Books that Encourage Kindness for Kids and Activities to Do Too!

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It can be a hard job in our society today to effectively teach our children to be kind. There’s so much ugly out there and while we can try to shield them from it all, we can’t protect them from it completely. To combat the unpleasantness, I feel like it is incredibly important to build up strong walls of empathy and compassion within our children. We need to impress upon them that it is so essential to maintaining a society in which we can live so freely is by remembering that everything is not about our own wants, needs, and desires, and that often, we should make sure that we are lifting up others. Of course, aside from modeling this behavior, we use books to share about how we should treat others. I wanted to also share with you lovely bookworms the books that encourage kindness that we use in our home.

Following the book list, there are also some wonderful random acts of kindness that you can do with your children to help them spread the love.

Books that Encourage Kindness

1. Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelt

Most of us have experienced being envious of something someone else owns. When we are children, this envy can make us feel quite bad because if we are the “only” ones without it, how can we fit in? In this story, Jeremy, a young boy covets a pair of shoes that are popular amongst the other boys in his school so badly that he choose to wear a thrifted pair that is too small rather than be left out. He learns some valuable lessons along the way, including how to be generous to those around us.

2. The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig

Brian is the kind of boy who just seems to not get noticed very often. He’s often excluded from birthday parties, games, and other activities. Then one day a new boy arrives and Brian reaches out to him to make him feel welcome. Maybe, finally, Brian will get seen.

3. Cuddle Bear by Claire Freedman

When Cuddle Bear notices that his friends all seem a bit unhappy or lonely, he sets out on a mission to help them feel better by giving the best thing he has–hugs. This is a simple, but lovely story about how we can all reach out to our loved ones and brighten their day with something that we can all do.

4. Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed by Emily Pearson

A fabulous tale that shows how just one ordinary girl (or boy!) can have an impact MUCH larger than they could ever imagine simply by something they do on an ordinary day. Empowering children to realize that we all have the power to change the world!

5. Cheer Up by Michael Gordon

When a little boy named Ben wakes up in a grumpy mood and he can’t seem to find the thing that will make him feel better. Finally, after helping a hen with a deed, he realizes that helping others just might be the ticket to improving his sour disposition!

6. Plant a Kiss by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

I have always loved Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s books. This one is no exception. It has a magical feeling to it as it shares whimsically how just one simple act can have a global impact.

7. Can I Join Your Club? by John Kelly

When duck wants to join Lion’s club, he is turned away because he cannot properly roar. Then he moves on to apply to be a member of Snake’s club, but he has legs and wings and is denied! What will a duck who wants some friends do?? Why, form an all-inclusive club of his very own!

8. The Jelly Donut Difference by Maria Dismondy

Brothers and sisters often don’t see eye to eye ( I have five children, I know ALL about that!) and Leah and Dex are twins that are no exception. Soon they discover that their neighbor, Ms. Marvis leads a life quite lonelier than their own. Through her, they learn that showcase of how learning to pay it forward and put relationships first is paramount to living a full life, not always being the best or first.

9. Harry the Happy Mouse by Ng K

Harry is a happy mouse who enjoys helping others. One day, he assists a Frog, and requests that the frog continue sharing the kindness by helping someone else. The story follows these acts of kindness and the reader becomes privy to how one simple moment can cause a wondrous chain reaction.

10. What Does it Mean to Be Kind? by Rana DiOrio

If you are just looking for a way to illustrate to your children what it really means to be kind, then this books is a fantastic tool. Descriptive imagery accompanies the text to bring this value to life for children.

Now that you’ve read all these books that encourage kindness, what next? It’s time to go out and spread the love! Need some tips on what you can do? Check out these FABULOUS ideas: