I was on a mission last year to find some excellent books about KINDNESS for kids.  I found NINE books to recommend to you.  There were others I came across, but these were my favorites.  If you have any good recommendations for books about kindness, please share in the comments!  Thank you!  (Amazon Affiliate links have been used in this post at no extra cost to you.)

I think kids need to be taught kindness.  They need to be made aware of their own actions and how to be a good citizen of our world.  If everyone were a little more kind and friendly this world would be a much better place.

1.  The first book is called Peace is an Offering by Annette Le Box.

This book came to us from the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program.  You can register through this program (in certain areas) to get a free book once per month for your child from birth to age 5.

The book has cute pictures and simple text for what “peace” means how to spread peace (AKA kindness).  It has a line in English and the same line in Spanish.

2.  Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud

“Bucket fillers” are ways to express kindness to others and “fill their invisible bucket of happiness.”  Bucket dipping is being negative towards someone, which empties their bucket a little.  This book encourages positive behavior by showing kids easy it is to be a bucket filler.

3.  The Kindness Quilt by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace.  In this book, the teacher asks the students to work on a Kindness Project.  They each need to do an act of kindness and then draw and share their act of kindness.  The students draw, cut and paste to make a classroom kindness quilt.  This is a perfect art project for your class!

4.  Be Kind, by Pat Zietlow Miller  The story starts with a classmate spilling juice and becoming embarrassed and upset.  The child who notices this wonders how she could be kind.  There are many ways to be kind.  The child realizes that her kindness can start small but spill out and spread around the town, country and world.

5.  The Jelly Donut Difference, by Maria Dismondy.  Dexter and Leah are sister and brother who have trouble getting along.  They decided to invite their neighbor Ms. Marvis over for dinner.  Ms. Marvis told them all about the jelly donuts she used to make with her children in Poland.  The brother and sister decide to make the jelly donuts for Ms. Marvis.  The two kids are proud to get along, work together and make someone else’s day brighter… with jelly donuts!  The story is sweet and illustrations are what sold me on the book, they are so charming.

6.  Good People Everywhere, by Lynea Gillen.  This uplifting story helps children think about the people in their community.  There are many people in their city who are doing good things right now.  This can inspire them to become one of those “good people”.

7.  What Does it Mean to be Kind? by Rana DiOrio

This is a simple, straightforward, but thorough introduction to the concept of kindness.  It will inspire kids to see how they can make a difference.  I like that the book gives some really good examples (not just surface level stuff).  For example, (being kind) is … seeing the best in people even when they are struggling to be their best… forgiving someone who has hurt you..  (I know some adults who could use this advice 🙂

8.  We’re All Wonders, by R. J. Palacio 

This is an imaginative book based on the movie Wonder.  This book puts kids in the shoes of Auggie and allows them to feel empathy for his feelings.  He feels different from other kids and is sad when he is made fun of.  He wishes people could see the good in other people and celebrate their differences.  Because we are all wonders and we should choose to see each other with kindness.

9.  And last, but not least.. Kindness is Cooler, Mrs. Ruler by Margery Cuyler.  A kindergarten class aims to do 100 deeds of kindness.  They try to fill their kindness bulletin board.  Can they do it?

Do you have any favorite books about kindness to add to this list?  Share them in the comments!

If you liked this list of books, I have a few supplementary packages in my shop that may be of interest to you.

FREE Kindness Themed Coloring Pages

Outerspace Kindness Coloring Pages

Outerspace Wonder Art Project 

Kindness Coloring Pages