“What are the best Children’s books about Empathy?” We looked at 219 of the top Kids Empathy books, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!

The top 17 titles, all appearing on 3 or more “Best Children’s Empathy” book lists, are ranked below by how many lists they appear on. The remaining 200+ titles, as well as the lists we used are in alphabetical order at the bottom of the page.

Happy Scrolling!

Top 17 Best Children’s Books About Empathy

17 .) A Sick Day for Amos McGee written by Philip C. Stead and Erin E. Stead

Lists It Appears On:

• Buzzfeed
• Dad Suggests
• Home Grown Friends

Amos McGee, a friendly zookeeper, always made time to visit his good friends: the elephant, the tortoise, the penguin, the rhinoceros, and the owl. But one day–‘Ah-choo!’–he woke with the sniffles and the sneezes. Though he didn’t make it into the zoo that day, he did receive some unexpected guests.

16 .) Be Kind written by Pat Zietlow Miller

Lists It Appears On:

• A Mighty Girl
• Colours Of Us
• Dad Suggests

When Tanisha spills grape juice all over her new dress, her classmate contemplates how to make her feel better and what it means to be kind. From asking the new girl to play to standing up for someone being bullied, this moving and thoughtful story explores what a child can do to be kind, and how each act, big or small, can make a difference or at least help a friend.…

15 .) Chocolate milk, Por Favor written by Maria Dismondy

Lists It Appears On:

• Colours Of Us
• Education And Behavior
• Goodreads

14 .) Chrysanthemum written by Kevin Henkes

Lists It Appears On:

• Book Riot
• Home Grown Friends
• Self Sufficient Kids

Chrysanthemum loves her name, until she starts going to school and the other children make fun of it.

13 .) Come With Me written by Holly M. McGhee

Lists It Appears On:

• A Mighty Girl
• NY Times
• Read Brightly

Frightened by news of angry people around the world, a young girl gets her parents’ help in learning to be compassionate and brave a little at a time.

12 .) Have You Filled a Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids written by Carol McCloud

Lists It Appears On:

• A Mighty Girl
• Buzzfeed
• Up Parent

Through sweet, simple prose and vivid illustrations, this book encourages positive behavior as children see how very easy and rewarding it is to express kindness, appreciation, and love on a daily basis.

11 .) Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed written by Emily Pearson and Fumi Kosaka

Lists It Appears On:

• A Mighty Girl
• Buzzfeed
• Up Parent

A young girl’s good deed is multiplied as it is passed on by those who have been touched by the kindesss of others.

10 .) The Hundred Dresses written by Eleanor Estes

Lists It Appears On:

• FH
• Parents
• Self Sufficient Kids

In winning a medal she is no longer there to receive, a tight-lipped little Polish girl teaches her classmates a lesson. Includes a note from the author’s daughter, Helena Estes.

9 .) The Sneetches written by Dr. Seuss

Lists It Appears On:

• Book Riot
• Home Grown Friends
• The School Run

Includes four humorous verse fantasies: The Sneetches, The Zax, The Many Daves, and What was I Scared of?

8 .) Hey Little Ant written by Phillip and Hannah Hoose

Lists It Appears On:

• Goodreads
• Home Grown Friends
• Read Brightly
• Self Sufficient Kids

A song in which an ant pleads with the kid who is tempted to squish it.

7 .) I Walk With Vanessa: A Story About a Simple Act of Kindness written by Kerascoët

Lists It Appears On:

• A Mighty Girl
• Colours Of Us
• Dad Suggests
• Up Parent

An elementary school girl witnesses the bullying of another girl, but she is not sure how to help.

6 .) One written by Kathryn Otoshi

Lists It Appears On:

• Book Riot
• Home Grown Friends
• Read Brightly
• Self Sufficient Kids

A number/color book reminding us that it just takes one to make everyone count.

5 .) Last Stop on Market Street written by Matt de la Pena

Lists It Appears On:

• Book Riot
• Buzzfeed
• Dad Suggests
• FH
• Read Brightly

4 .) Wonder written by R.J. Palacio

Lists It Appears On:

• Books For Keeps
• Cool Mom Picks
• Family Education
• Medium
• Self Sufficient Kids

3 .) Each Kindness written by Jacqueline Woodson

Lists It Appears On:

• A Mighty Girl
• Book Riot
• Buzzfeed
• Medium
• Read Brightly
• Up Parent

When Ms. Albert teaches a lesson on kindness, Chloe realizes that she and her friends have been wrong in making fun of new student Maya’s shabby clothes and refusing to play with her.

2 .) The Invisible Boy written by Trudy Ludwig

Lists It Appears On:

• Buzzfeed
• Dad Suggests
• FH
• Medium
• Self Sufficient Kids
• Up Parent

Brian has always felt invisible at school, but when a new student, Justin, arrives, everything changes.

1 .) Those Shoes written by Maribeth Boelts

Lists It Appears On:

• Buzzfeed
• Colours Of Us
• FH
• Medium
• Parents
• Up Parent

Jeremy, who longs to have the black high tops that everyone at school seems to have but his grandmother cannot afford, is excited when he sees them for sale in a thrift shop and decides to buy them even though they are the wrong size.

The 200+ Additional Best Kids Books About Empathy

24 Best Children’s Empathy Book Sources/Lists