3 Picture Books That Inspire Children to Give

‘Tis the season for thinking of others and I hope that volunteering and charitable giving become a year-round habit for my children.

I’ve posted 9 Expert Tips for Teaching Children About Giving and Volunteering and shared some of the Holiday volunteering I do with my young children.

Children usually learn best by doing. Reading age-appropriate stories is a great way to inspire and reflect on your activities. So, here are four picture books that inspire a spirit of giving.

Have You Filled a Bucket Today?: A philosophy of generosity of spirit for the preschool set, this book explains how acts of kindness generate more happiness for everyone. The book notes that if you try to put others down to make yourself feel better, you will just end up feeling worse–you cannot steal happiness from others. Rather, you can only fill your own bucket by being

The Berenstain Bears Think of Those in Need: When the Berenstain Bears realize that all their things are cluttering up their house, they donate some of their possessions. More importantly, they spend some quality time helping others. My daughter loves this book and every once in a while, she’ll survey her playroom and declare, “We have a ‘too much stuff problem’! Should we give some things to kids who don’t have toys?”

The Can Man: Tim wants a skateboard he cannot afford. When he sees Mr. Peters, a homeless man known throughout the neighborhood as “The Can Man,” he is inspired to collect cans to earn the money. Just as he makes enough money to buy his skateboard, Tim realizes that there are more important things in life. The book is a little text-heavy for the usual picture book crowd. However, for the right audience, the book is a great lesson in compassion. In particular, Mr. Peters is presented with dignity. Tim is also given the opportunity to reach his own conclusions about what is right. More information on The Can Man is available through Lee and Low.