Raising their children to be generous is a top priority for many parents. Oftentimes, though, it feels like the world has other plans. Kids are constantly bombarded with opportunities for receiving. Attend a birthday party? Bring home a goody bag. Holiday approaching? Make your wish list. Cooperate for the dentist? Choose a prize. On and on it goes. What about giving? Research from the Making Caring Common Project at Harvard points to parent communication of priorities as a key factor in successfully raising caring children. How can parents talk to their kids about generosity? Stories are prime teaching tools, so here are five titles to initiate discussions with children about the importance of giving, with related ideas for encouraging generous habits.
by Beatrice Alemagna
In this story, five-year-old Edie searches her neighborhood for the perfect birthday gift for her mother. She overheard her sister say, “birthday—Mommy—fluffy—little—squishy,” so that’s what seeks. After an exhausting but successful search, her mother’s exuberant response to her present, a hot pink “little fluffy” found in the garbage, is the perfect reward for Edie’s efforts.by Kyo Maclear
Charles heads into the forest with one goal: to find a Wish Tree. Even though he starts out focused on his own pursuits, it’s what he does during his search that is the most poignant. First, he stops to use his sled to help Squirrel get his hazelnuts home. Then, Beaver needs help carrying birch wood to his lodge, and Fox has a meal of berries she needs taken to her kits. Charles gives so much of his day to the woodland animals that, when night falls, he still hasn’t found his Wish Tree. The animals return his kindness in a touching ending.by Salina Yoon
Penguin finds a pinecone and is delighted to have a companion, until he comes to the painful realization that if he truly loves his friend, he must return him to the forest. So begins a caring, long-distance friendship. The final line of the book, “When you give love…it grows,” and the illustration of a forest of well-tended pine trees is picture book sweetness at its best.by Michelle Edwards
Mrs. Goldman knits hats for everyone in the community. One day, it dawns on little Sophia, who helps her make the pom-poms, that Mrs. Goldman doesn’t have any cozy headwear of her own. She sets out to make her a hat – a challenging, but ultimately satisfying task.by Jeff Brumbeau
This is a lengthy picture book, but it’s so captivating that you may be surprised at young children’s attention span for it. The King has an insatiable desire for gifts, but the thing he wants most, a quilt from the most talented quiltmaker in the kingdom, isn’t up for offer. She only gives her quilts to the poor. In the end, the quiltmaker convinces the King to give away his prized possessions, and he experiences the joy of giving to others for the first time.
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