Books That Encourage Empathy
There are certain things in life that are harder to learn than others. Certain emotions are harder to define and explain.
What does empathy look like? How do you even begin to explain something like empathy to a toddler?
There are certain lessons that are better learned through experience, which can be tough for parents. Because as parents, our job is to prepare our minis for the world as much as possible so it doesn’t take them by surprise.
Empathy and compassion are certainly some of those concepts. Children psychologists agree that for these abstract type of lessons, stories and anecdotes help toddlers decipher the world around them and prepare them for the day they first encounter it.
If you’re struggling with how best to communicate these concepts to your toddlers, consider story time and one of the books below to help ease into the conversation…
1. Come With Me by Holly M. McGhee: When the news reports are flooded with tales of hatred and fear, a girl asks her papa what she can do to make the world a better place. “Come with me,” he says. Throughout the course of this story, we follow a girl and her father as they walk through the city where she learns what kindness and bravery are all about. The lesson: what we do in life matters regardless of how big or small it may seem at the time.
2. Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts: Little Jeremy just wants a new pair of shoes. Those shoes…the ones everyone at school seems to have on their feet. Unfortunately, Jeremy’s grandmother says they don’t have room for “want” right this second. We follow Jeremy as he works to find ways to get himself these coveted shoes. Along the way, we learn with Jeremy that sometimes the things we already have are worth more than what we think we need.
3. Most People by Michael Leannah: While it’s important for parents to ensure their children know of all the dangers they can run into out in the world, this book seeks to highlight something else they’ll find along the way: kindness.
4. You, Me & Empathy by Jayneen Sanders: This story is about Quinn who, through a series of different actions, exemplifies the meaning of understanding and compassion. Showing empathy is a learned trait and what this story does for children is really seek to nurture these behaviors so that they can learn what the outcomes could be.
5. The Kindness Book by Todd Parr: New York Times best-selling author Todd Parr breaks down this subject into simple and digestible terms for children 2 and up. This story actually provides a definition for kindness and helps illustrate how impactful small acts of kindness can be for people they encounter.