Abstract
Social-emotional competencies involve skills that enable children to explore the world, understand themselves
and build relationships with others. The role of the picture book can be an important source, crossculturally,
to evoke children to perceive, facilitate, understand and manage their emotions. The present study
aimed at giving voice to early childhood from a social-emotional learning perspective, using an exemplarily
selected picture book When Fear Knocks on the Door (An, 2018). Participants were pupils aged between 3 to
10 years and teachers from China and Italy, from primary schools and preschools. It lasted from 2021 to 2023
and used the action research methodology. This contribution3 starts with a pedagogical frame, focusing on
the need for an integrated educational project shaping spaces and actions for deep and lasting development
of children’s social and emotional skills and well-being.