5 Picture Books with a Focus on Compassion and Hope

Come With Me, by Holly M. McGhee and Pascal Lemaitre
This is one of those simple stories that packs a powerful punch. Sensitive, like many children, to the world around her, young Holly wonders what she can do to make the world a better place. Her parents each take her in hand, showing her how to perform simple kindnesses for the people she sees every day. Taking her cue from her parents, Holly then extends the gesture to the boy across the hall, telling him, “Come with me.” Together, the two discover that small gestures (and small people) can have a great impact.

I Can Make a Difference: A Treasury to Inspire Our Children, compiled by Marian Wright Edelman and Barry Moser
Pulling from songs, stories, and folktales around the world, this treasury speaks to basic truths. Be kind to others. Work in community with others. Love yourself. These are messages children need to hear repeatedly, until they not only believe it, but feel it at their core. And what better role models than Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Teresa, and George Washington Carver? These are just a few of the leaders for compassion featured in this book. Here, parents and children will find opportunities for conversation, stories of hope, and tales of overcoming adversity, all directed at the leaders of tomorrow.

Ordinary Mary’s Extrordinary Deed, by Emily Pearson and Fumi Kosaka
Mary is just an ordinary girl, having an ordinary day, doing normal, ordinary things. But then one of those ordinary things leads to a kindness that multiplies not once, not twice, but over and over. A chain reaction of kindness that spans the globe until, fittingly, it comes back to where it all started, with Ordinary Mary. This story will having children thinking twice about the seeming unimportance of a simple, kind gesture.

What Does Peace Feel Like? by Vladimir Radunsky
What does peace feel like? For that matter, what does it sound, taste, look, and smell like? These are the questions this author takes to elementary-aged children from around the world. Their responses are sweet, honest, and insightful. It’s a rare look into the minds of the smallest members of our world, who are often also the most observant. Simple to read, with bright illustrations, this book’s back pages include the word “peace” in 189 different languages.

Each Kindness, by Jacqueline Woodson and E. B. Lewis
Chloe and her friends are happy with the way things are. They don’t need anybody else, especially not the new girl, Maya. When Maya stops coming to school, the girls’ teacher gives a lesson on the impact of small actions. Suddenly, Chloe is looking at things a little differently, but it may be too late. The beautifully written text by multi-award winning author Jacqueline Woodson is accompanied by page after page of Lewis’ stunning artwork.