This article was authored by Publisher Spotlight intern Zoe Spangler.
In today’s world, where hate, fear, and violence often dominate the headlines, it’s even more important to come together on a day like World Kindness Day. This global event serves as a reminder of how small acts of kindness can create a ripple effect that strengthens our connection and nurtures a more compassionate world.
Showing kindness means choosing to do something that benefits others. It involves putting someone else’s needs above your own. Kindness not only helps others but our own well-being. It can reduce stress and improve our own mental health.
This year, connect through kindness wherever you are. Any action, big or small, could help make the world a better place. Whether you compliment someone, give back to your community, or read one of these children’s books that share stories of kindness. Every act of kindness matters.
BENNETT’S ROOF
All the animals in the neighborhood love BENNETT’S ROOF and want to claim it as their own. Until one day, the roof gets so crowded that an argument starts. Each animal tries to stake their claim until suddenly crash! The roof comes crumbling down. Now, the animals must work together to fix their mistake. Author and illustrator Anuska Allepuz brings this picture book introduction to sharing and responsibility to life through her engaging storytelling and colorful illustrations. Nube Ocho’s BENNETT’S ROOF is perfect for young readers who are learning the importance of cooperation and teamwork. Stake your claim on a Spanish edition as well with El tejado de Benito. Cecilia Ross translated the English language edition.
HUMAN KINDNESS
From neighborhood teamwork to global impact, What On Earth’s HUMAN KINDNESS explores how kindness has shaped our history. Author John Francis shares stories from his own life alongside remarkable examples from around the world, showing how kindness has helped shape our laws, morals, and communities. Learn about Safeena Husain’s mission to provide girls a quality education in India, Rosa Parks’ fight against segregation that led to groundbreaking reform, and Joshua Coombes’ compassionate initiative to offer free haircuts to people experiencing homelessness. Through stories of kindness that changed the world and others that just brightened someone’s day, we can see how important our daily acts of kindness can be to our lives and to our world. Through John Francis’ moving storytelling and illustrator Josy Bloggs’ thoughtful imagery, young readers will discover how even small acts of kindness can lighten someone’s day, change a life, and make our planet a better place.
THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER
Shifting from real-world heroes to quiet resilience, Tapioca Stories’ THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER tells the story of a lighthouse keeper who lives alone in a tower in the middle of the ocean. As he rescues lost and shipwrecked vessels, he develops a secret friendship with someone who inspires and uplifts him, always appearing when he needs support. Author Eugenio Fernandez Vazquez’s beautiful writing, translated from Spanish by Kit Maude, combined with Mariana Villanueva Segovia’s breathtaking illustrations, brings to life this heartwarming story of selflessness, resilience, and friendship.
NOAH AND HIS WAGON
In Kalaniot Books’ NOAH AND HIS WAGON, kindness rolls in on wheels. After her best friend moves away, Paloma’s world brightens when Noah, a boy with a wagon, introduces her to the joy of acts of kindness and making new friends. Noah, an Orthodox Jewish boy, and his cat Mitzvah, whose name means “a good deed done from religious duty” in Hebrew, take Paloma on adventures helping an older woman in the neighborhood and a child in the park. Jerry Ruff’s gentle messaging, paired with Katrijn Jacobs’ vibrant illustrations that are full of movement and activity, brings to life a heartwarming story about friendship, Jewish values, and important acts of loving-kindness. NOAH AND HIS WAGON is the perfect story to teach children about empathy, diversity, and the impact of kindness.
A WINTER’S MORNING
Next, find comfort in connection though Post Wave’s A WINTER’S MORNING. In the quiet, snow-covered forest, a lonely wolf named Sylvester finds a lost teddy bear under an ancient oak tree. When Sylvester takes the bear, named Poppy, home, they form a heartwarming friendship filled with gentle adventures and quiet companionship. Angélique Lecaye’s writing, paired with Grégoire Solotareff’s illustrations, creates a touching story about kindness, friendship, and finding comfort in unexpected places. With its soft, cozy artwork and peaceful winter setting, A WINTER’S MORNING is a perfect invitation for children to reflect on their own expression of compassion.
A WORLD OF KINDNESS
Finally, through a series of simple yet powerful questions, A WORLD OF KINDNESS invites children to reflect on how they can show kindness and consideration for others. Written by the editors of Pajama Press, and illustrated by nine celebrated Pajama Press artists, including Rebecca Bender, Wallace Edwards, and Suzanne Del Rizzo, these beautifully illustrated pages encourage meaningful discussion about the subtle yet impactful ways children can influence the world around them. A World of Kindness goes beyond mere rhetoric to examine, in a child-friendly way, everyday social interactions in which a kind word or act can have a transformative effect on others.
Each of these stories shares a unique perspective on kindness, whether through bold acts of justice, quiet moments of care, or playful adventures that bring people together. They remind us that kindness can make a big difference. So, this World Kindness Day, let a story inspire you. Read with a child, share a book with a friend, or carry its message into your day. Because when we choose kindness, we choose connection, hope, and the possibility of a better world.
