The results of modern scientific research indicate the existence of a significant connection between the development of children's achievements and the environment that supports it in learning. Building a quality material and psychological context that develops and improves the psycho-physical health of the child is a necessary daily challenge for educators in preschool institutions. This paper presents a small part of this aspect. It arose from the intriguing need to check the reflective practice of educators. The first part of the paper discusses the challenges of modern society that strongly influence changes in families and thus reflect on the child as the most vulnerable member of society. The role of educators in the educational process and its impact on the wider community is considered. The second part presents the psychological framework of emotional development and social learning. Reflecting on tools that in practice support child development, the focus is on the connection between children’s literature and emotional development. The most important part of the paper is the presentation of research that uses a picture book as a means of teaching children to recognize and name four emotions: sadness, happiness, fear and anger. The aim of this paper is to make the child aware of the existence and differentiation of feelings in themselves and others. The research was conducted in two kindergarten groups on a small sample, but the results are encouraging and encourage further research. Experiences from librarianship and research in kindergartens in Međimurska županija are also discussed, the aim of which was to strengthen children's social competencies through interactive reading of picture books and stories.