Children’s Books about Perseverance

Want to teach your child the value of not giving up? Read these children’s books about perseverance to instill the importance of grit.

Children's Books about PerseveranceKids are naturally equipped with perseverance and a growth mindset, from the baby learning to walk to the toddler who insists on putting on her jacket. They don’t worry about a “failure” stigma, even if it takes hundreds of falls to walk two steps or five minutes to use a zipper.

But along the way, their perseverance gets challenged. It’s harder to keep going when the focus shifts to who can do it the fastest or who gets it perfect the first time. Excuses pile up in the face of adversity. They lose sight of the importance of grit and get tempted to give up.

That’s why children’s books about perseverance are fantastic selections to read with your child. These picture books reinforce the value of not giving up, even when the task gets hard. They can encourage her to think creatively when she can’t figure things out the first time.

In Can I Play Too?, you’ll meet three friends who think outside the box so they don’t leave anyone out. You’ll also learn about engineer Rosie Revere who realizes that mistakes are necessary to learn. And you’ll never see Humpty Dumpty the same way again once you read After the Fall.

Through these books, your child learns how practice, patience, and perseverance are what she needs to pull through.

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Children’s books about perseverance

I Am Darn Tough by Licia Morelli and Maine Diaz

I Am Darn Tough by Licia Morelli and Maine Diaz

Emmanuel's Dream

Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah by Laurie Ann Thompson

The Power of Yet by Maryann Cocca-Leffler

The Power of Yet by Maryann Cocca-Leffler

Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts

Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts

Exquisite by Suzanne Slade

Exquisite by Suzanne Slade

The Dot by Peter H Reynolds

The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds

The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet! by Carmen Agra Deedy

The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet! by Carmen Agra Deedy

She Persisted

She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger

A Chip Off the Old Block by Jody Jensen Shaffer

A Chip Off the Old Block by Jody Jensen Shaffer

Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats

Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats

After The Fall by Dan Santat

After The Fall by Dan Santat

Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream by Deloris Jordan and Roslyn M. Jordan

Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream by Deloris Jordan

Brave Irene by William Steig

Brave Irene by William Steig

Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees

Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees

The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss

The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss

Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman and Caroline Binch

Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman and Caroline Binch

How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers

How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers

Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer by Carole Boston Weatherford and Ekua Holmes

Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer by Carole Boston Weatherford and Ekua Holmes

Flight School by Lita Judge

Flight School by Lita Judge

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires

Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie DePaola

Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie DePaola

Can I Play Too? (An Elephant and Piggie Book) by Mo Willems

Can I Play Too? (An Elephant and Piggie Book) by Mo Willems

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