Unless otherwise noted, all books
may be found in
the juvenile picture book section, arranged by the author’s last name.
Koi and the kola nuts : a tale from Liberia /
retold by Verna Aardema
A
chief’s son must make his way in the world with only a bag of kola nuts
and the help of some creatures that he has treated with kindness.
One winter's day / M. Christina Butler
When a
wintry wind blows away Little Hedgehog's nest, he sets out for his
friend Badger's house, and the generosity he shows to others during his
journey is returned to him when the snowstorm is over.
A
circle of friends / Giora Carmi
When a
boy anonymously shares his snack with a homeless man, he begins a cycle
of good will.
The
mitten tree / Candace Christiansen
Old
Sarah knits mittens for all the children waiting for the school bus and
hangs them on the blue spruce tree at the bus stop.
The
golden rule / Ilene Cooper
Grandpa
explains that the golden rule is a simple statement on how to live that
can be practiced by people of all ages and faiths.
Kindness
is cooler, Mrs. Ruler / Margery Cuyler
Mrs.
Ruler guides her students in discovering ways of being kind.
Andy
and the lion / James Daugherty
In this
retelling of Androcles and the Lion, Andy meets a lion on the way to
school and wins his friendship for life by removing a thorn from his
paw.
Glenna's seeds / Nancy Edwards
When
Glenna gives away a packet of flower seeds, it sets off a chain of kind
events among her neighbors.
The elves and the shoemaker / retold from the Brothers Grimm
A poor
shoemaker becomes successful with the help of two elves who finish his
shoes during the night.
Because
of you / B.G. Hennessy
Every
person helps make the world a kinder and more peaceful place.
St.
Jerome and the lion / retold by Margaret Hodges
(j 270.2 Hod)
The legend of Saint Jerome, the lion that he removed a thorn from its
paw, and the friendship and trust that developed between them.
Toads
and diamonds / retold by Charlotte Huck
Two
step-sisters receive appropriate gifts for their actions: one's words
are accompanied by flowers and jewels, the other's by toads and snakes.
The
tongue-cut sparrow / retold by Momoko Ishii
A kind
old man and his greedy wife pay separate visits to the
tongue-cut sparrow and receive as gifts just what they deserve.
The wolf's chicken stew / Keiko Kasza
A hungry
wolf's attempts to fatten a chicken for his stewpot have
unexpected results when the chicken family turns out to be friendly and
kind.
The
magic kerchief / Kirby Larson
Sharp-tongued Griselda gets a magic kerchief, and when she wears it she
can speak only kind words to the people she meets.
Albert
the Fix-it Man / Janet Lord
A
cheerful repairman fixes squeaky doors, leaky roofs, and crumbling
fences for his neighbors, who return the kindness when he catches a
terrible cold.
Beauty and the beast / retold by Marianna Mayer
(j 398.2 FRANCE May)
Through her great capacity to love, a kind girl releases a prince from
the spell which has made him an ugly beast.
How
kind! / Mary Murphy
(Toddler- j T M)
When Hen gives Pig an egg, she sets off a chain of events that brings
kindness to all of the animals on the farm.
Celia and the sweet, sweet water / Katherine Paterson
While
journeying to find a remedy for her mother's illness, Celia and her
grumpy dog encounter strange characters who have never known kindness.
Chicken
Sunday / Patricia Polacco
To thank
old Eula for her wonderful Sunday chicken dinners, children sell
decorated eggs and buy her a beautiful Easter hat.
The
trees of the dancing goats / Patricia Polacco
When
their neighbors become ill one winter, a Jewish family helps make
Christmas special for them by making their own Hanukkah miracle.
My
friend Rabbit / Eric Rohmann
Something always seems to go wrong when Rabbit is around, but Mouse lets
him play with his toy plane anyway because he is his good friend.
Silver
packages : an Appalachian Christmas story / Cynthia Rylant
A rich
man repays a debt of kindness to the children of Appalachia, where he
used to live.
The
talking eggs : a folktale from the American South /
retold by Robert D. San Souci
A
Southern folktale in which a kind sister gains riches, while her greedy
sister is duly rewarded.
Three
bags full / Ragnhild Scamell
Millie,
a kindhearted sheep, gives away pieces of her wool to other needy
animals.
Here comes Darrell / Leda Schubert
Throughout the seasons in northern Vermont, Darrell helps his neighbors
with their chores, never finding time to fix his own barn roof, but when
a storm passes through town, he finds his kindness to his neighbors
returned.
A
thread of kindness : a tzedaka story / Leah Shollar
When a
poor farmer and his wife are blessed with six years of riches, their
kindness and generosity make it last a lifetime.
The
dancing pig / Judy Sierra
After
being snatched by a terrible ogress, two sisters are rescued by the
animals that they have always treated with great kindness.
Mufaro's
beautiful daughters : an African tale / John Steptoe
Mufaro's
two beautiful daughters, one bad-tempered, one kind and sweet, go before
the king, who is choosing a wife.
Wolf's
favor / Fulvio Testa
By doing
a simple favor for Porcupine, Wolf sets off an unnatural chain of good
deeds.
The
woodcutter's duck / Krystyna Turska
Kindness
to a frog brings a Polish woodcutter unusual power and a change of
fortune.
The
kindness quilt / Nancy Elizabeth Wallace
A school
assignment to perform acts of kindness is illustrated in the quilt the
students eventually make.
A
ball for all / Brigitte Weninger
Animal
friends learn that if they are kind to each other and share the ball
they are playing with, they can all be friends instead of enemies.
Annotations courtesy of the Library of Congress
Cataloging in Publication data.
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The Children's Library
Mt. Lebanon Public Library
16 Castle Shannon Blvd.
Pittsburgh, PA 15228
412/531-1913 3.08
www.mtlebanonlibrary.org