I believe that teaching kids to be kind is more important than ever. With new stories of bullying on the news every day, it is becoming clear that we are suffering from a lack of kindness in our world. I firmly believe that teaching kids to think of others and treat them with kindness will make the biggest impact on the world. So today I have gathered a list of children’s books about kindness to help you start conversations with your kids about how they can spread kindness in their daily lives.

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The Backpack

Written by Lindsay C. Barry and illustrated by Klaudia Bezak

This sweet story from the author of The Journey to Constellation Station, follows a young girl as she prepares for the new school year. She wants to find the perfect backpack, but her father reminds her that it’s what’s inside that counts. When the school year starts, there is a new kid on the bus. The main character is intrigued, but shies away from reaching out. Later, when given the opportunity, she remembers her father’s words and decides to reach out and be kind to the new kid. The rhyming text will resonate with young kids who recognize the desire to have the perfect accessories for the year, and the message of kindness and reaching out to others will hopefully stick with them as well.

A Friend for Henry

Written by Jenn Bailey and illustrated by Mika Song

This beautiful story is told from the perspective of Henry, a young boy on the autism spectrum. Henry wants to make a friend. He searches his classroom, but has trouble finding a friend who isn’t too loud, or too close. Finally, Henry meets Katie, and together they are able to play and have fun. The text uses lots of Henry’s inner thoughts to show how he is feeling throughout the day. The way that he compares some of his classmates to weather is really interesting and insightful. This is a great book for introducing kids to autism spectrum disorders, and showing how they can be understanding to other’s needs.

Related Post: Teaching Kids about Autism Spectrum Disorder with Stewie Boom

Kindness Rules!

Written by Eunice Moyle and illustrated by Sabrina Moyle

This vibrantly colored board book introduces the reader to the importance of manners through a fun text and hilarious illustrations. Magic Manners is an elephant who knows how to use his manners. Each two page spread addresses a situation that kids often experience, and shows how Magic Manners uses his best manners to handle the situation. From meeting someone new to hurting a friend, Magic uses his manners to save the day. The illustrations feature adorable animal characters, with fun notations and speech bubbles spread throughout. Thanks to this fun book, my daughter now puts on her “positive pants” every day!

Related Post: Spread Smiles with These Children’s Books on Kindness

Ruby’s Sword

Written by Jacqueline Veissid and illustrated by Paola Zakimi

Ruby is a young girl who wants to play with her big brothers. When she finds some stick swords, she rushes to share them. But her brothers start playing on their own again and leave her out. Ruby goes off on her own and creates magical worlds and adventures with her sword and her imagination. Soon, her brothers are curious and want to join her. This tale of friendship and forgiveness is a great reminder to kids to include others and be forgiving when you feel left out. It is also a great tale of imagination, encouraging kids to create their own adventures from the smallest items.

How To Two

Written and illustrated by David Soman

This fun spin on a counting book also encourages kids to be inclusive and make new friends. The book starts with one young boy playing all on his own. He is soon joined by a little girl, and then more children join their playtime. The text is simple, only using numbers and the phrase “How to” over and over again. The illustrations are bright and colorful, showing a diverse group of kids partaking in all kinds of games and activities together. They continue inviting new friends to join them, until they reach a group of ten, and then need to go home for the night. Reading this book will definitely make you nostalgic for entire days spent at the park.

Playdates Rule!

Written and illustrated by Rob McClurkan

A little boy named Ezra is so excited for his playdate with his friend Finley. But when Finley arrives, his parents are shocked to see that Finley is an elephant! Ezra and Finley have all kinds of fun together, but Ezra’s parents are quick to jump in with new playdate rules. Despite the many rules they are given, Ezra and Finley find ways to adapt and have fun! The story is simple, highlighting all of the fun of childhood playdates. The illustrations are full of funny scenarios that kids will love laughing at.

Related Post: Teaching Kids to Get Along

We Are Not Friends

Written by Anna Kang and illustrated by Christopher Weyant

While two friends are having fun playing together, a third friend asks to join them. At first, they all have a little trouble finding a way to play all together. In the end, they manage to find a way to make everyone happy. The text is simple, using very few words on each page. The illustrations feature the sweet and beloved characters from You are (Not) Small, and portray the difficult emotions that kids can feel when faced with a friendship triangle.

Big Bad Bunny

Written by Melanie Joyce and illustrated by Maurizia Rubino

In Cherry Blossom Forest, all of the animals live quietly together. But when Big Bunny moves in, he causes all kinds of trouble with his bad manners. Instead of treating him poorly, the animals all decide to do something nice for him, showing him what friendship is really about. This sweet story teaches kids an important lesson about using your manners and treating others with kindness, even if they don’t do the same. The illustrations are full of bright colors and sweet animal characters, making you wish you could spend the day playing in Cherry Blossom Forest too.

Circle

Written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen

In this final installment to the Shapes series, Circle, Square and Triangle are playing hide and seek together. However, Triangle decides to break the one big rule and goes behind the waterfall. When Circle goes in after him, they find themselves greeted by an unknown shape, and they run away. Once outside, they start to think about the mysterious shape and realize they shouldn’t have judged it so carelessly. The illustrations use a simple color palette, using entirely black pages to put the reader into the cave with the shapes. Much like the other books in the series, the text ends with a question for the reader, leading to more discussion after the story ends.

What are your favorite children’s books on kindness and playing together? Share in the comments below!