9 Books About Empathy for Kids
Empathy is harder than kindness. Kindness is doing something nice. Empathy is understanding why someone feels the way they feel, even when their experience is nothing like yours. Young kids are naturally self-centered. that's developmentally appropriate. and the shift toward genuine perspective-taking happens slowly, between ages 4 and 9. Books can't force that shift, but they can practice it. Every time a child follows a character whose life looks different from theirs, the empathy muscle gets a little stronger.
For the kid who needs to see a world beyond their own
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña is about CJ, who rides the bus with his grandmother through a neighborhood that doesn't look like much and asks why they don't have a car, why they can't listen to music on headphones, why they have to go to this part of town. His grandmother doesn't lecture him. She shows him what he's missing. the blind man who "watches" with his ears, the beauty in a jar of butterflies, the people at the soup kitchen who need them. Winner of the Newbery Medal, and the rare book that teaches empathy without ever using the word.
Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts is about Jeremy, who desperately wants the sneakers all the other kids have. He finds a pair at a thrift store that are too small but buys them anyway. They hurt. Meanwhile, his classmate Antonio has shoes held together with tape. What Jeremy does with the too-small shoes is a quiet act of empathy that comes from recognizing his own wanting in someone else. The illustrations by Noah Z. Jones are warm and specific. this is a particular neighborhood, a particular family.
For the kid who needs to notice the kid they're not noticing
The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig is about Brian, who is so quiet and overlooked that the illustrator draws him in grayscale while all the other kids are in color. Nobody picks him for their team. Nobody sits with him at lunch. When a new kid, Justin, arrives and Brian welcomes him, Brian begins to appear in color. The visual metaphor is devastating and unmistakable. Teachers use this book to start conversations about who in their classroom might be invisible.
Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson is the book on this list that doesn't have a happy ending, and it's the one kids remember most. Maya is the new girl. Chloe doesn't befriend her. Chloe isn't cruel. she just doesn't make the effort. Then Maya moves away, and Chloe realizes she missed her chance. The teacher drops a stone in water and talks about ripples, and Chloe can't throw hers. It sits in her hand. The lack of resolution is what makes this book powerful.
For the kid who's ready for empathy across species and circumstance
A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead is about a zookeeper who visits his animal friends every day. playing chess with the elephant, sitting quietly with the penguin, reading stories to the owl. When Amos gets sick, the animals take the bus to his house and take care of him. The empathy runs both directions: Amos knows exactly what each animal needs, and the animals know exactly what Amos needs. Winner of the Caldecott Medal. The pace is slow and the colors are muted and the whole book feels like a warm blanket.
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate is about a silverback gorilla living in a cage at a shopping mall, told in Ivan's own voice. He's resigned to his life until a baby elephant named Ruby arrives and he decides she deserves better. The empathy in this book is layered. Ivan has empathy for Ruby, the reader develops empathy for Ivan, and by the end, the question of what we owe animals we keep in captivity is inescapable. Based on a true story. Newbery Medal winner. Best for ages 8-12 as a read-aloud or independent read.
For the kid who's learning to see their own community differently
Hey, Wall by Susan Verde is about a boy who sees an empty wall in his neighborhood and organizes a community mural project. The wall becomes a mirror of who lives there. their faces, their stories, their dreams. Susan Verde writes about community empathy: seeing the people who live around you and deciding they matter enough to include. Illustrated by John Parra in bold, bright murals-within-murals.
More to explore
More options: The Rabbit Listened (Cori Doerrfeld), We're All Wonders (R.J. Palacio), Strictly No Elephants (Lisa Mantchev), Thank You, Omu! (Oge Mora), Wonder (R.J. Palacio. chapter book, ages 8-12), How to Heal a Broken Wing (Bob Graham)
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