Heartwarming Kids Books That Teach Gratitude and Generosity

 “Piglet noticed that even though he had a very small heart, it could hold a rather large amount of gratitude.” Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne

💛 Teaching kids about gratitude and generosity this time of year is so important, and we have the perfect collection of books to help! 

You can find all our favorite books about gratitude and generosity on our Bookshop page.

Winter's Gifts: An Indigenous Celebration of Nature

Author: Kaitlin B. Curtice | Illustrator: Gloria Felix | Publisher: Convergent Books

Our thankfulness is your gift to Earth.

Winter’s Gifts is the tale of a young Potawatomi girl named Dani whose family celebrates the darkest season of the year by treasuring the slowness that winter brings. Dani’s schoolmates think it’s silly to think that Earth gives us presents, but on a magical snowy day, her family and Creator give Dani the courage to teach her friends about the gifts of winter—resting, remembrance, and gratitude. Can Dani help them receive winter’s gifts?

Winter’s Gifts is a joyful and tender family story of honoring creation, the power of storytelling, and how a new perspective can transform us.

The Helping Sweater

Author/Illustrator: Rachel Mas Davidson | Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

It's finally cold enough for Maya to wear her favorite sweater! But when her cat pulls a thread loose, her beloved sweater quickly begins to unravel. Maya is heartbroken, but she doesn't have time to fix it before school. She starts to realize that maybe her sweater can help other people--and that's when the magic begins! Maya uses her sweater to help folks in her community throughout the day. But of course, what goes around, comes around and when Maya needs help, someone comes to her rescue. The Helping Sweater is an accessible, uplifting picture book with an engaging heroine and an empathetic message. 

Thank You, Omu!

Author/Illustrator: Oge Mora | Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Everyone in the neighborhood dreams of a taste of Omu's delicious stew! One by one, they follow their noses toward the scrumptious scent. And one by one, Omu offers a portion of her meal. Soon the pot is empty. Has she been so generous that she has nothing left for herself?

Debut author-illustrator Oge Mora brings to life a heartwarming story of sharing and community in colorful cut-paper designs as luscious as Omu's stew, with an extra serving of love. An author's note explains that "Omu" (pronounced AH-moo) means "queen" in the Igbo language of her parents, but growing up, she used it to mean "Grandma." This book was inspired by the strong female role models in Oge Mora's life.

Thankful

Author: Elaine Vickers | Illustrator: Samantha Cotterill | Publisher: Simon & Schuster

I am thankful for a home where I am safe and warm.

Thankful for parents who read me stories and comb my hair gently, gently.

Who whisper the same poem every night when they tuck me in.

When the first snow falls, a little girl writes down the things she’s thankful for on strips of paper and links them together. As one idea leads to another, her chain grows longer. There’s so much good in her life: a friend, things that are warm, things that are cold, color, things that can be fixed. This beautiful story is a much-needed reminder to observe and honor life’s small joys.

Thank You

Author/Illustrator: Jarvis | Publisher: Candlewick

I thank my hat for stopping my thoughts from floating

up, up, and away.

I thank the cloud for the puddles.

The moon brings nighttime, and the sun the day. With no yellow and blue, we’d be a world without green lights, and without itches we’d never know the relief of a scratch. From oversized plants that offer hiding places to boots that somehow know the way, from siblings who bravely take the first plunge to yourself for being you, award-winning picture-book creator Jarvis spans the gamut from the silly to the sublime and opens the endless possibilities for giving thanks. Strikingly illustrated in bright, clear colors, this uplifting picture book is poised to make a thoughtful gift.

Pa, Me and Our Sidewalk Pantry

Author: Toni Buzzeo| Illustrator: Zara Gonzalez Hoang | Publisher: Harry N. Abrams

Pa and his grandchild, Jelly Bean, have a sidewalk library filled with stories. Anyone can bring donations or take something to read. Jelly Bean loves the sidewalk library! But what about when their neighbors might need something more than books?

Together, Pa and Jelly Bean build a sidewalk pantry right next to the sidewalk library. They get donations from neighbors who have a lot to give, and leave the doors open for those who may not have enough.

This charming multigenerational story celebrates community, generosity, and creative problem-solving.

Saturdays at Harlem Grown: How One Big Idea Transformed a Community

Author: Tony Hillery| Illustrator: Jessie Hartland | Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Mr. Tony and Nevaeh, a student, planted a farm. And then the word got out. Every Saturday people came to help: moms, dads, neighbors, shopkeepers. Everyone pitched in and raked, tiled, dug, and planted. It was beautiful in spring and summer, and when the weather turned to fall, it was time to harvest so everyone could experience the fruits (and vegetables) of their labor. Together they composted, recycled, and enjoyed. They built a garden. They built a community, too.

Take the story even further with an author’s note, a recipe for vegetable soup, and instructions for recycling, composting, and tending to a garden.

A Bear to Share

Author: Jessica Alba, Kelly Swayer Patricof, Norah Weinstein | Illustrator: Alicia Mas | Publisher: HarperCollins

Business leader, actor, and Baby2Baby ambassador Jessica Alba and Baby2Baby co-CEOs Kelly Sawyer Patricof and Norah Weinstein deliver the important message of giving back from an early age through this tender and delightful story.

Tiana loves her teddy bear, Bach. She doesn’t mind that he’s a little worn and somewhat torn. So when her mother suggests she make room for a new bear, Tiana can’t believe her ears!

Will Tiana have to lose the one bear she really loves? Or will she find room in her heart for two?

Find out in this endearing tale—brought to life by Alicia Más’s imaginative illustrations—about a young girl who learns the importance of letting go and giving back.

A girl with a big heart who loves her teddy bear, her family, and her best friend, Tiana will appeal to any child trying to understand what it means to give back to others.

The More You Give

Author: Marcy Campbell| Illustrator: Francesca Sanna | Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Once there was a wide-open field, and a boy who loved his grandmother, who loved him back.

The boy’s grandmother gives him many gifts, like hugs, and Sunday morning pancakes, and acorns with wild and woolly caps. And all her wisdom about how things grow. As the boy becomes a father, he gives his daughter bedtime stories his grandmother told him, and piggyback rides. He gives her acorns, and the wisdom he learned about how things grow. His daughter continues the chain, then passing down gifts of her own. Here is a picture book about the legacy of love that comes when we nurture living things—be they people or trees.