Illustration by Ekaterina Trukhan.
This December, we’ve chosen Kindness as our virtue of the month. Kindness, at its root, is care and consideration for the feelings and needs of others. And we could all use a little more of it!
Kindness can take many forms—from the everyday care we receive from loved ones to the unexpected gestures of strangers. Each act, big or small, carries the power to uplift and transform.
Aesop said it best in his classic fable The Lion and the Mouse: “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
Like all virtues, kindness is best learned through example. To support your little ones this month, we’ve selected six stories that explore different expressions of kindness for students in grades K–6. In this collection, you’ll find gentle, memorable lessons from beloved characters like Frog and Toad, Tanisha from Be Kind, and Unhei from The Name Jar.
We hope you enjoy these stories as much as we do.
1. “Be Kind” – by Pat Zietlow Miller
- Age range: Pre-K and Kindergarten
- Genre: Picture Book
When Tanisha spills grape juice all over her new dress, her classmate wants to make her feel better, wondering: What does it mean to be kind?
From asking the new girl to play to standing up for someone being bullied, this moving story explores what kindness is, and how any act, big or small, can make a difference―or at least help a friend.
Be Kind is an unforgettable story about how two simple words can change the world.
2. “The Name Jar”- by Yangsook Choi
- Age range: 1st & 2nd
- Genre: Fiction
Being the new kid in school is hard enough, but what happens when nobody can pronounce your name? Having just moved from Korea, Unhei is anxious about fitting in. So instead of introducing herself on the first day of school, she decides to choose an American name from a glass jar. With the help of a new friend, Unhei will learn that the best name is her own.
3. “Four Feet, Two Sandals” – by Karen Lynn Williams & Khadra Mohammed, Illustrated by Doug Chayla
- Age range:3rd & 4th
- Genre:Fiction
Four Feet, Two Sandals was inspired by a refugee girl who asked the authors why there were no books about children like her. With warm colors and sensitive brush strokes, this book portrays the strength, courage, and hope of refugees around the world, whose daily existence is marked by uncertainty and fear.
4. “Frog and Toad are Friends” – by Arnold Lobel
- Age range: Pre-K / K
- Genre: Fiction
From writing letters to going swimming, telling stories to finding lost buttons, Frog and Toad are always there for each other—just as best friends should be. Frog and Toad Are Friends is a Level Two I Can Read book, geared for kids who read on their own but still need a little help.
5. “Enemy Pie” -by Derek Munson, IIlustrated by Tara King
- Age range: 1st & 2nd Grade
- Genre: Fiction
It was the perfect summer. That is, until Jeremy Ross moved into the house down the street and became neighborhood enemy number one. Luckily, Dad had a surefire way to get rid of enemies: Enemy Pie. But part of the secret recipe is spending an entire day playing with the enemy! In this funny yet endearing children’s book, filled with charming illustrations, kids learn about dealing with conflict as well as the difficulties, and ultimate rewards, of making new friends.
6. “Henry and Ella’s Big Jar of Kindness” by Audrey Lane
- Age range: 1st & 2nd
- Genre: Picture Book
Henry & Ella’s Big Jar of Kindness is a charming, heartwarming story that teaches children the power of small acts of kindness. When Henry and Ella get a little too sassy with each other, Grandpa comes up with a fun idea: they’ll write acts of kindness on slips of paper, filling an old pickle jar. Once the jar is full, grandpa will take them out to ice cream! While at first they’re just in it for the reward, Henry and Ella soon discover that the real magic isn’t the jar, but the kindness itself.
Thank you for checking out valuesandvirtues.org! Make a free account to access all our activities and story resources.