Have a child who blames everyone else, the weather, and all other circumstances when things go wrong? ‘Betty Bunny Didn’t Do It’ teaches kids to take personal responsibility when they make a mistake. When Betty Bunny breaks a lamp, she has a brand-new idea to get out of trouble: blame it on someone else (like the Tooth Fairy)!

Then a vase gets broken and Betty Bunny really didn’t do it. But now no one in her family believes her. Honest lies, white lies, crying wolf—explore the consequences of telling lies and how it destroys trust.

Have a child who twists a tale in order to keep a friend’s toy as his own or get out of trouble? Use Ruthie and the (Not So) Teeny Tiny Lie to explain truth versus lie. An amusing and relatable story about a fox, Ruthie who loves little things. So when she finds a teeny tiny camera on the school playground one afternoon, she can hardly believe her luck. She wants to keep the camera, but there’s one little problem: It isn’t hers.

Rankin addresses a common playground issue through the thoroughly believable behavior of her little fox. She shows a full range of emotional responses, from exhilarating happiness to denial, lying, guilt, embarrassment and finally remorse.

What makes a kid cool? Great at music, sports, or art?

The Cool Bean is incredible book that teaches kids it is cooler to be kind. At school, there’s the cool beans, and there’s the uncool has-bean. One bean tries everything he can to fit in with the cool crowd– until one day, the cool beans show him that it is kindness that makes one cool. And anyone can be kind. A witty story that deals with self-image and personal qualities that truly matter when it comes to winning friends. This book is a New York Times Bestseller. (More suitable for 4 and above.)

How Full Is Your Bucket? uses the bucket as a metaphor for life. Each of us has an invisible bucket. When our bucket is full, we feel great. When it’s empty, we feel awful. When we fill our bucket with kindness, what comes out in our words and actions will be kind too.

In the story, Felix begins to see how every interaction in a day either fills or empties his bucket. He learns how easy it can be to fill the buckets of his classmates, teachers and family members. Before the day is over, Felix learns to be a great bucket filler, and in the process, discovers that filling someone else’s bucket also fills his own. Kids can follow Felix along and learn how to be kind to others.

Full of simple ways to show kindness, Kindness Is My Superpower is one of the best social-emotional learning book for raising kind children. Little superhero Lucas learns what kindness means and what it is like to be kind, sensitive, caring, and generous.

This charming story with catchy rhymes and colorful illustrations will explain to your child that it is okay to make a mistake and say I’m sorry. Want to teach your child good manners and positive behaviour at home, at school, in the store, and on the playground? Then this is the book for you.

A Caldecott Medal winner, A Sick Day for Amos McGee shows kids that kindness begets kindness. At the zoo, zookeeper Amos McGee spends time with each of his animal friends everyday, running races with the tortoise, keeping the shy penguin company, and even reading bedtime stories to the owl. One day, Amos is too sick to turn up at the zoo and his animal friends decide it is time they return the favor and visit Amos McGee instead.

I think the book also shows how we can show gratitude for the kindness we have received.

To squish or not to squish? Hey Little Ant shows a conversation between a little girl and and a tiny ant when she is about to step on the ant and kill it. Does an ant deserve our kindness? It is an adorable story about being kind to animals both big and small.

A teacher’s pick that has entertained thousands of children and challenged them to think about kindness to humans, animals and even the environment.

Told from Louis’ perspective, this story provides parents and teachers an entertaining way to teach children the value of respecting others by listening and waiting for their turn to speak. My Mouth Is A Volcano takes an empathetic approach to address a common habit of children who are eager to talk and interrupt others.

The book also teaches children a witty technique to help them manage their rambunctious thoughts and words.

Do Unto Otters is an excellent book that covers all bases about what Respect means by using the golden rule: treat others the same way you would like others to treat you. It describes what respect and good manners look like and sound like in daily life– when to say hello, please, thank you, excuse me, I’m sorry etc.

Adorable, smart and playful story-telling using a rabbit who wonders if he will get along with his new Otter neighbours. All kids will love this book and find the principles easy to understand.

I love how A Little Respectful SPOT gives easy to understand definitions of what Respect means and how children can show it in daily lives. Join a cute little yellow SPOT as he shows all the different ways to be respectful to people, places and things. Being RESPECTFUL tells people you not only care about them but you also care about yourself too! With fun illustrations, children will be able to see actual scenarios that they are in everyday! From being polite, to respecting personal space and property, these lessons will help children thrive in school and at home.

If you drop just one soda can out the window, it’s no big deal…right? But what if everybody did that? What if everybody broke the rules…and spoke during story time, didn’t wash up, or splashed too much at the pool? Then the world would be a mess. What If Everybody Did That? uses humorous illustrations to answer these questions in a child-friendly way and show the consequences of thoughtless behavior.

Parents can add other scenarios of their own to extend the conversation, like what if everybody pluck a flower from the bush or leave their tap running? It is a nice way of getting children to think about environmental protection and sustainability too.

All children need to learn to take responsibility for their toys, their belongings, and their homework when they go to school. What more a pet? That comes with huge responsibilities. In The Pigeon Wants a Puppy, Pigeon speaks to the reader directly and promises that he’ll take really good care of the puppy by watering it once a month. He really, really, REALLY wants a puppy. Pigeon gets emotional when he concludes that you don’t want him to have a puppy.

A relatable story that reflects how kids throw tantrums when they don’t get the things they want. It is a great book to help children think through the responsibilities they must undertake when they ask for something.

Teach children to stop making excuses and blaming others when they make mistakes. Elementary school kids will identify with Noodle as he makes one excuse after another for his behavior and choices that lead to unwanted consequences.

In But It’s Not My Fault, Noodle thinks it just isn’t his fault that his brother’s game ran late, and he didn’t finish his homework. Or that his mom forgot to remind him to turn in his library book. By learning to accept responsibility, he finds instead how to use mistakes as opportunities for problem-solving and to turn negatives into positives.

Included at the end of the storybook are tips for parents and educators for conquering the blame game. Julia Cook has other books in the ‘Responsible Me’ series all great for school-going kids– The Procrastinator, Badtitude etc. Check them out.

What Should Danny Do? is a clever, interactive book that is written in a ‘Choose Your Own Story’ Style. It empowers kids to make positive choices while demonstrating the natural consequences to negative choices. The book contains 9 fun stories and follows Danny, a Superhero-in-Training, through his day as he encounters choices that kids face on a daily basis. Highly relatable scenarios at home, in school, with siblings etc. As children navigate through the different story lines, they will begin to realize that their choices for Danny shapes his day into what it becomes. And in turn, their choices for themselves will shape their days, and ultimately their lives, into what they will be.

Great book for teaching children to take personal responsibility for their choices. A must-have on every family’s bookshelf.

The Little Red Hen is a timeless and classic tale that teaches ‘you reap what you sow’– and a cautionary tale for lazy ones. It follows a little red hen who needs help to plant some wheat. She asks various friends– a cat, a dog and a mouse– for help but none of them wants to. So she did everything herself, including harvesting and baking a cake. In the end, she gets to eat the cake all by herself as well!

The book can be used to discuss with children what it means to be responsible at home and in school. When the little kiddos start formal schooling, they need to learn that hard work and effort are important in getting results they want.

A humorous and appealing book that teaches children to move on and make amends when they make mistakes. To err is human and Even Superheroes Make Mistakes.

When superheroes mess up, what do they do? Do they say, “It’s not FAIR?” or give up in despair? NO! “Ashamed Superheroes who goofed up somehow . . . First STOP . . . then CONSIDER what’s best to do now.”  Learn the process these superheroes take when they nab the wrong guy by mistake or bash into a planet while zooming through space. There are so many great principles to learn in this book– all of us can overcome adversity; no mistake is too big to solve; even as we take responsibility, be kind to ourselves.

There are so many things we can teach children about what being brave means. This book, Courage gives a good description to the many different types of courage, from big things like a firefighter rescuing people to small, ordinary things like “being the first to make up after an argument,” or “going to bed without a nightlight.” Bernard Weber celebrates the moments, both big and small, and brings out the hero in each of us.

My children often ask to reread this book. It is a good book to explore courage as an abstract concept and helps children understand that every challenge they overcome, like riding a bike or saying hello to someone new can be showing courage.

How do we inspire our kids to overcome their fears? The Lion Inside is a funny story of role reversals. It shows a mouse who feels small and insecure. To feel brave, he thinks that what he needs to do is learn how to roar like a lion. When he approaches a lion to learn how, he finds out that the link is actually afraid of mice! The mouse comforts the lion, they become friends, and we learn that there’s a lion and a mouse inside all of us.

The inspiring text by Rachel Bright has a flowing rhyme, is fun to read and teaches young children that all of us have fears. However, we can learn to overcome them and live out our dreams.

Scaredy Squirrel speaks to the child who worries excessively and thinks of the worst that can happen in daily life. In this hilarious story, Scaredy Squirrel never leaves his nut tree. It’s way too dangerous out there. He could encounter tarantulas, green Martians or killer bees. He prepares all kinds of things in the event that he encounters danger- antibacterial soap, Band-Aids, parachute, and even exit plans. But one day, when he accidentally falls out of his tree, he discovers that he can fly! The thrill and joy he feels start him on new adventures.

Sometimes, we let our fears stop us from trying new things and living life fully. This is a great book to show kids the importance of stepping out of their comfort zone.

The Kissing Hand is a heartwarming classic that has touched the lives of millions of children and their parents, especially at times of separation, whether starting school, entering daycare, or going to camp.

Chester Raccoon is afraid of going to forest school. To help ease Chester’s fears, Mrs. Raccoon shares a family secret called the Kissing Hand to give him the reassurance of her love any time his world feels a little scary. Instead of brushing off their fears, this book teaches parents to view their children’s fears with empathy, compassion and understanding. Love is the way to help our children overcome fears. There are stickers at the back to help children and their parents keep their Kissing Hand alive.

Do you have a kid who finds it difficult to share? In school, Mine-O-Saur snatches all the toys. He grabs all the snacks at snack time. He hoards the blocks during recess. And all the while he yells, “MINE, MINE, MINE!” Soon enough, no one wants to play with him.

Follow Mine-O-Saur as he realizes that playing is no fun when he is all alone. What he really wants is friends. A popular book with young readers on the importance of sharing.

In The Quiltmaker’s Gift, a wise quiltmaker makes the most beautiful quilts in the world – but she will give them only to those who have nothing. When a rich, dissatisfied king insists that she give him one of her quilts, she agrees to give him one only if he can meet a condition: to give away all he owns. After much resistance, he finally gives away his possessions one by one to people in his kingdom. He is surprised to find that the more he gives away, the happier he is.

Finally, when the king has nothing, the quiltmaker gives him the promised quilt. By then, the king has learned that giving brings more joy than receiving. This heartwarming tale has won numerous awards and support the value of generosity.

A classic and well loved book, The Giving Tree is a poignant and moving story about unconditional giving. It tells of a tree who loves a boy that goes to the tree everyday to eat her apples, swing from her branches, or slide down her trunk to play. But as the boy grows older, he begins to want more from the tree. Gradually, the tree gives the boy her apples, her branches, and her trunk until she is only a stump.

My children loves this book. It has opened up discussions not just about what true giving means, but also about appreciation, human greed, and even environmental protection. Every child should read this book!

Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? is an uplifting book for any child who may be going through a rough patch. What is Dr Seuss’s message?–keep looking for things and circumstances we can be grateful for. Strengthening gratitude has been proven to build optimism and resilience. And Dr Seuss’s irrepressible optimism in this story will certainly encourage readers.

In the book, he describes a variety of horrible situations that we can be grateful we are not in. With his trademark rhymes and signature illustrations, readers will, without a doubt, realize just how lucky they truly are. This book is a good reminder not just for kids but adults as well.

Lovely book that reminds us to be thankful for the little things in life. In An Awesome Book Of Thanks!, the narrator says ‘thank you’ to the sun, food, trains, books and more. The book also shows appreciation for creation, new inventions, and even how bad things can turn out to be good.

I like how this book teaches children to be intentional in listing things, places, people and events to be thankful for.

Have a child who complains his room is too small or that he doesn’t have enough toys? Use this hilarious book to teach the value of gratefulness. It Could Always Be Worse tells of a man who considered himself unfortunate for having to live with his mother, his wife, and his six children in a one-room hut. Because they were so crowded, the children often fought and the man and his wife argued. When the poor man was unable to stand it any longer, he ran to the Rabbi for help. The Rabbi gave him the strange advice of taking some animals into the hut.

As he followed the Rabbi’s unlikely advice, the poor man’s life went from bad to worse, with increasingly uproarious results. In the end, the man learns the value of contentment as things could always be worse.