These World Kindness Day books can be used any time of the year to teach lessons about being kind. This post shares popular World Kindness Day books for kids that elementary teachers often use as read alouds. All of the picture books on this list lend themselves to this topic really well. Take a peek below to learn more about these World Kindness Day books for kids!
5 World Kindness Day Books
Below is a list of some of our favorite World Kindness Day books for kids at the elementary level. Check them out below!
1. Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller
Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller is a story about how one day at snack the main characters classmate, Tanisha, spilled grape juice all over herself. Everyone laughed except the main character. She was about to but remembered her mother always tells her to be kind. She tries to think of something she can do to make Tamika feel better. Should she pour grape juice all over herself? The main character starts to think about what being kind really is.
She lists all different examples of kindness, things that are easy to do. You can call someone by their name, ask someone to play, and pay attention to others. In the end, the main character decides to sit near Tanisha during art and paint a picture for her. She realizes that the small acts of kindness she can do might encourage others to do them too, and they will spread all around the world.
Check out these Be Kind lessons and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!
2. Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed by Emily Pearson
Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed by Emily Pearson is a story about an ordinary girl name Mary walked by a push filled with blueberries. She decided to pick them and leave a bowl full of berries on her neighbor Mrs. Bishop’s porch. This act of kindness inspired Mrs. Bishop to make blueberry muffins and give a basket to five people she thought could have left the berries. Each of those people, felt so good about receiving the muffins that they wanted to do something kind for someone else. This set off a chain reaction of random acts of kindness. Each person that received an act of kindness did something kind for five others in return.
Soon, kindness and love spread throughout the whole world and made its way back to Mary. Her aunt, who had been treated with kindness, surprised Mary with a necklace. Everyone was thankful that one ordinary girl was able to change the world. Check out these Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed lessons and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!
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3. The World Needs More Purple People by Kristen Bell
The World Needs More Purple People by Kristen Bell is narrated by a young girl named Penny. Throughout the book, Penny is teaching readers how to become a purple person. She explains that purple people ask a lot of questions, laugh a lot, use their voice, work hard, and be themselves.
Readers will learn that anyone can be a purple person, no matter what they look like. The book will inspire students to be the person that speaks up to help others and work hard to get things done. Check out these The World Needs More Purple People lessons and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!
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4. The Jelly Donut Difference by Maria Dismondy
The Jelly Donut Difference by Maria Dismondy is about twins named Dexter and Leah that are constantly arguing. They both want to be first and will grab and yank things from each other. When their parents are preparing to have guests over for dinner, they realize they are out of eggs. The twins’ parents send them over to their neighbor, Ms. Marvis’s house, for eggs. While at her house the twins realize how quiet her house is and think she must be lonely. They decide to invite Ms. Marvis over for dinner.
While at dinner, Ms. Marvis tells everyone stories about her family tradition on making jelly donuts. The next day, the twins decide to make donuts and leave a bag at Ms. Marvis’s house. They also create a family of snowmen outside her house. Ms. Marvis is so appreciative of the twins kindness that she writes them a thank you note. The twins are happy that they have a family and learned new traditions from their neighbor. Check out these The Jelly Donut Difference lessons and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!
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5. The Starkeeper by Faith Pray
The Starkeeper by Faith Pray is about a little girl who was surrounded by a lonely darkness. One day, she comes upon a star, and she wanted to keep it for herself. But, she knew the star needed her help to shine. As she kept it, the star grew smaller and wilted. It began leading her to places in need of kindness. From a homeless family to a mourning woman, we see the girl share a part of the star with her kindness. And when this happened, the star became brighter, bigger, and stronger. Eventually, the star joined other stars and chased away the lonely darkness that surrounded the village. Check out these The Starkeeper lessons and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging interactive read aloud lessons!
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Grab the Free Reading Resources!
In closing, we hope you found this list of World Kindness Day books for kids helpful! They are part of our Starts With a Story collection. If you want to get more book ideas to read aloud to your elementary students, then grab this reading freebie. It includes read aloud books lists, reading logs, and reading challenges for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classroom teachers. It will have you covered for the entire school year, as well as the summer months! Grab this free elementary reading packet now!
