Inspire our future generation with children’s books about making the world a better place. Teach empathy, kindness, and equality for all.
The 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:
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
Iqbal and His Ingenious Idea by Elizabeth Suneby
Sit-In by Andrea Davis Pinkney
The Year We Learned to Fly by Jacqueline Woodson and Rafael López
How to Make a Better World by Keilly Swift
Our Planet! by Stacy McAnulty and David Litchfield
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de le Peña
Clifford’s Good Deeds by Norman Bridwell
The Tree Lady by H. Joseph Hopkins
A is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara
Malala’s Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai and Kerascoët
Sofia Valdez, Future Prez by Andrea Beaty
All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold and Suzanne Kaufman
Follow the Moon Home by Philippe Cousteau
You Are Enough: A Book About Inclusion by Margaret O’Hair, Sofia Sanchez, and Sofia Cardoso
(Check out more children’s books by Oliver Jeffers.)
The Curious Garden by Peter Brown
Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed by Emily Pearson and Fumi Kosaka
Read these next:
- How to Raise Non Materialistic Children in Today’s World
- 31 Totally Awesome Conversation Starters for Kids
- No Excuses: Why We Need to Read with Our Kids Every Day
- How to Teach Gratitude to Children
- Children’s Books about Respect
Free printables: Want even more book ideas? Join my newsletter and grab your Read Aloud Book List! You’ll get hundreds of favorite selections to read aloud with your kids. Get it below—at no cost to you:
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