Children’s Books About Making the World a Better Place

Inspire our future generation with children’s books about making the world a better place. Teach empathy, kindness, and equality for all.

Children's Books about Making the World a Better PlaceThe inspiration for this collection of books happened when I was reviewing my son’s class curriculum.

It was in January, and one of the themes was the work and impact of Martin Luther King Jr. I was on the lookout for children’s books about making the world a better place. Those that inspire kids to be kind, to help others, and take care of the environment.

Because kids can feel helpless when the world changes so much (I know I feel that way, sometimes). Knowing how they can contribute—even as kids—can make them feel better.

These are the picture books I found (and topics my kids also like). Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed is about “paying it forward,” how one little random act of kindness can snowball into so many others.

Sofia Valdez, Future Prez encourages kids to stand up and take action for issues they care about. And How to Make a Better World reminds us that even one person make a difference with our planet.

Because it’s our responsibility to raise kids eager and willing to make the world a better place. That compassion, generosity, and diversity matter in real life. To leave it even better than how they found it, rather than hoping it can survive another generation.

I don’t really ask my kids what they want to be when they grow up, as many kids are often asked. Instead, I encourage them to think of how they’ll contribute to the world to make it a better place.

They want to own a farm and sell vegetables, fix climate change, work in science, and teach future students. How much better will our world be when our young readers start thinking about how they can make it so?

And so, these are my favorite books about making the world a better place. I hope in reading it, your kids will be inspired to do just that:

Ways to Care for the Environment

Children’s books about making the world a better place

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If You Were a Kid During the Civil Rights Movement by Gwendolyn Hooks

If You Were a Kid During the Civil Rights Movement by Gwendolyn Hooks

Iqbal and His Ingenious Idea by Elizabeth Suneby

Iqbal and His Ingenious Idea by Elizabeth Suneby

Sit-In by Andrea Davis Pinkney

Sit-In by Andrea Davis Pinkney

The Year We Learned to Fly by Jacqueline Woodson and Rafael López

The Year We Learned to Fly by Jacqueline Woodson and Rafael López

How to Make a Better World by Keilly Swift

How to Make a Better World by Keilly Swift

Our Planet! by Stacy McAnulty and David Litchfield

Our Planet! by Stacy McAnulty and David Litchfield

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de le Peña

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de le Peña

Clifford's Good Deeds by Norman Bridwell

Clifford’s Good Deeds by Norman Bridwell

The Tree Lady by H. Joseph Hopkins

The Tree Lady by H. Joseph Hopkins

Planting Stories by Anika Aldamuy Denise and Paola Escobar

Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré by Anika Aldamuy Denise and Paola Escobar

A is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara

A is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara

Malala's Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai and Kerascoët

Malala’s Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai and Kerascoët

Sofia Valdez, Future Prez by Andrea Beaty

Sofia Valdez, Future Prez by Andrea Beaty

All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold

All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold and Suzanne Kaufman

Follow the Moon Home by Philippe Cousteau

Follow the Moon Home by Philippe Cousteau

You Are Enough: A Book About Inclusion by Margaret O'Hair, Sofia Sanchez, and Sofia Cardoso

You Are Enough: A Book About Inclusion by Margaret O’Hair, Sofia Sanchez, and Sofia Cardoso

Start Now! by Chelsea Clinton

Start Now! by Chelsea Clinton

Here We Are by Oliver Jeffers

Here We Are by Oliver Jeffers

The Curious Garden by Peter Brown

The Curious Garden by Peter Brown

The Lorax

The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

Ordinary Mary's Extraordinary Deed by Emily Pearson and Fumi Kosaka

Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed by Emily Pearson and Fumi Kosaka

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