Picture Books About Compassion

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Compassion and kindness toward others are hugely important traits that should be built upon and fostered early on in children. Our words and actions have effects on ourselves and others’ emotions, and young students are learning this each day and experiencing it first hand. Children learn through our modeling and their interactions, but it is also helpful to have some great picture books handy that they can relate to and learn from! Today, Kindergarten Planet and I are excited to share some of our favorite picture books about compassion!

*Pair with our Feelings and Emotions Writing Center Activities!

Check out our favorite list of picture books about compassion that children can relate to and learn from! They make great read alouds!

Picture Books About Compassion

Bear Feels Sick by Karma Wilson

In Bear Feels Sick, Bear's friends show compassion for him as they all work together to nurse him back to health.

The Bear Books are always a classroom favorite! In this story, Bear feels very ill. He is even too sick to play with his friends! Bear’s friends show compassion for him as they all work together to nurse him back to health.

How to Heal a Broken Wing by Bob Graham

How to Heal a Broken Wing is a great story showing care and compassion for not just other people, but animals too.

In a city full of rushed, hurried people, a little boy named Will notices a hurt bird on the ground. With his mother’s help, he takes the injured bird home and begins to carefully nurse it back to health. This is a great story showing care and compassion for not just other people, but animals too.

Under the Lemon Moon by Edith Hope Fine

Under the Lemon Moon highlights generosity and forgiveness.

Rosalinda is awakened one night by a noise in the garden. She discovers a man taking lemons from her family’s lemon tree and stuffing them into a bag. Rosalinda sets out to save her lemon tree, and is directed to La Anciana or, The Old One. La Anciana helps Rosalinda develop a plan for saving her lemon tree, while also helping the man who is stealing the lemons. This book highlights generosity and forgiveness.

Kindness is Cooler, Mrs. Ruler! by Margery Cuyler

Kindness is Cooler is a perfect Kindergarten read aloud, but would work for other young readers as well!

I just love the catchy, rhyming title of this fun story! This is a perfect Kindergarten read aloud, but would work for other young readers as well! Mrs. Ruler asks some of her kindergarten students to miss recess, and she is going to teach them a new rule – “Kindness is Cool!” Soon her whole class is doing so many good deeds that their kindness bulletin board is overflowing! Can they reach 100 acts of kindness?

A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead

A Sick Day for Amos McGee shows friends taking time to care for each other.

Amos always spends a little bit of time each day with his friends at the zoo. But one day, he is too sick to make it there for his visit. His animal friends decide that it is time they return the favor to Amos!

Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud

Have You Filled a Bucket Today? shows children how rewarding it can be to display kindness.

This popular read aloud has inspired classroom environments everywhere. This book encourages positive behavior as it shows children how rewarding it can be to display kindness, love, appreciation, and compassion. Bucket filling and dipping are the metaphors used in the story to help children understand the effects of our actions and words on others.

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Alex
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6 Comments

  1. Under the Lemon Moon is on my wish list. Do you have a time of year or theme you pair this title with? The illustrations are gorgeous! Thank you for all the great suggestions.

    1. Hi Tracy! I think that story could work really anytime of year, or when you have themes about kindness or helpfulness as well. I like to read most of these stories in the fall as we are building our classroom community! 🙂

  2. You chose some really amazing books!!! I LOVE Amos McGee and ALL the Bear books, and the bucket filler book is one our guidance counselor reads every year! The other books you showcased are new to me, and they look really great! I can’t wait to add them to my Wish List!!
    Thank you so much for hosting such an incredibly fun linky, and for sharing such great books! I was excited to learn about new books today!!

    Erin
    Kindergarten Dragons

    1. Thank you so much for taking part! I am always glad to find new book recommendations as well! I definitely am constantly adding to my collection! 🙂

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