Please welcome my guest author, Deedee Cummings, with her book list on the best children’s books about empathy!
We are giving away a copy of Deedee’s newest picture book, Hope In the Nick of Time. To enter, please leave a comment.
Teaching kids empathy, the ability to see the world through another’s eyes, is one of the most important lessons we can share with children. Empathy is the foundation of kindness, compassion, and true connection. It helps kids build strong relationships and grow into thoughtful, caring adults. Here are some of my favorite children’s books about empathy that you can use to help young readers become more empathetic in their daily lives.
How Books Build Empathy
As a therapist and author, I have seen firsthand how powerful stories can be, especially in helping kids process difficult situations or emotions. Stories have the power to spark deep discussions and plant seeds of understanding that can blossom for a lifetime.
Books gently invite children to see the world through different perspectives, nurturing understanding and kindness. Stories help kids connect with characters whose lives are nothing like their own. They start to understand what that person may think and how they might feel.
If you want to raise great humans, you need a bookshelf full of empathy-filled books. Each time you read one of these titles together, you are helping your kids practice empathy and grow into the kind of human you want them to be.
Here are a few of my favorite books for raising empathetic kids.
8 Books That Promote Empathy for Young Readers
Hope In the Nick of Time by Deedee Cummings, illustrated by Charlene Mosley
Have you ever had one of those days where nothing seems to go right? In this book, Nick Saint is traveling with his family in New York City, but everything seems to be going wrong. Frustrated and overwhelmed, Nick just wants to go home. A surprise encounter helps him rediscover the power of hope. With a shift in perspective, he finds ways to see the good, even when things feel bad. This beautiful story reminds us that hope is all around us. When we struggle to find hope, it may be because we’re meant to be it. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts, illustrated by Noah Z. Jones
A young boy named Jeremy desperately wants the same cool shoes all his classmates have. Unfortunately, they can’t afford the shoes he wants. Jeremy finds a pair in a thrift store and tries to wear them, even though they are too small. In the end, he learns the joy of helping a friend and appreciating what you have. I love this book because it shows how a simple act of generosity can feel better than getting what you thought you wanted. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig, illustrated by Patrice Barton
This book is a gentle and powerful look at what it feels like to be excluded. Brian is a quiet boy who feels invisible. It seems like nobody ever notices him, until a new kid arrives. Brian is the first to make the new student feel welcome. When they work together on a project, Brian finally finds his way to shine. It shows how small acts of kindness can make a huge difference in helping someone feel seen and valued. [picture book, ages 5 and up]
You, Me, and Empathy by Jayneen Sanders, illustrated by Sofia Cardoso
This book makes the idea of empathy much easier for kids to understand. It uses simple words, beautiful illustrations, rhythmic language, and everyday scenarios to help kids see what it means to show empathy. It shows what it looks like to feel what someone else is feeling and how to respond with compassion. I love how this sweet story gives children practical language and tools to develop their empathy skills. [picture book, ages 3 and up]
I Am Human: A Book of Empathy by Susan Verde, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
This book explores what it means to be human—both the beautiful aspects and the hard parts. It reminds us that sometimes, we all make mistakes. We feel a wide range of emotions, happiness, sadness, and everything in between. At the same time, we all have the power to make good choices. When we treat other humans with kindness, empathy, and respect, we show up as our best selves. [picture book, ages 3 and up]
Empathy Is Your Superpower: A Book About Understanding the Feelings of Others by Cori Bussolari, PsyD, illustrated by Zach Greszkowiak
I love that this book introduces empathy as a superpower because it truly is! Through real-life examples and helpful activities, kids learn to recognize and understand other people’s feelings. It encourages them to be considerate and self-aware so they can practice kindness in their everyday lives. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
We All Belong: A Children’s Book About Diversity, Race, and Empathy by Nathalie Goss and Alex Goss
This beautifully illustrated rhyming book helps children see how we are all unique and yet we have so much in common. The story encourages kids to celebrate differences in culture, skin color, and abilities. I also love the thoughtful activities included in this book. They invite children to explore respect and kindness in their own lives. [picture book, ages 3 and up]
This Is The Earth by Deedee Cummings, illustrated by Charlene Mosley
This powerful, lyrical book with captivating illustrations reminds readers we all share one home: the Earth. This story models the language of empathy on each page. It encourages kids to respect and show compassion for each other. When we care for one another and the world around us, it creates a united, loving community. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
More Than Just a Sweet Story
By filling our school and home libraries with books that show empathy, we give kids a roadmap to navigate the world with an open and understanding heart. Spending time reading powerful stories of empathy with children creates a safe space to explore this vital skill together. It can open up incredible conversations about feelings, differences, and the importance of compassion. The more kids hear about and see empathy in action, the more likely they will be to live it out in their everyday lives.
If you’d like to help your kids or students grow their hope and empathy, download this free Hoping Skills Workbook for Kids. It’s full of fun printable activities you can use to help kids empathize with others and share hope every day.
Hope in the Nick of Time GIVEAWAY!
We are giving away a copy of Deedee’s newest picture book, Hope In the Nick of Time. To enter, please leave a comment. We can only mail to U.S. and A.P.O. addresses.
Congrats to Jen, who won the giveaway!
Deedee Cummings is a professional dreamer, author, therapist, attorney, and mom from Louisville, Kentucky. She founded Make A Way Media to give parents and educators the tools they need to raise great humans. Her empathy-filled books remind us that our dreams are always within reach and it is never too late to start again.
p.s. Related posts:
I had a great time at the Louisville Book Festival!
Picture Books That Inspire Me as a Writer: MY Multicultural Children’s Book Day BOOK REVIEWS!
Mitali Perkins Hope in the Valley Book Launch at Newtonville Books
Cover Reveal! Food for Hope: How John van Hengel Invented Food Banks and Fed the Hungry
To examine any book more closely at Amazon, please click on image of book.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Follow PragmaticMom’s board Multicultural Books for Kids on Pinterest.
Follow PragmaticMom’s board Children’s Book Activities on Pinterest.
My books:
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
- California Eureka Non-Fiction Gold Award
- Junior Library Guild Gold Selection
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Barbed Wire Between Us by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Violeta Encarnación
- ⭐ Starred review from Kirkus Reviews!
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
The Traveling Taco:
- California Eureka Non-Fiction Silver Award
- Reading Rockets’ Summer Reading Guide 2025
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
We Sing from the Heart: How the Slants® Took Their Fight for Free Speech to the Supreme Court
- ALSC Notable Children’s Book
- 2025 Carter G. Woodson Book Award Middle Level Honoree
- Orbis Pictus Recommended Book for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children
- 2024 Julia Ward Howe Prize for Children’s Literature Winner
- California Eureka Non-Fiction Award Honor Book
- Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Winner (from National Council for the Social Studies and Children’s Book Council)
- Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year 2025
- Recommended Reading for the Social Justice Literature Award 2025 (International Literacy Association)
- Junior Library Guild Gold Selection
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- ⭐ Starred review from School Library Journal!
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Massachusetts Book Award Long List
- dPICTUS 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
- Green Earth Book Award Long List
- Nautilus Silver Winner, Nonfiction Children’s Picture Book
- Sunshine State Young Readers Award Orange Blossom List for Nonfiction
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Bank Street College’s The Best Children’s Books of the Year
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Another great book about empathy that I don’t usually see on book lists is “Maddi’s Fridge” by Lois Brandt. I provide books for my local laundromat library and would love to add “Hope in the Nick of Time.” For more information about supporting/starting a laundromat library: https://www.laundromatlibraryleague.org/
This sounds like a great collection. I don’t have any of those yet!
What a wonderful collection! Thank you the chance to add these to my classroom library!
What a fabulous set of books with great diversity in main characters, all with hope as a main theme! With so much bad news in the news, in homes and hearts everywhere, children need to know that there is hope.
What a great list of books about empathy, so important! Congratulations to Deedee on HOPE IN THE NICK OF TIME, it looks wonderful. And congratulations to Mia, too, for your upcoming BARBED WIRE BETWEEN US, it looks amazing!
Books like these are so important to get into readers’ hands. One of my favorites on this topic is Maddie’s Fridge.