In my last post, I shared my simplest way of teaching the interconnected skills of kindness, mindfulness, and thankfulness. When teaching lessons on character skills, it’s often helpful to start with a children’s book.

To support my monthly thankful for kindness writing, I compiled a list of popular children’s books that are perfect mentor texts. These are the best children’s books I’ve found for showing examples of kindness.

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Children’s Books that Teach Lessons on Kindness

• Thanks a Million by Nikki Grimes. Multiple poems about the act of kindness.

• What Does it Mean to be Kind? By Rana DiOrio. A story about choosing to be kind to the new kid.

• Be Kind by Pat Zietlow. After one friend spills juice on her dress, another finds a way to show kindness.

• I Walk with Vanessa by Kerascoet. A wordless book that shows a student’s choice to show kindness after another student is treated badly.

• Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts. One student shows an incredible act of kindness after noticing another student feels left out.

• Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson. A powerful story about the effects of bullying and how a little kindness can go a long way.

• The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig. A boy who feels invisible finds his voice after befriending the new kid.

• The Big Umbrella by Amy June Bates. While describing an umbrella (“It likes to spread its arms wide”), the author details people who are inclusive and kind to everyone.

• We’re All Wonders by R. J. Palacio. The picture book version of the immensely popular chapter book, Wonder.

• Pass it On by Sophy Henn. A simple book about sharing happy experiences with others.

• The Potato Chip Champ by Maria Dismondy. The story of two boys seemingly very different who discover why kindness is so important.

• I am Enough by Grace Byers. This gorgeous book is an important reminder to love yourself in addition to showing kindness to others.

Click the image below to save these ideas for later…