Children’s books that encourage empathy
How full is your bucket? by Tom Rath and Mary Reckmeyer;
illustrated by Maurice J. Manning
What It’s About: This book introduces an idea that everyone has an “invisible bucket.” These
buckets are used to hold your good thoughts and feelings about yourself. When you do
something kind, you help fill someone else’s bucket.
Why It’s Important: This provides kids with a visual representation of the importance of
kindness. It focuses on social interactions and how our actions positively or negatively affect
other people. This book would be especially beneficial as kids begin to develop empathy
towards others.
A Sick Day For Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead and Erin E.
Stead
What It’s About: This story is about a zookeeper who is great friends with all of the animals and
takes the time out of his day to do what they like with them. One day, he is too sick to go to
work and the animals decide to come and visit him.
Why It’s Important: This sweet story shows how kind actions towards others are repaid. The
animals all take care of Amos when he needs a friend, which shows children how important
continual kindness towards others is.
Horton Hears A Who by Dr. Seuss
What It’s About: A classic Dr. Seuss, this book is about an elephant who discovers an entire
community living on a speck of dust. With his big ears, Horton is the only animal in the jungle
who is able to hear the Whos. Despite being made fun of by the other animals, Horton stands
by Whoville because he knows it is the right thing to do.
Why It’s Important: Not only is Horton doing the right thing, he is doing the right thing while
everyone around him is bullying him to give up. This teaches an important lesson about
standing by what you believe in, no matter what you face. With older children, you can also use
this book to discuss the importance of advocating for those who do not have a voice
The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig
What It’s About: This sweet book tells the story of Brian, a quiet boy who never makes a fuss or
much noise at all. He feels invisible compared to the other children who are the center of the
teacher’s attention by being loud, or the children with lots of friends who get picked first for
sports. When a new kid comes to school, he makes Brian feel a lot less invisible.
Why It’s Important: All kids are different. Some are outgoing and some are quiet. This book
celebrates those differences while teaching the importance of welcoming all types of kids to
play and participate.
The Three Questions by Jon J Muth
What It’s About: This book is about a boy named Nikolai who wants to be a good person, but is
not always sure how. He wants to discover the answer to the three questions: When is the best
time to do things? Who is the most important one? What is the right thing to do? His three
animal friends help him answer these questions, but they all have slightly different approaches.
He eventually learns that the right time is now, the important one is the one you are with, and
the right thing to do is good.
Why It’s Important: This book takes a more conceptual approach to helping others, but would
serve as an extremely useful tool for starting a discussion with older children about why
kindness is an important character trait.
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
What It’s About: A familiar book to many, this book tells the heartfelt story of a boy and a tree
who loved each other very much, but the boy ends up taking parts of the tree until the tree is
worn down into a stump. At the end of the book, the boy (now an old man) just needs a place
to sit, so he and the stump sit together.
Why It’s Important: This book shows the continual generosity and kindness of the tree, and
how much the actions of the boy affected the tree. It can be used to teach children that
kindness is important, but you should never give up so much that you suffer. You can also use it
to teach give and take, the importance of a healthy and mutually beneficial relationship
Rain Reign by Ann B. Martin
What It’s About: Rose Howard has Asperger’s syndrome, and an obsession with homonyms
(even her name is a homonym). She gave her dog Rain a name with two homonyms (Reign,
Rein), which, according to Rose’s rules of homonyms, is very special. Rain was a lost dog Rose’s
father brought home. Rose and Rain are practically inseparable. And they are often home
alone, as Rose’s father spends most evenings at a bar, and doesn’t have much patience for his
special-needs daughter. Just as a storm hits town, Rain goes missing. Rose’s father shouldn’t
have let Rain out. Now Rose has to find her dog, even if it means leaving her routines and safe
places to search.
Why It’s Important: As Rose talks about the routines and rules that govern her life, such as her
obsessions with homonyms and prime numbers, readers will learn to empathize better with
their peers who are also on the autism spectrum. Moral dilemmas are also explored when her
beloved dog is lost during a storm and Rose is faced with a decision: Should she do what will
make her happy or make a heartbreaking choice that she knows is also the right thing to do?
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
What It’s About: The novel’s central character, August Pullman, was born with a severe facial
deformity that, despite 27 operations, still produces horrified reactions from almost everyone
he encounters. Previously home-schooled because of his surgeries, his other medical problems,
and his appearance, now Auggie is starting fifth grade at Beecher Prep, a mainstream private
school. Auggie wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid, but his new
classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face. The book is reminiscent of the movie
“Mask” and the play “The Elephant Man,” and is even more moving since it is a story of a child.
WONDER begins from Auggie’s point of view and then expands to speak in the voices of his
older sister and her friends, his classmates, and then comes back to Auggie.
Why It’s Important: It is a wonderful portrait of a community’s struggle with empathy,
compassion, and acceptance. One of Auggie’s teacher’s precepts, “When given the choice
between being right or being kind, choose kind,” is the overarching theme of the book, and
even if you don’t know anyone like Auggie, you will be moved to lead your life with a greater
awareness of the need to be kind.
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
What It’s About: This beloved book by E. B. White is a classic of children's literature. Some Pig.
Humble. Radiant. These are the words in Charlotte's Web, high up in Zuckerman's barn.
Charlotte's spiderweb tells of her feelings for a little pig named Wilbur, who simply wants a
friend. They also express the love of a girl named Fern, who saved Wilbur's life when he was
born the runt of his litter.
Why It’s Important: It is a tender novel of friendship, love, life, and death. Who would have
thought that you can feel so much for a spider and a pig?
Unforgotten by Tohby Riddle
What It’s About: Unforgotten hints at the immensity and mystery of life and beyond. Riddle’s
angels come to earth with gentle healing work to do, but one becomes overwhelmed by the
enormity of need and falls to rest, it too requiring care and nurturing.
Why It’s Important: Unforgotten feels like a classic in the making with its thought-provoking
edgy surrealism, plea for compassion and sense of the absurd, while leaving lots of room for
individual, imaginative interpretation.
How to heal a broken wing by Bob Graham
What It’s About: In a city full of hurried people, only young Will notices the bird lying hurt on
the ground. With the help of his sympathetic mother, he gently wraps the injured bird and
takes it home. In classic Bob Graham style, the beauty is in the details: the careful ministrations
with an eyedropper, the bedroom filled with animal memorabilia, the saving of the single
feather as a good-luck charm for the bird's return to the sky.
Why It’s Important: In a spare urban fable, Bob Graham brings us one small boy, one loving
family, and one miraculous story of hope and healing.