!
Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is how children learn to understand and positively engage with themselves, others, and the world around them. SEL includes essential skills such as building empathy, managing emotions, and growing relationships.
Extensive research shows that strong SEL skills are linked to improved mental health, academic performance, and other positive life outcomes. Recent studies also show that reading and listening to stories are some of the best ways to teach SEL. Our read-aloud stories on the new Zoy app provide the perfect opportunity to help your students build these crucial skills.
New York, USA Zoy’s Classroom Compass is a fantastic resource. It makes integrating SEL into our curriculum effortless and engaging for the kids.
California, USA The storybooks from Zoy are a staple in my classroom. They’re beautifully written and truly capture the essence of SEL for young minds.
Texas, USA Zoy’s app and printed books have been a hit in my kindergarten class. The stories resonate with the kids and teach important emotional lessons.
Florida, USA Implementing Zoy’s SEL Empowerment Toolkit has revolutionized the way we approach emotional learning in early childhood education.
Washington, USA Zoy’s stories are not just stories; they’re tools for teaching empathy, kindness, and emotional awareness in a fun and engaging way.
Arizona, USA The Calm Corner feature in Zoy’s app is perfect for helping my preschoolers manage big emotions and find a moment of peace.
Oregon, USA Zoy’s digital stories have made SEL a daily part of my teaching. The interactive elements keep the children engaged and excited to learn.
Colorado, USA Using Zoy’s workbooks alongside their stories has greatly enhanced the SEL learning experience in my classroom. The children love the activities.
Illinois, USA We’ve incorporated Zoy’s SEL resources into our preschool program. The positive impact on our students’ emotional intelligence is remarkable.
Massachusetts, USA Zoy’s SEL resources are invaluable. They provide a comprehensive approach to teaching emotional intelligence in a way that’s easy for children to understand.
The Land of Zoy is a magical place where students and educators can dive into the fun together! Our read-aloud stories support emotional development for preschoolers through engagement with relatable characters and unique plots with an undercurrent of humor. These stories are the perfect resource for incorporating SEL into everyday learning. Make sure to look out for our mascot – a silly baby elephant who’s learning these skills herself!
Help your students take a break by visiting our Calm Corner, a huge bonus feature for subscribers, where you’ll find relaxation stories from our certified clinical hypnotherapist.
Every story at Zoy is created by our team of writers and illustrators, then given to our educators, mental health professionals, and parents to ensure that it’s fun, engaging, and effective in teaching essential SEL skills and concepts. Here are some examples of the books you can find in our reading app:
The idea of crafting stories with a message is something near and dear to our hearts and home, and we’re excited to help you build this space for your family as well. We welcome you and your family to Zoy!
As parents of two boys, our founders Afshin and Sahar are no strangers to the importance of developing social-emotional skills and their positive impact on a child’s life.
Reading bedtime stories as a family has always been a highlight of their day. They realized that even five minutes of dedicated time before bed allowed them to connect and bond. Through years of reading to their children, Afshin and Sahar have seen the power that stories hold as a learning tool and are excited to provide a platform for parents and educators that combines their love of bedtime stories with the skills kids need to thrive.
The development of these crucial social-emotional learning skills and mental health go hand-in-hand.
Texas, USA Carrie is a children’s author and editor who’s written over 2 dozen children’s books and edited many more. After studying Child and Family Development at Stephen F. Austin, she taught…
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Washington, USA Ashley Bugge is an award-winning author and K-12 educator, who utilizes her training and expertise in the subjects of human behavior and leadership to create authentic and transformational material for…
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Bitola, North Macedonia Elena Gjorgjievska is a fine artist, painter, and illustrator living in Bitola. Love drawing and painting since an early age. She has an MA degree in painting from the Faculty…
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New York, USA Katy holds a Master’s Degree in Education with over ten years of special education classroom experience focusing on behaviors. Katy has a passion for social-emotional learning and has put her…
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Massachusetts, USA Mary Beth Bass is an award-winning fiction writer with a side of teaching and theatre. She’s also written about life-changing food, far-off places, silly kids, and big secrets! She loves…
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California, USA Richard Anderson is a comedy writer who grew up in Boulder, Colorado, where he fell in love with Dr. Seuss and other whimsical storybooks. After graduating from the University of…
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Missouri, USA Saskia Helen is a former educator and SEL specialist who now provides countless families and classrooms with essential tools for building relationships, supporting and uplifting children, and helping them to…
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California, USA David has a background in more traditional literature for older audiences, but after writing his first children’s book a few years back, he fell in love with the idea of…
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Florida, USA Bibi Sabahat Shah is a therapist and child development expert who works with children and families. Her goal is to help families nurture what is most important for healthy minds…
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Surabaya, Indonesia Natalia is an illustrator based in Indonesia. She has loved illustration and character design (and cute things!) since childhood. She currently works on children’s book illustrations and character design for…
Watch Intro Video Mykolaiv, Ukraine Since childhood, Mariia was interested in painting and was charmed by how every painter depicted their vision of the world. Having become an illustrator of children’s books, Mariia obtained an…
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Laguna, Philippines Enghel Garcia is a psychometrician turned graphic illustrator who has been drawing since she was 5. She loves watching animated series. After having a Psychology Degree and becoming a Psychometrician,…
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Massachusetts, USA Olena is an award-winning, proactive growth-minded strategic marketing leader with diverse experience in global marketing and consulting roles. Olena has over 25 years of experience developing new go-to-market strategies and…
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Educators can easily find various resources from quick, skim-friendly blogs to more in-depth articles. Develop social and emotional skills at your own pace and join a community of people doing the same!
Can’t get enough of this SEL teaching stuff? Neither can we! New resources are added each week.
Zoy isn’t feeling very thankful this Thanksgiving. In fact, it seems like just another day to her. That all changes when Zoy meets a new friend with a different perspective. Can Zoy learn to be grateful for what she has?
Ruben takes his blanket with him everywhere. After a while, his blanket gets too dirty and needs a wash. How will Ruben get through laundry day without his beloved blanket?
Pretzel Sticks is a horse who’s sick of eating the same old thing, but when he tries to eat an apple, he faces obstacle after obstacle! How will he deal with the disappointment? Maybe with the help of some friends he meets along the way…
Gnaomi’s father is a gnome and her mother is a fairy. She loves getting the best of both worlds! But when her parents tell her that they’re going to separate, she has to come to terms with what “the best of both worlds” really means.
Hazel and her trusty sidekick Dogfish are feeling sad that Daddy is going away on a three-day trip. Hazel tries to stop Daddy from leaving, but nothing works! How will Hazel get through three goodnights without Daddy?
Selena is sad and angry about moving away from her old house and everything she knows and loves. Everything about the new house feels bad and wrong. Will a new friend help change the way she feels about it?
Huey the hole is the only hole in the field that Farmer Al doesn’t plant with corn. Huey is worried that he’ll be alone forever, but a new friend helps him learn that being unplanted isn’t his hole story.
It’s snowing! Daisy’s brother, Collin, can’t wait to sled down the Big Hill, but Daisy’s scared. Can Daisy find the courage to speak her mind and face her fears?
When Sonia tries to hide a goof she made, the goofs keep piling up until everything around her is one big goof! How’s Sonia going to find her way out of this mess? Will she learn that it’s okay to make mistakes and ask for help?
Mother Earth loves her two children, Sunny and Nimbus. But Sunny and Nimbus are always fighting! Can one little flower bring these rival siblings together?
When Gordo’s parents tell him they’re moving to the desert, his snow bunny heart is broken! As he adjusts to his new desert life, Gordo meets new friends and might even discover some unexpected surprises about himself.
Hudson the silly goose goes around doing whatever he wants, no matter how it makes other people feel. But a run-in with a sleeping bear might be what it takes to teach Hudson the importance of the golden rule.
Shyla the whale shark is very shy! When she starts school for the first time, she tries with little success to hide from the other students. But her failure to hide might lead to an exciting new friendship…
When Daddy asks Rosie to clean up her room, Rosie says no! How can Daddy help Rosie learn about the importance of taking care of things without a power struggle?
Quincy the monster just wants to be liked, but maybe she’s trying a little too hard. When a quiet, mouthless girl shows up at monster school, Quincy finally figures out what it takes to make a friend.
Emma’s been feeling nervous all the time and doesn’t know what to do about it! Her mother brings her to someone called a “counselor” to help her face her fears. Therapy sounds scary but, as Emma discovers, it might actually be a whole lot of fun.
The first day of kindergarten is about to start and Penny is TERRIFIED. If only she could bring her trusty dog, Pickles, with her! Will Penny be brave enough to face her fears alone?
Lia has big ambitions but isn’t sure how to accomplish them. That is, until her friends show her how to set goals so that she can succeed, one step at a time.
Big feelings can be hard to explain or understand. What if they were all contained within a big ball inside of you? Explore the world of My Me Ball and find out how to live in harmony with even the biggest of feelings!
Lon looks different from other swans, which makes him feel lonely. He wants to change to be accepted by others, but can he learn to accept himself?
A great storm blows Leigh the leaf away from her home. Will Leigh be lost forever or will she learn to embrace change?
Leo uses his father’s best green tie for a dragon’s tail and accidentally ruins it. Afraid of getting in trouble, he hides the tie in the garden. Will Leo own up to his mistake?
Zoy isn’t feeling very thankful this Thanksgiving. In fact, it seems like just another day to her. That all changes when Zoy meets a new friend with a different perspective. Can Zoy learn to be grateful for what she has?
Ruben takes his blanket with him everywhere. After a while, his blanket gets too dirty and needs a wash. How will Ruben get through laundry day without his beloved blanket?
Pretzel Sticks is a horse who’s sick of eating the same old thing, but when he tries to eat an apple, he faces obstacle after obstacle! How will he deal with the disappointment? Maybe with the help of some friends he meets along the way…
Gnaomi’s father is a gnome and her mother is a fairy. She loves getting the best of both worlds! But when her parents tell her that they’re going to separate, she has to come to terms with what “the best of both worlds” really means.
Hazel and her trusty sidekick Dogfish are feeling sad that Daddy is going away on a three-day trip. Hazel tries to stop Daddy from leaving, but nothing works! How will Hazel get through three goodnights without Daddy?
Selena is sad and angry about moving away from her old house and everything she knows and loves. Everything about the new house feels bad and wrong. Will a new friend help change the way she feels about it?
Huey the hole is the only hole in the field that Farmer Al doesn’t plant with corn. Huey is worried that he’ll be alone forever, but a new friend helps him learn that being unplanted isn’t his hole story.
It’s snowing! Daisy’s brother, Collin, can’t wait to sled down the Big Hill, but Daisy’s scared. Can Daisy find the courage to speak her mind and face her fears?
When Sonia tries to hide a goof she made, the goofs keep piling up until everything around her is one big goof! How’s Sonia going to find her way out of this mess? Will she learn that it’s okay to make mistakes and ask for help?
Mother Earth loves her two children, Sunny and Nimbus. But Sunny and Nimbus are always fighting! Can one little flower bring these rival siblings together?
When Gordo’s parents tell him they’re moving to the desert, his snow bunny heart is broken! As he adjusts to his new desert life, Gordo meets new friends and might even discover some unexpected surprises about himself.
Hudson the silly goose goes around doing whatever he wants, no matter how it makes other people feel. But a run-in with a sleeping bear might be what it takes to teach Hudson the importance of the golden rule.
Shyla the whale shark is very shy! When she starts school for the first time, she tries with little success to hide from the other students. But her failure to hide might lead to an exciting new friendship…
When Daddy asks Rosie to clean up her room, Rosie says no! How can Daddy help Rosie learn about the importance of taking care of things without a power struggle?
Quincy the monster just wants to be liked, but maybe she’s trying a little too hard. When a quiet, mouthless girl shows up at monster school, Quincy finally figures out what it takes to make a friend.
Emma’s been feeling nervous all the time and doesn’t know what to do about it! Her mother brings her to someone called a “counselor” to help her face her fears. Therapy sounds scary but, as Emma discovers, it might actually be a whole lot of fun.
The first day of kindergarten is about to start and Penny is TERRIFIED. If only she could bring her trusty dog, Pickles, with her! Will Penny be brave enough to face her fears alone?
Lia has big ambitions but isn’t sure how to accomplish them. That is, until her friends show her how to set goals so that she can succeed, one step at a time.
Big feelings can be hard to explain or understand. What if they were all contained within a big ball inside of you? Explore the world of My Me Ball and find out how to live in harmony with even the biggest of feelings!
Lon looks different from other swans, which makes him feel lonely. He wants to change to be accepted by others, but can he learn to accept himself?
A great storm blows Leigh the leaf away from her home. Will Leigh be lost forever or will she learn to embrace change?
Leo uses his father’s best green tie for a dragon’s tail and accidentally ruins it. Afraid of getting in trouble, he hides the tie in the garden. Will Leo own up to his mistake?
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