6 Children's Books About Kindness, Compassion, and Welcoming
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Happy Valentine’s Day!
Instead of sharing a traditional Valentine’s Day collection today, I want to share a unique group of picture books that center around themes related to love.
These social emotional learning books addressing social issues like immigration and community teach kids about being compassionate & welcoming.
Several of the featured titles, including The Welcome Chair, A Bear for Bimi, and The Capybaras, are books about acceptance for kids and incorporate immigration narratives.
There is also a good deal of symbolism within these titles that makes them great teaching tools.
Without further ado, let’s learn about the books!
When you turn on the news, it’s easy to be convinced that the world is a really scary and bad place. This title reminds readers that there are sweet people all throughout the world, in every country. This book has really sweet illustrations, but please keep this in mind: It’s important to remind readers that not everyone from each place looks like the illustration that’s depicted. This book can teach kids a valuable lesson (compassion exists everywhere!), but it shouldn’t be the only representation of global diversity in your home. Think “the danger of a single story.”
Publisher: Milky Way Picture Books | Author: Céline Claire | Illustrator: Magali Le Huche
Children’s books about kindness are so needed in our world. This one is about a man named Mr. Martin. Mr. Martin lives in a bustling city but cannot stand the noise. He finds a solution in creating a giant sound-proof bubble around his home. It’s good at first, until it’s not. He becomes quite lonely, and nobody hears him when he asks for help! Someone finally notices him suffering in silence, and the townfolk rally together to save him. This is a quirky, unconventional tale of caring for others, even those who haven’t always cared much for you.
Publisher: Kar-Ben Publishing | Author: Jane Breskin Zalben | Illustrator: Yevgenia Nayberg
There are a lot of great immigration books for kids. This is one of them! In this story, a kid named Bimi, who is a refugee, immigrates to America and settles into a new neighborhood with his family. Not all of his new neighbors are welcoming, but a young Jewish girl, Evie, is. Evie helps Bimi and his family feel welcome, and she shares with Bimi her special teddy bear. This read aloud about community reminds readers of the importance of kindness and friendship.
Publisher: Dragonfruit | Author: Andrés Pi Andreu| Illustrator: Kim Amate
The beehive is buzzing. It’s packed to the brim with bees, and it’s determined that there’s one too many bees in the hive! The bees go into a frenzy trying to identify the bee that does not belong. This unique title is a modern-day fable about immigration and inclusion. The illustrations are stupendous!
Publisher: Greystone Kids | Creator: Alfredo Soderguit
The hens enjoy their comfortable life as it is and don’t want things to change. However, it’s hunting season. A small group of capybaras arrive at their farm in hopes of receiving refuge. The hens allow the capybaras to stay, but they have a list of conditions. Will the hens and capybaras learn to get along? You will love the ending of this one!
Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books | Author: Rosemary Wells | Illustrator: Jerry Pinkney
This children’s book on immigration is beautiful. It is the tale of a wooden rocking chair built in the early 1800s that makes its way from Germany to America. The chair has the word WILLKOMMEN (welcome in German) engraved on its back. This beloved chair is treasured by families from different regions of the world, all of whom have left their homes due to various challenges and tragedies. The chair represents acceptance, kindness, safety, and welcoming.
Which of these social emotional learning books are you interested in reading? Check out more stories of immigration here.
