Brothers Are Not for Hitting | Ryan Allen

About the Book

Brothers Are Not for Hitting by Ryan Allen is a children's picture book that helps young readers recognize and manage the strong feelings that can sometimes lead to hitting, pushing, or other impulsive behaviors. Through the story of a young girl named Laila, children are introduced to everyday situations that may trigger frustration, disappointment, jealousy, impatience, anger, embarrassment, or feelings of being overwhelmed.

Written by a preschool therapist, the book focuses on helping children build awareness of the emotional and physical warning signs that often appear before a child acts out. Readers are encouraged to notice when their bodies feel tense, when frustration begins to grow, or when emotions become difficult to manage, creating opportunities to pause and make safer choices.

Rather than simply telling children not to hit, Brothers Are Not for Hitting explores the reasons hitting may happen and provides age-appropriate alternatives for expressing emotions, solving problems, and communicating needs. This supportive approach can help children develop emotional literacy, self-awareness, and more positive ways to respond during challenging moments.

Families, educators, therapists, and caregivers may find this book especially helpful when supporting children who are learning emotional regulation, sibling relationship skills, social problem-solving, and respectful communication. The book was also selected for the Barack Obama Presidential Library, highlighting its value as a resource for helping young children develop kindness, self-control, and empathy.

Learning & Development Opportunities

Through Brothers Are Not for Hitting, readers may:

• Explore emotions such as frustration, disappointment, jealousy, anger, embarrassment, impatience, and feeling overwhelmed.
• Learn about the emotional and physical warning signs that may occur before hitting or other impulsive behaviors.
• Develop greater awareness of their thoughts, feelings, and body's responses during challenging situations.
• Build emotional vocabulary to help identify and communicate difficult feelings.
• Reflect on how strong emotions can influence actions and relationships.
• Practice positive alternatives to hitting when experiencing frustration or overwhelm.
• Strengthen self-regulation and decision-making skills in everyday interactions.
• Develop empathy by considering how actions affect siblings, family members, friends, and classmates.
• Engage in discussions about respectful communication, conflict resolution, kindness, and personal responsibility.
• Learn strategies for expressing needs, asking for help, and managing emotions in safer and more constructive ways.