Kindness.  Who doesn’t want their kids to emulate this amazing trait/value?!  The ability of being aware of what is kind and considerate, is more important or admirable than being tough and strong.  Being kind allows us to be slower to react when things don’t go our way or as planned.  It gives our minds space to be a little less judgmental and a little more gentle.  Being kind also makes it so others want to be around us and we can make and keep friends more easily.  Kindness can also be a sign of cheerfulness.  When you meet someone who is kind you can’t help but be drawn to them and their cheerful attitude and gentleness.  I hope this book list will give you are place to talk about Kindness with you kids in different aspects of their lives.  This blog post contains affiliate links.

Be Kind

Written By: Pat Zietlow Miller

Illustrated By: Jen Hill

I am absolutely in love with this book! It is such a good book for teaching what kindness is and ALL the ways we show it to each other. 

When a little girl spills purple juice on herself in the lunchroom, another child starts to wonder what should be done to show her kindness and make her feel better. The child’s mom always says,”Be Kind,” but what does that really mean….? Could it be giving? Or helping? Or paying attention? The list goes on and with each idea, we see the child acting out an example of what that type of kindness looks like. 

Should I Share My Ice Cream

By: Mo Willems

This book focuses on the idea of kindness through sharing.

Elephant rushes to the ice cream cart where Penguin sits yelling’ “Ice cream! Get your cold ice cream for a hot day!” He can’t wait to get his ice cream, but as soon as he has his ice cream in hand he realizes Piggie loves ice cream too.  Should he share it with her? He faces a huge internal battle with himself going between thoughts of she probably doesn’t like this flavor, to she doesn’t have to know I have ice cream, to I need to share it! But by the time he decides to share it his ice cream melts off the cone and onto the ground.  Elephant is devastated!  What will he do now?

Rude Cakes

By: Rowboat Watkins

This book helps children realize they need to be kind to with their words and their actions. Helping kids see with a little humor how kindness is the way to getting good things, not rudeness.

For SO MANY reasons I LOVE this book!  This cake is one rude dessert! This cake doesn’t say “please” or “thank you” and never listens to its parents. The cake even takes things that don’t belong to it!  One night a Giant Cyclopes reaches into this little cake’s bedroom and pulls him right out of the window. This nasty little cake is about to be served his just desserts. You will love the ending to this tale of a sassy little cake and a giant Cyclopes. You must rush out and pick up this tale if anyone in your life could use a little reminder on using their “please” and “thank you’s.”

 

I Walk With Vanessa

By: Kerascoet

This wordless picture book is set to release in April. I am not the world’s biggest fan of wordless picture books. I feel so lost when I open one up to read with my kids. 

However, this wordless book completely swept me off my feet! I actually liked that there were no words and plenty of room for interpretation and conversation. I loved pointing out things in the illustrations and talking about bullies and what the kids can do if they see someone being bullied or if they are being bullied. You will find a huge dose of KINDNESS in this book!

This story follows two girls home from school. We see one girl get bullied and the other girl feel torn on what to do. The girls both head home and feel sad, but one girl hatches a plan and the next day is sure to be better.

 

 

Do Unto Otters

By: Laurie Keller

We have really been focusing on manners/kindness around here the last few days, so we have gone back to this book (again) to remind these kids about how they should behave. 

This is one of those books that teaches some great things, but also has some humorous elements that intrigue my kids, so they don’t feel like they are getting a lecture.😉 Rabbit has new neighbors moving in….Otters! Rabbit doesn’t know anything about Otters, but he sure hopes they treat him kindly and aren’t rude or mean. The narrator of the book goes through a list of behaviors with Rabbit and asks him how he thinks Otters should behave. The message is clear, but makes my kids laugh, because the illustrations hide so many funny details.

 

How Kind!

By: Mary Murphy

Teaching kids the ripple effect their actions can have is such a great lesson. We often talk about how much a smile or held door can mean to someone. We try to remind our kids that it is often not what you say, but how you say it. The tone you use can just change the whole message. And the words we use can cause someone sadness or happiness and have a ripple effect for how they might treat others. This book focuses on kind acts that have a ripple effect of kindness. 

Hen gives Pig and Egg and can’t believe how kind Hen is. It makes Pig want to do something kind, so he gives rabbit a carrot. Rabbit then wants to do something kind too! One kind deed leads to another and then another and another in this sweet story of kindness. 

 

Strictly No Elephants

Written By: Lisa Mantchev

Illustrated By: Taeeun Yoo

We have all had a time (or more) in our life where we didn’t completely fit. Where we found ourselves trying so hard to be a part  of something that we just weren’t a part of. I can still feel how low and heavy a heart can become inside your chest when you realize you just won’t be accepted by someone or some group. It hurts and you can never completely take that away from someone, but these experiences also shape us and make us the people we are today. 

Strictly No Elephants deals with this experience head on. It’s pet club day! And an eager little boy and his small elephant head to Apt. 17, but when they arrive the sign on the door reads “Strictly NO Elephants.” Dejected and sad the boy and his elephant begin a slow sad walk home. Eventually, the boy spots another girl and her pet skunk on a bench and learn they weren’t accepted at pet club either. These new friends decide to do something to make life better for everyone with unusual (and usual) pets. 

This book will have you so happy by the positive outlook a young child can find after those feelings of rejection. It is such a great book for talking to kids about what they can do when they feel left out or alone. It’s also great for showing kids they can make a difference right now and be kind to those around them.

 

We’re All Wonders

By: R.J. Palacio

When I saw this middle grade book had been turned into a picture book I was apprehensive. I mean the original book is loooong and it is packed with so much  goodness! But once I got my hands on this book and read through it, I was floored by how good it was.  Great for teaching kids to look past our differences and be kind.

Auggie knows he isn’t an ordinary kid. Sure he likes to do all the ordinary stuff that kids his age like to do, but he does NOT look ordinary. He sees how people stare at his face and talk about how unordinary he looks. It hurts him to his core to hear these things, but Auggie and his trusty dog Daisy soar off into their imaginations when he feels hurt. Auggie knows he can’t change the way he looks, but he sure wishes people could change the way they see him.

 

 

Chrysanthemum

By: Kevin Henkes

Kids can sure be cruel to each other when they want to be.  They know the things that can cut to the core.  They also can be scared of things that seem different or uncomfortable.  This story will help kids realize that it is important to love who we are, but to also be kind to those that might seem different or “weird” to us, because at the heart of it they are just like us.

It is the first day of school and Chrysanthemum is sure that it’s going to be absolutely perfect.  Just like her name.  Chrysanthemum.  However, when he classmates hear her unusual name they snicker and make comments about how if it was their name they would have changed it! Such an embarrassing name. After school, Chrysanthemum runs home and tells her parents about how horrible her name is. “My name is too long. It scarcely fits on my name tag. And I’m names after a flower!” she exclaims. Her parents know just what to say to cheer her, up when she is home, but the girls at school still think her name is silly and are relentless at teasing her.  Thankfully, the music teacher knew just what to do when she saw Chrysanthemum wilt under the weight of the girls means taunting.

The Invisible Boy 

Written By: Trudy Ludwig

Illustrated By: Patrice Barton

There are kids in every school across the world that go under the radar just like Brian. The quiet kid who does all of his/her work and doesn’t cause much of a fuss for their teacher, isn’t falling behind, but just maybe isn’t excelling either.  The child that never seems to be noticed for good or for bad that wishes so badly someone would see them.

In this book Brian is exactly that child.  He longs to have to teacher notice him standing still in a line, but she is too busy dealing with the kids that cause a fuss.  He wishes someone would ask him to play or notice that he wasn’t invited to the party they are all talking about.  Brian is lonely.  Until a new boy moves in and all of that changes.  Brian is the first to make Justin feel welcome.  But when other kids start to take an interest in Justin, will Brian be left out and lonely again or will Justin help him find a place within the class? Such a sweet story that will help kids look beyond themselves and help others by being kind and inclusive.

Louise Loves Art

By: Kelly Light

This is a great book for helping kids learn to be kind even when their plans go awry. This book is great for teaching kindness to siblings, especially younger siblings.

Louise LOVES art! It’s where her imagination can run free and she can share with people the creative ideas she has tucked away in her mind.  She is determined to create a masterpiece!  So, she draws and draws and draws. Eventually, Louise creates the best cat drawing ever.  It is her masterpiece! Art is the name of Louise’s younger brother and he wants to be just like Louise.  He wants to create a masterpiece too. As Louise looks for the perfect place to hang he cat drawing, her little brother finds it and turns it into a new work of art.  Oh, no! What will Louise do now?

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