We try to teach our kids as many virtues as possible when they are young. Kindness is one of the most important virtues you can instill in your child before they start school. There are many ways to teach your preschooler how to be kind to others. Reading books about this topic is one of the easiest ways to do so.
There are many books written about this topic. In this article, we sample some of the best books you can use to teach your preschooler the act of kindness.
1. Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed by Emily Pearson
It’s funny how a small act of kindness can create a huge ripple effect. When Mary picks some blueberries for Mrs. Bishop, she had no idea her little act would have an extraordinary effect. Mrs. Bishop uses the blueberries to bake muffins and gives them to five people, who in turn give to five more. Before they know it, kindness has spread all over, from one simple ordinary act.
2. Come With Me by Holly M. McGhee
There is a lot of hatred and fear on the TV. Every time the news comes on, something terrible is happening somewhere. This gets a little girl very concerned. She starts to wonder if there is any good in the world. Her father asks her to follow him and shows her how saying a simple greeting on the subway lightens up another person’s day. Her mother takes her to the local grocery where she observes as different people interact peacefully. Convinced there might be some good after all, she decides to take her friends around to show them how simple acts of kindness can make the world a better place.
3. A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead
Amos is a dedicated zoo keeper who loves the animals and shows them extraordinary kindness. When he falls too sick to show to work on day, it’s up to the animals to return the favor by visiting him.
4. Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller
This is a story about a young girl who has a hard time trying to understand what it means to be kind to other people. When she learns about the act of kindness, she is eager to show others how to be kind and how kindness makes everything much better.
5. Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts
A young boy’s only desire is to buy cool shoes so that he can fit in with his peers. His parents cannot afford to buy the shoes for him. He gets a break when he finds the same shoes on sale in a thrift shop. The only problem is that they are too tight for him. In the same class, another boy cannot afford shoes at all. Should he extend kindness by giving his cool shoes away to the other boy?
6. Have You Filled a Bucket Today by Carol McCloud
Kind actions benefit both who give and who receive. By filling someone else’s bucket with kindness, your own (Imaginative) bucket fills up as well and everyone is better for it in the end.
7. The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig
Brian is practically invisible in his class. No one notices him. When a new boy, Justin comes to his class and shows him kindness, Brian has a chance to really show that he is smart after all.
8. Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell
Molly is weird. She has crooked teeth and a weird voice. However, she refuses to be bullied for her looks and stands up to bullies at her new school. Eventually, she wins people over with kindness.
9. Most People by Michael Leannah
Our kids hear scary stuff every day. But in this book, they learn how to survive in a scary world through showing acts of kindness to other people.
10. The Last Stop on the Market Street by Matt De La Pena
This is an award winning book that teaches kids how to be content with what we have an d be kind to other people. CJ keeps wondering why they do not have all the fancy stuff other kids in his school do and his grandma opens his eyes to the fact that those material things do not matter as long as people are kind hearted and loving.
