School Library Journal Book List: Empathy
Empathy is when we feel what other people are feeling, or at least understand how they are feeling. Empathy can be sharing a look with a friend before you both break out in giggles, or it can be sensing the quiet part of them, the part they are not able to talk about out loud. To show empathy for them, you can offer a snack, a walk, a hand, or even just sitting still. We want them to feel less alone. We want them to know we are here for them, if they need us.
This list of books that highlight empathy was curated by Kimberly Olson Fakih, Senior Editor, Picture Books at School Library Journal.
I Love You, Baby Burrito
A gentle pastel palette sets the tone for this sweet and simple picture book about a Latinx family welcoming their first baby, teaching that the disruptions to the household are worth the arrival of a new member. Affirmations of love, security, and comfort are expressed in English and Spanish, while the positive tone shows older siblings the quiet ways to register welcome.
Age Groups: Little Kids, Toddlers
Skills: Empathy
Discussion Questions
- How do the characters feel in the story?
- How would you feel if there were a new baby in your family?
- What are some things that people have "mixed feelings" about?
Watercress
A powerful story sure to awaken empathy and curiosity: Who else has left behind a homeland, and at what cost? Simple text and beautiful illustrations pack a strong emotional punch in this picture book about love and loss, and the lessons of leaving other people behind.
Age Groups: Big Kids, Little Kids
Skills: Empathy, Feelings
Discussion Questions
- What country were you born in?
- What do you think it would feel like to leave your home country?
- How does the girl feel in the story?
- What does she realize about her family?
- The family makes a new memory about watercress! What are some happy memories that your family has?
They Only See the Outside
What is going on inside of your head? Is everything on full display? Dakos builds empathy with a collection of poems that challenges readers to go beyond the surface. Children may emote, or they may keep their thoughts inside, brewing, dwelling, seething, crying.These poems remind adults that children are so much more than they appear. And they show children that there are many ways to express what’s inside.
Age Groups: Big Kids
Skills: Empathy, Feelings
Discussion Questions
- What are some feelings you have shared with the world?
- What are some feelings that you have kept inside?
- How can we tell what others are feeling?
- What did you learn from the poems in the book?
Grandpa Across the Ocean
The young narrator feels alienated and alone when he first arrives at his grandfather’s house in South Korea. Their differences begin to melt in the silent helper of empathy as they share walks, ice cream, and burgeoning understanding. A great choice for new or blended families.
Age Groups: Little Kids
Skills: Empathy
Discussion Questions
- How does the boy in the book feel early in the story? Why? How does he feel at the end?
- Have you ever met a new person? How did it feel?
- Why are some reasons that people's feelings might change?
Woodpecker Girl
In simple language, Yipei Huang, a young girl in a ghostly white wheelchair, explains how her cerebral palsy may have originated, spends quiet days watching others run around playing, sees her sister romp with their puppy, and wonders what it might belike if she could sing. The authors never dip into pathos, but give the story strength with a matter-of-fact approach; the girl tries to understand others, and they learn from her. An art-filled lesson that “an imperfect body can also lead to a perfect life” excludes no one from its net. A wistful, wondrous work.
Age Groups: Big Kids, Little Kids
Skills: Empathy
Discussion Questions
- What does the girl in the story feel in the beginning of the book?
- When her teacher attaches a paintbrush to her forehead with a headband, what happens?
- What does the girl learn about the world? What do others learn about her?
- Did this story help YOU learn anything about other people?
The Cot in the Living Room
This book, with its amiable illustrations, delivers a searing and important message about empathy, with a light and skillful touch. The cot in the living room is a source of envy to a young girl who, in a first-person narration, resents the privileges strangers enjoy in her home. One night she takes the cot for herself and realizes how scary it is to be alone, waiting for parents to return from their work shifts. The Dominican heritage of both author and illustrator are reflected in the characters pictured. D’Alessandro floods the pages with soft pastel colors and fills them with details of family life.
Age Groups: Big Kids
Skills: Empathy
Discussion Questions
- What does the girl in the story feel about Raquel and Edgardo at the beginning of the story?
- What changes her feelings about the cot — and Raquel and Edgardo?
- Have you ever felt one way and then changed your mind because you were able to understand someone else's perspective?
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