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Kindness is a loaded word. It can be used in many ways, and I know all of our goals, as educators, is to use it in its purest sense. However, kindness for kids can often be used in a dismissive way. It can be used to silence children when they don’t have the emotional vocabulary to verbalize their feelings effectively, it can be used to brush over conversations about tough topics like race and disability, and it can be put in place of helping students problem solve conflict. Like I said, kindness is a loaded word!
Let’s define kindness for kids in a way that is meaningful and holistic. We want kindness to mean being inclusive, supportive, intentional, and mindful. Kind kids are welcoming, honoring to the differences we bring to our communities, and inquisitive about the lives of others.
Here are 4 books that don’t gloss over the hard stuff and help us define kindness for kids in a child-friendly, tangible way.
1.) All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold
I love this book because it really defines inclusion. It shares the good parts of welcoming all different types of people into our communities. The rhymes and poetry-like nature of the book also make it super engaging for young learners!
2.) Most People by Michael Leannah
This book is SO unique. It is perfect to read after hard news stories that often take over our TVs and radio stations. It shares that most people are good, most people are kind, and most people want to do what’s right. The book shares that some people are not those things, but even when we see and hear about those who do the wrong and the frightening things, there are many more people out there who are truly kind.
3.) Finding Kindness by Deborah Underwood
This beautifully illustrated picture book shares the many forms of kindness. I love how each page explores how small actions like sharing, smiling, reminding, volunteering (etc) all work together to make our communities kinder. This would be a great book to spark discussion in truly any grade level.
4.) Kindness is a Kite String by Michelle Schaub
I feel this book would be the perfect pair with Finding Kindness. It touches on the many forms of kindness, plus how those actions make others feel and change the trajectory of our communities. Much of this book is in the illustrations, so it’s a really fun one for making inferences!
What books would you add?
Looking for more resources on true kindness with your students? Check out this free kindness countdown that takes you through the alphabet of kind actions with daily challenges!
What books would you add?
