Children's books about kindness
Books in the library where kindness is a central thread — a broad shelf of 60 titles. Picture-book gateways for the youngest readers, chapter-book exploration for older children, ranked here by how widely each is known and loved.
Picture book
The Rabbit Listened
by Cori Doerrfeld · age 3–7
Picture book
Picture book
The Smartest Giant in Town
by Julia Donaldson · age 3–6
Picture book
Picture book
Big Bright Feelings: Bea's Bad Day
by Tom Percival · age 3–7
Picture book
Picture book
Dino Feelings: The Hugasaurus
by Rachel Bright · age 3–6
Picture book
Board book
Kindness Makes Us Strong
by Sophie Beer · age 1–4
Board book
Picture book
The Mouse Who Carried a House on His Back
by Jonathan Stutzman · age 3–6
Picture book
Picture book
The Seeds We Sow
by Alexandra Riza · age 4–8
Picture book
Picture book
Room on the Broom
by Julia Donaldson · age 3–6
Picture book
Picture book
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
by Charlie Mackesy · age 6–12
Picture book
Picture book
Mini Rabbit Must Help
by John Bond · age 3–6
Picture book
Graphic novel
Owly: Just a Little Blue
by Andy Runton · age 5–8
Graphic novel
Graphic novel
Owly: The Way Home
by Andy Runton · age 5–8
Graphic novel
Graphic novel
Owly: Tiny Tales
by Andy Runton · age 5–8
Graphic novel
Picture book
People Need People
by Benjamin Zephaniah · age 3–7
Picture book
Chapter book
The Ogress and the Orphans
by Kelly Barnhill · age 9–13
Chapter book
Illustrated
Gordon the Meanest Goose on Earth
by Alex Latimer · age 5–8
Illustrated
Picture book
Norris, the Bear Who Shared
by Catherine Rayner · age 3–6
Picture book
Picture book
Just One Little Light
by Kat Yeh · age 4–8
Picture book
Picture book
The Gecko and the Echo
by Rachel Bright · age 3–7
Picture book
Picture book
Extra Yarn
by Mac Barnett · age 3–7
Picture book
Graphic novel
Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties
by Dav Pilkey · age 6–10
Graphic novel
Picture book
Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth
by Oliver Jeffers · age 3–7
Picture book
Picture book
Lost and Found
by Oliver Jeffers · age 3–7
Picture book
Picture book
Zog and the Flying Doctors
by Julia Donaldson · age 3–6
Picture book
Early reader
Days with Frog and Toad
by Arnold Lobel · age 4–8
Early reader
Picture book
Eric
by Shaun Tan · age 6–11
Picture book
Early reader
Frog and Toad All Year
by Arnold Lobel · age 4–8
Early reader
Early reader
Frog and Toad Together
by Arnold Lobel · age 4–8
Early reader
Early reader
Frog and Toad are Friends
by Arnold Lobel · age 4–8
Early reader
Graphic novel
Hilo: The Great Space Iguana
by Judd Winick · age 7–11
Graphic novel
Picture book
I'm Very Busy: A (Nearly Forgotten) Birthday Book
by Oliver Jeffers · age 3–7
Picture book
Picture book
Last Stop on Market Street
by Matt de la Pena · age 4–8
Picture book
Picture book
Little Witch Hazel
by Phoebe Wahl · age 4–8
Picture book
Picture book
Shh! We Have a Plan
by Chris Haughton · age 2–6
Picture book
Picture book
The Bowerbird
by Julia Donaldson · age 3–6
Picture book
Picture book
The Café at the Edge of the Woods
by Mikey Please · age 3–7
Picture book
Picture book
The Camel Who Had the Hump
by Rachel Bright · age 3–7
Picture book
Picture book
The Cool Bean
by Jory John · age 4–8
Picture book
Picture book
The Invisible
by Tom Percival · age 4–8
Picture book
Picture book
The Night Gardener
by Terry Fan · age 4–8
Picture book
Picture book
The Pout-Pout Fish and the Bully-Bully Shark
by Deborah Diesen · age 3–6
Picture book
Illustrated
Bear and Bird: The Stick and Other Stories
by Jarvis · age 5–7
Illustrated
Picture book
Cloud Tea Monkeys
by Mal Peet · age 5–9
Picture book
Illustrated
Gordon Saves the Day
by Alex Latimer · age 5–8
Illustrated
Picture book
The Turtle Who Turned the Tide
by Rachel Bright · age 3–7
Picture book
Picture book
Grandad's Secret Giant
by David Litchfield · age 4–7
Picture book
Picture book
Hank Goes Honk
by Maudie Powell-Tuck · age 3–6
Picture book
Picture book
Luna and the Treasure of Tlaloc
by Joe Todd-Stanton · age 6–10
Picture book
Picture book
The Dinosaur Next Door
by David Litchfield · age 3–6
Picture book
Chapter book
The BFG
by Roald Dahl · age 7–11
Chapter book
Illustrated
Happy Narwhalidays
by Ben Clanton · age 5–8
Illustrated
Illustrated
Narwhal's School of Awesomeness
by Ben Clanton · age 5–8
Illustrated
Illustrated
Rabbit and Bear: Rabbit's Bad Habits
by Julian Gough · age 5–8
Illustrated
Picture book
The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish
by Deborah Diesen · age 3–6
Picture book
Illustrated
Bear and Bird: The Picnic and Other Stories
by Jarvis · age 5–7
Illustrated
Picture book
Superworm
by Julia Donaldson · age 3–6
Picture book
Picture book
Always Remember: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, the Horse and the Storm
by Charlie Mackesy · age 6–12
Picture book
Picture book
The Detective Dog
by Julia Donaldson · age 3–7
Picture book
Picture book
The Pout-Pout Fish
by Deborah Diesen · age 2–6
Picture book
Picture book
The Storm Whale
by Benji Davies · age 3–6
Picture book