Tiger Talk - Stanley Clark School

Early Childhood

Inspiring Books that Encourage Kindness, Understanding & Acceptance

Sarah Lotter, Kelsi Schumacher, Ellen Jessen, Sarah Goben, Preschool 3/4 Teachers

Many years ago, we asked one of our preschoolers what they wanted to be when they got older. An innocent question, but this child (now a very tall 7th grader) responded in a way that we’ll never forget. He said, “When I’m big, I want to be nice.” His answer, so heartfelt and admirable, made us realize that we as adults often focus on the wrong thing. Instead of centering on jobs or academic success, we should also remember the foundation of good character.

The following books have provided us the ability to start important conversations with your children that encourage kindness, understanding and an acceptance of many people. We believe they would make wonderful additions to your home library too!

Mrs. Lotter’s Favorite

Preschool Teacher Reading "The Pink Umbrella"

The Pink Umbrella
By: Amelie Callot
Illustrated By: Genevieve Godbout

Printed language and beautiful illustrations are so powerful and this story is truly one of a kind. I’ve always admired children’s books that discuss big concepts that even adults have a hard time understanding. This one touches on one’s mental health in the most beautiful and relatable way. It’s a charming story, which was originally published in French, about sweet and cheerful Adele. Adele helps her community in many ways and she spreads joy to others daily. When it starts to rain, however, she can’t help but stay inside, under her covers, away from others. Amelie Callot creatively shows that it is very possible for kind and thoughtful friends to help others find comfort in scary things.

Mrs. Schumacher’s Favorite

Preschool Teacher Reading "Strictly No Elephants"

Strictly No Elephants
By: Lisa Mantchev
Illustrated By: Taeeun Yoo

Strictly No Elephants was introduced to us by a current preschooler and we find ourselves talking about its message often! It is a great book to share with a younger group of students and teaches them the valuable lesson of friendship and acceptance. We are all different and that's what makes us special. In the story, a little boy with a pet elephant finds he and his pet are not wanted because he's so unusual. He ends up finding other kids with unusual pets, and from there, they decide to create their own all-inclusive club. They know how it feels to be excluded from a club and they don't want to do that to anyone else. Providing examples of what friends do for each other, the young boy stood by his elephant’s side both when he was happy and when he felt down. This book is important to me because it helps show children that being different is okay, but also accepting others that are different is easy and ends up being a lot of fun.

Preschool students holding books, "The Pink Umbrella" and "Strictly No Elephants"

Mrs. Jessen’s Favorite

Be Kind
By: Pat Zietlow Miller
Illustrated By: Jen Hill

What does it mean to be kind? This question is so beautifully addressed in this great story. Preschoolers can easily relate to the simple ways the main character attempts to show kindness to a classmate who is feeling bad after spilling grape juice all over her dress - and worse, the other children laugh. It inspires some great conversations about how we can show kindness to others. Sometimes it’s hard to find the right way to help someone feel better, but this little girl’s determination to show kindness does not disappoint. Our children are small and sometimes one act of kindness can feel small. But I love how this young child realizes one small act can join with other small acts and together can grow to be something big! A very valuable and uplifting lesson for our children.

Mrs. Goben’s Favorite

Preschool Teacher Reading "The Big Umbrella"

The Big Umbrella
By: Amy June Bates
Co-Written With: Juniper Bates

The Big Umbrella is a delightfully sweet story. This book uses a beautiful metaphor of a friendly umbrella to impart a message of kindness, diversity, and inclusivity. It also addresses the fear or worries that often makes these issues so challenging for all of us, which is, "Will there be enough?" This book has few, carefully chosen words and big impact pictures that will invite further discussion in a gentle manner for all ages.