Best Children’s Books About Peace

Jill Murphy’s Peace at Last is an absolute classic story book for children in the Early Years, and has been adored by young readers for decades.

Mr Bear is trying his best to get to sleep, but a host of annoying noises keep disturbing him. From ticking clocks to snoring and dripping taps, the noises of the house disturb him enough to send him on a quest for a more peaceful place to get some slumber.

Children love joining in with the repeated refrain and making the different noises of the house.

A beautiful collection of poems about mindfulness from a diverse range of poets, suitable for all age groups. There are a few poems included that were familiar to me, but most were new to me and I enjoyed discovering them. I loved the illustrations bringing the poems to life and I thought these could also inspire follow-up work in the classroom.

This would be a great book to use for a whole-school focus on poetry as each year group could use a different poem. The poems could be used during PSHE lessons, during mental health week, or as inspiration for children’s own poems in KS2.

The biographies of all the poets and illustrators at the back of the book were a lovely touch and would encourage children to learn more about them.

Jill Murphy’s Large family has captured the gentle chaos of family life for over 40 years, celebrated in this anniversary edition with a beautiful gold cover.

Mrs Large just wants a moment of quiet, but her energetic children follow her everywhere, from the messy breakfast table right into the bubbly bathtub.

This series has earned its place as a must-have for Early Years story times. Gentle, funny, and timelessly relatable for both adults and children!

This beautiful and factual picture book about Wangari Maathai is inspiring and full of hope. The devastating impact of deforestation is made starkly clear but it is counterbalanced by the actions taken by first Wangari Maathai and then more and more women until millions of trees had been planted and healing began. Children I have shared this story with have asked probing questions and wanted to find out more: How long did it take the trees to grow? How long before the earth recovered? Maathai was the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for her work and classes may enjoy this two-minute video clip where she tells, herself, the story of the tiny hummingbird who does her best to make a difference. This book could also be useful for Black History Month and International Women’s Day.

This picture book version of a well-loved autobiography tells the story of Malala’s journey from a young girl in Pakistan to a global activist. Growing up, Malala wished for a magic pencil to fix the problems she saw around her, but she soon discovers that her voice and a real pen are much more powerful tools for change.

The book handles big themes like equality and girls’ educational rights with a gentle and hopeful touch. The beautiful illustrations, with shimmering gold highlights, capture the hope and optimism of Malala’s message.

This is a must-have for the classroom simply to inspire, and also useful as a springboard for discussions in PSHE about equal rights and how one child really can change the world.

This picture book tells the remarkable story of a group of soldiers in the trenches who play a football match with others from the opposing trenches, during a rare pause in the fighting at Christmas time. Illustrated with water colour pictures, this is a highly recommended picture book that is popular in KS2 classrooms. You may also like War Boy by the same author.

A gentle and lyrical picturebook exploring what it means to undertake a long journey to find a peaceful place to settle. The story creates a clever mirroring between the tale of a tiny swift’s mighty migration journey to find a safe nesting site with the story of Leila, a young girl who flees her home in Northern Africa and who also must travel thousands of miles in order to find a safe place of refuge.