Great Books for Respect

Respect is such an important thing within a family.  As parents, we want our children to respect us and we, in turn, need to respect them.  It is cyclical.  It goes both ways.  

But as there is no manual for parenting, I tend to seek out picture books.  They teach the kids and I actually learn of good ways to parent through reading many of them.  Here are some of our favorite books about respecting others.


Chrysanthemum
by Kevin Henkes
Acceptance of differences, bullying...this book is so amazing for so many topics.  The girl with the different name and how kids come to respect her for it. 

Do Unto Otters
by Laurie Keller
This is a brilliantly funny book.  The kids think it is a hoot, but it truly is great for inspiring conversations about respect and manners. 

If I Were a Lion
by Sarah Weeks, illustrated by Heather M. Solomon
As the "How Do Dinosaurs..." book series shows wild beasts behaving badly, so does this.  This book is gorgeously illustrated and so sweet.  My kids adore this book and actually recall it when they happen to act wildly!

Stellaluna
by Janell Cannon
There are so many differences in the world today, even within families and children will grow to be stronger adults if they can respect that.  Stellaluna is a beautiful story of differences and embracing them.

The Scallywags
by David Melling
The kids laugh so hard when reading this.  The Scallywags are so unruly.  They have no manners.  But what happens when they lose friends due to their behavior.

The Grouchy Ladybug
by Eric Carle
Most kids go through a stage where "please" and "thank you" are the hardest things to say.  The Grouchy Ladybug won't say them either.  He is the perfect negative example to get kids to see how their behavior can effect others.

Both of the following books are about girls who stand apart from the rest and how they come to respect themselves and, in a way, command the respect of others.  We particularly love anything illustrated by David Catrow.  His illustrations are so whimsical.
Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon
by Patty Lovell, illustrated by David Catrow

Odd Velvet
by Mary Whitcomb, illustrated by Tara Calahan King

How Full is Your Bucket for Kids 
by Tom Rath and Mary Reckmeyer, illustrated by Maurie J. Manning
How our attitude effects those around us throughout our day.  Empathy can be such an important catalyst for respect.  This book helps kids to be more aware of this.

We love new books at our house - if you love any other literature on this topic, please share!

Great Picture Books for Friendship

Friendship is interesting at a young age.  It truly is fleeting, but children learn so many important things from it.  

My two-year-old girl loves nothing more than going to a "friend's" house and trying on all their beautiful princess things.  Although we know she is too young to really play side-by-side with others, we want to teach her to respect and enjoy others as best we can.  

My five-year-old boy wants to make friends with everyone that he encounters.  He enjoys going to his friends' houses and playing with their toys, but when they come to our house to play he wants to hide all of his toys and share nothing.  

The following stories have helped both children understand the importance of respect for others and how wonderful friendship really can be.  

Leonardo, the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems
One of our favorite books from one of our favorite authors, whom I have mentioned a few times thus far (and more below!).   Leonardo is not a very good monster.  Silliness ensues before Leonardo makes a very important decision.  The kids think this book is a hoot, but the ending is really touching.

City Dog, Country Frog by Mo Willems, illustrated by Jon J. Muth
Not the usual silly Mo Willems fare, but a terrific tale of friendship, loss and renewal.

Pigs Make Me Sneeze! (An Elephant and Piggie Book) by Mo Willems
Any of the Elephant and Piggie book series could fall under the friendship category.



Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship by P. Kahumbu
Tarra & Bella: The Elephant and Dog Who Became Best Friends by Carol Buckley
Both of these are fantastic friendship stories that actually occurred. Children adore the animals pictured and the true stories can't be beat. 

My Friend and I by Lisa Jahn-Clough

Sharing - the most difficult part about early childhood friendships.  Best for young children, but effective for any preschool or early school age child.

Making a Friend by Alison McGhee, illustrated by Marc Rosenthal

A truly beautiful book about the power of friendship.

Ninja Cowboy Bear presents The Call of the Cowboy by David Bruins, illustrated by Hilary Leung

This is a silly story, but was very influential on my five-year-old.  The Cowboy is not respecting his friends and must learn to do so before they can enjoy their time together.

The Gift of Nothing by Patrick McDonnell
A wonderful book that shows that friendship is more important than things.

This is Our House by Michael Rosen
Most kids would rather play with a cardboard box than expensive toys, so this book is great because the plot revolves around a cardboard box.  But the story that unfolds is so much more than creativity with a box.  It is a perfect story for a child that is not eager to share.

Sam's New Friend by Thierry Robberecht, illustrated by Philippe Goossens
This simple story has a great message about friendship.

We love new books at our house - if you love any other literature on this topic, please share!

Great Picture Books for Cooperation

Cooperation is tantamount to the success of any human being.  Children can use this skill with parents, siblings, friends, aquaintances, etc.  

We have trouble at our house, as most surely do, with siblings sharing.  When reminded that if they cooperate and play nicely together, then everyone has more fun.  It really does work, but it helps to keep a book highlighting cooperation in the mix.  As always, take full advantage of your library.  Most of the books mentioned here we do not own.  I love the variety of stories and ideas that we can share with our kids because of the vast collection available to us through the library.

Greysen, my 5 year old book-lover, recently had a gift certificate for Barnes and Noble that "needed" spending.  We happened upon this first book.  Sitting in the store, we read a whole stack of books and this is the one that Greysen chose to take home.  

Red and Yellow's Noisy Night 
by Josh Selig

The illustrations are lovely and the simple story tells of olive tree inhabitants, Red and Yellow, who must work together to have a peaceful night.  The story is actually based on "The Olive Branch," an animated television series that promotes an understanding of conflict resolution and mutual respect.  More information is available through The Little Light Foundation.  Their website includes a wordless video of Red and Yellow's story:  http://www.littlelightfoundation.org/    I look forward to what the foundation may do next.

My Friend Rabbit 
by Eric Rohmann
Rabbit always seems to get into trouble, but he fortunately has some great friends that with some cooperation can solve any problem. This Caldecott Award winner really captures children's attention.  They want everything to turn out well and root for everyone working together.

The Little Red Pen 
by Susan Stevens Crummel and Janet Stevens 
This is a fantastic take on the classic story The Little Red Hen.  The illustrations are fun and oh do the kids enjoy seeing the inanimate objects come to life.  The little red pen's friends do not want to help her.  "Not I!"  This story goes further than most Little Red Hen adaptations, in that the conflict is resolved through the cooperation of the friends.

The Tale of Pip and Squeak 
by Kate Duke
A tale of sibling discord, but when they have a common goal they learn to work together or cooperate.  The illustrations are quite detailed and the overall message is a great one for bickering siblings or friends.  

Cooperation books continued: 

Swimmy 
by Leo Lionni

Duck and Goose 
by Tad Hills

A Little Story About a Big Turnip 
by Tatiana Zunshine

Whale is Stuck/Whale Gets Stuck 
by Karen Hayles, illustrated by Charles Fuge
[It appears that this book had a recent reprint under a new title, but both are the same book.]

Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen 
by Howard Binkow

This book also has a great accompanying website (http://wedolisten.org/) where you can watch/read many Wigglebottom stories and access other related activities. 


We love new books at our house - if you love any other literature on this topic, please share!