It’s a quality our world needs more of, now and always. These reads will inspire great conversations about the importance of empathy, compassion, friendship, forgiveness and love, and may even inspire your little ones to do some acts of kindness themselves.
How Kind! by Mary Murphy
When one animal on the farm gives another an unexpected gift, it inspires a chain of kindness. Even the youngest kids can grasp the idea of “paying it forward” with this charming barnyard tale.
Part of Verde’s bestselling “I am…” series, this book celebrates all forms of love and has messages of friendship, kindness, gratitude, self-care, and forgiveness.
With bright, bold illustrations, Parr sends the message that regardless of what others do, kids can always choose to be kind. The cheerful text helps kids celebrate kindness and recognize the goodness in others and in themselves.
The importance of having and being a good friend is the central theme of this funny, heart-warming story. Stick and Stone—two BFFs—teach kids that bullying is never okay, and how important it is to stand up for your friends.
When one child spills juice on herself, and her classmate wonders how to help her, it sparks the question of “What does it mean to be kind?” This sweet story explores many different ways, both big and small, for kids to be kind to one another, and the power of those actions.
Every day, Amos McGee spends time with all of his animal friends at the zoo. But when he has to stay home sick, the animals realize it’s time to repay the favor. This beautifully illustrated book teaches the importance of reciprocity in friendship and kindness, and how important it is to care for others.
The concept of simple acts of kindness comes to life in this heartwarming story. With simple rhymes, it discusses community, compassion, and generosity with images of neighbors, friends, and strangers being kind to each other and to animals.
To try and inspire kindness in her students, Mrs. Ruler challenges each of them to do five acts of kindness towards others. At the end of the book is a list of the class’s 100 acts of kindness, which provides a great starting ground for kids to imagine the ways they can be kinder, too.
When Indian-American Karina and her white neighbor Chris encounter racism and prejudice, they fight back and rally their community together against prejudice. Middle-grade readers will be left with a sense that they can do something about the actions they see around them—and that their kindness can make a difference.
This book—which sparked the “choose kind” movement—is about an inspiring kid with facial differences, and larger themes of empathy, compassion, acceptance, and anti-bullying. Read the book with your child, and then watch the movie together.
