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This month, we’re focusing on the powerful virtue of forgiveness —learning how to let go of hurt, take responsibility and move forward with kindness.
Forgiveness can be a difficult concept for children to understand but stories can make it more real, relatable and approachable.
Nelson Mandela once said, “ Forgiveness liberates the soul. It removes fear. That is why it is such a powerful weapon.”
In The Forgiveness Garden, children learn how holding onto anger can weigh us down, while choosing to forgive can bring peace and healing. Through gentle storytelling and meaningful imagery, the book shows that forgiveness is a process, one that helps us grow and move forward with compassion.
In Two Goats, children see how conflict and stubbornness can create unnecessary problems, but also how letting go and choosing understanding can lead to resolution. The story highlights the importance of empathy, cooperation, and the role forgiveness plays in restoring relationships.
Please feel free to explore our selection of stories on forgiveness below, and if you’d like more options, you can visit our website.
1. First come the Zebra by Lynne Barasch
- Age range: 1st & 2nd Grade
- Genre: Fiction
When Abaani, a Maasai boy, meets Haki, a Kikuyu boy, the two are wary of each other due to longstanding conflicts between their communities. But when a sudden danger arises, they must act together, taking the first step toward understanding, forgiveness, and friendship.
Set against the backdrop of Kenya’s great migration, First Come the Zebra is a hopeful story about overcoming differences and the power of young people to create change.
2. How to apologize by David LaRochelle
- Age range: 1st & 2nd
- Genre: Fiction
Wouldn’t the world be a better place if everyone knew how to apologize? Luckily, this humorous guidebook is full of practical tips about when, why, and how to say you’re sorry. From a porcupine who accidentally popped his friend’s balloon to a snail who was running so fast he stepped on a sloth’s toes, hilarious examples and sweet illustrations abound. For both listeners who are just learning and older readers who need a refresher, this book will come as a welcome reminder that even though apologizing can be hard, it doesn’t have to be complicated.
3. Sorry (Really Sorry) by Harry Bliss
- Age range: Pre-K / K
- Genre: Picture Book
A sweet and thoughtful picture book about how one act of kindness can change the world, written by publishing legend Joanna Cotler and illustrated by New York Times bestseller Harry Bliss.
4. The Two goats by Jonathan Bernstein
- Age range: 1st & 2nd
- Genre: Fiction
The new “Two Goats” 2nd edition is a fun, illustrated children’s book about the adventures of a big goat (father) and little goat (son) who live a happy life in the country until the little goat decides to venture over a fence into a very different world. It’s a simple story, 32 pages long, and is filled with life lessons to entertain and educate both parents and children, primarily for ages 4-8.
5. The Forgiveness Garden by Lauren Thompson
- Age range: 5th and 6th
- Genre: Fiction
A long time ago and far away – although it could be here, and it could be now – a boy threw a stone and injured a girl. For as long as anyone could remember, their families had been enemies, and their towns as well, so it was no surprise that something bad had happened.
Hate had happened. Revenge had happened. And that inspired more hate and more calls for revenge. But this time, a young girl decided to try something different….
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