Explore the SEL Blog

Does Your Child Seem Strong on the Outside but Hurt on the Inside? Meet Tank.

Leave a Comment / Explore the SEL Blog /

Some children look strong. They make people laugh.They play hard.They seem fearless. But strength on the outside doesn’t always mean everything feels okay on the inside. That’s why so many children relate to Tank. Tank is one of the most beloved characters in the Forest of Friends / MeMe, JJ & Friends children’s book universe—not […]

Does Your Child Seem Strong on the Outside but Hurt on the Inside? Meet Tank. Read More »

Does Your Child Hide Big Feelings? Tuffie’s Story May Help

Leave a Comment / Explore the SEL Blog /

Some children are naturally outgoing. Some run into every room ready to make friends. And some? Some stand back. They watch first.They protect their hearts.They may seem distant, serious, or even a little “grumpy.” That’s Tuffie. And that’s exactly why so many children relate to her. In the MeMe, JJ & Friends / Forest of

Does Your Child Hide Big Feelings? Tuffie’s Story May Help Read More »

Explore How Children’s Books, Animal Characters, and the VNEC Model Support Emotional Understanding, Empathy, and Reading Comprehension

Leave a Comment / Explore the SEL Blog, MeMe SEL Academy /

Children don’t always have the words to explain what they feel. Sometimes emotions look like crossed arms.Sometimes they look like silence.Sometimes they look like a child pulling away when what they really need is connection. That’s where storytelling becomes powerful. Children’s books have long helped young readers explore emotions, relationships, and problem-solving in safe and

Explore How Children’s Books, Animal Characters, and the VNEC Model Support Emotional Understanding, Empathy, and Reading Comprehension Read More »

Social Emotional Learning Without Worksheets: Why Stories Help Kids Understand Feelings

Leave a Comment / Explore the SEL Blog /

Social-emotional learning (SEL) matters—but not every child learns emotional awareness by circling words on a worksheet. Many children can identify the “correct” emotion from a list without truly understanding why someone might feel that way. They may memorize labels like sad, angry, or frustrated, but struggle to recognize those same emotions in real life, in

Social Emotional Learning Without Worksheets: Why Stories Help Kids Understand Feelings Read More »

Rescue Pet Stories for Children: How Animal Stories Build Emotional Learning

Leave a Comment / Explore the SEL Blog /

Animal stories build emotional learning one story at a time. But not all stories create the same kind of emotional connection. Rescue pet stories carry something unique: uncertainty, trust-building, fear, resilience, recovery, and belonging. These are the same emotional themes many children experience in their own lives. That is why rescue pet stories can become

Rescue Pet Stories for Children: How Animal Stories Build Emotional Learning Read More »

How to Help Children Identify Emotions Using Visual Clues (Parent & Teacher Guide)

Leave a Comment / Explore the SEL Blog /

Learning how to help children identify emotions using visual clues can make emotional conversations less overwhelming for children who struggle to explain what they feel. Some children shut down. Others guess. Some say “I don’t know” even when the emotion is clearly affecting their behavior. One powerful way to help children build emotional understanding is

How to Help Children Identify Emotions Using Visual Clues (Parent & Teacher Guide) Read More »

MeMe Memory: How I Met Tuffie is in Georgia Libraries

Leave a Comment / Explore the SEL Blog, Stories from the Forest /

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMay 4, 2026MeMe JJ and Friends LLC Announces “MeMe Memory” Featured in Indie Georgia Digital Library Collection, Expanding Access to Emotional Literacy ResourcesGeorgia — MeMe JJ and Friends LLC today announced that MeMe Memory, a title from its acclaimed children’s book series, is now available through Indie Georgia: Discover Books From Local Authors

MeMe Memory: How I Met Tuffie is in Georgia Libraries Read More »

What is VNEC (Visual Narrative Emotional Comprehension) Model

Leave a Comment / Explore the SEL Blog /

What is the VNEC Model? emotional lVNEC stands for Visual Narrative Emotional Comprehension. It is a learning model designed to help children use visual storytelling to recognize emotions, understand context, and explain what a character may be feeling and why. Many children can describe what happened in a story. VNEC helps them go deeper: What

What is VNEC (Visual Narrative Emotional Comprehension) Model Read More »

Visual Literacy Emotional Learning | Moment Before Words

Leave a Comment / Explore the SEL Blog /

Visual Literacy Emotional Learning Before the Words The Moment Before Words explores how children use visual literacy, emotional learning clues, and VNEC to understand feelings before text explains them. Tank noticed it first. Not with his eyes. With something quieter. The air didn’t feel the same.The space around him slowed—just enough to notice. He stood

Visual Literacy Emotional Learning | Moment Before Words Read More »

What Uno Teaches Us About Growing Up (And He’s Just a Puppy) Is 1 Powerful Lesson

Leave a Comment / Explore the SEL Blog /

Discover what Uno teaches us about growing up, Uno learns about making mistakes, learning responsibility, and developing emotional awareness through storytelling. Uno isn’t trying to teach anything. He is just curious or observing. He’s not thinking about emotions.He’s not labeling feelings. He’s just… being a puppy. Puppies investigate their environment using their sense of smell,

What Uno Teaches Us About Growing Up (And He’s Just a Puppy) Is 1 Powerful Lesson Read More »