Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Topic: Kindness

Books About Kindness

Recommended Children’s Books about Kindness

Welcome to our curated list of children’s books all about kindness! In a world that can often feel rushed and impersonal, nurturing kindness in young readers is more important than ever. In fact, children themselves voted “Kindness” as their Word of the Year for 2024, highlighting just how much this value resonates with them.

Why is it so crucial for children to engage with stories about kindness? Books provide a safe space to explore complex emotions and social situations. Through engaging narratives, children can learn about empathy, compassion and the positive impact of their actions.

This booklist offers a diverse range of stories that explore kindness in different ways. Meet Fabulous Frankie, a rather ostentatious flamingo who discovers that true fabulousness isn’t about glitz and glamour, but about the kindness he shows to others. Explore the ripple effect of small acts of kindness with Marine Voigt’s The Smile, which beautifully illustrates how even the smallest gesture can impact entire communities. We also include non-fiction options like Human Kindness, which shares inspiring true stories designed to encourage young readers to embrace kindness in their own lives.

We hope you enjoy browsing this list of children’s books about kindness. Why not join our book-based kindness challenge – Mission Kindness – which you can download here?

A Dog’s Tale: Life Lessons for a Pup

Michael Rosen & Tony Ross

Picturebook

This gorgeous book is an absolute favourite of mine. When a young puppy needs reassurance, a wise dog is there to offer canine tips for living life to the fullest. A lovely rhyming tale, it’s full of joy, but it’s also incredibly moving, dealing with some of life’s biggest moments with a beautifully light touch. With themes of friendship, community and family, this exquisite book reminds me that Rosen and Ross are two of the absolute greats of children’s literature for a very good reason.

The Last Chip

Duncan Beedie

Picturebook

We love this story about Percy, a hungry pigeon who is desperately looking for a scrap of food, but is foiled at every turn. On his last legs, help comes from the most unlikely of heroes. This is a genuinely moving and uplifting story about the kindness of strangers, generosity, and caring for others. With artwork as beautiful as the story, a percentage of sales also go to charity.

Tiny and Teeny

Chris Judge

Picturebook

Tiny lives in Glengadget and occupies her time helping assorted neighbours. But when disaster strikes and her life is turned upside down, all her good deeds pay off, as everyone rallies around to makes things better again. This adorable book has such a great message about the power of community and how good deeds have a habit of coming back to you. The brightly coloured illustrations create a genuinely immersive world that any child will enjoy exploring.

The Hugasaurus

Chris Chatterton & Rachel Bright

Picturebook

This is an utterly charming book about a little Hugasaurus who sets off to play with some new friends for the first time. It goes well… until the other little dinosaurs start to squabble. Can Hugasaurus make everything better using the power of kindness? With fabulous rhyming text, and really sweet, colourful illustrations, this book is perfect for opening up conversations about being kind.

Kind

Alison Green & Various

Picturebook

Kind invites us to imagine a world where everyone is kind, and looks at ways we might be able to make that come true. From simple suggestions like giving someone a smile, to creating a kindness jar and sharing toys, we’re reminded that being kind will help make the world a better place. With pictures by 38 top illustrators, this book is a visual feast for the eyes – plus there’s a donation to charity for every copy sold.

Fabulous Frankie

Garry Parsons & Simon James Green

Picturebook

Fabulous Frankie is a beautifully told and fabulously illustrated story of acceptance and valuing kindness. All Frankie the flamingo wants is to be fabulous! But he’s literally surrounded by so many fabulous flamingos, so how on earth can he stand out from the crowd? He looks to all the latest fashion accessories to achieve his goal of being truly fabulous, but in the end it is Frankie’s friends who will help him learn that the things that really do make him fabulous are on the inside. This flamboyant tale of kindness and learning to be yourself is filled with stylish illustrations and celebrates the joy of learning to value what’s on the inside.