Celebrating International Friendship Month through Children's Literature
Children's books about friendship often portray empathy, diversity, and inclusion. They show young readers how to form connections, learn kindness and show understanding.
By featuring diverse friendships, children's literature plays a crucial role in shaping open-minded future generations. These books help plant the seeds of acceptance and shared joy, guiding young readers towards a more inclusive world.
In children's literature, stories about friendship teach young minds the beauty of empathy and compassion for others. Through these stories, children learn to foster friendships, embracing the richness of diverse experiences that shape our shared human journey.
Key Lessons from Stories about Friendship:
- Embrace diversity and inclusion
- Practice kindness and empathy
- Value self-acceptance
- Learn conflict resolution
“You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing.” -E.B. White
This quote from Charlotte’s Web beautifully captures the essence of friendship, celebrating the unlikelihood of such diverse creatures forging a lifelong friendship through their differences and shared experiences. Stories about friendship teach children how to develop healthy relationships .
The stories below help children understand the importance of forming and nurturing friendships. They feature diverse friendships to teach acceptance and celebrate differences. Children’s stories about friendship help young readers to understand various cultural backgrounds, fostering empathy, acceptance and inclusivity.
Best Children’s Stories and Books on Friendship:
Stories to Grow by
Can Sima Guang save his friend when he makes a terrible mistake?
Beth Ferry (Author) and Tom Lichtenheld (Illustrator)
When Stick rescues Stone from a bully pinecone, a friendship is born. With fun rhymes and clever puns, this book shows the love between friends.
Lynn Reiser
Told in both Spanish and English, this bilingual story follows two young girls who become friends at a playground despite speaking different languages.
Jacqueline Woodson (Author) and E.B. Lewis (Illustrator)
Clover and Annie live on either side of a fence — a fence that is meant to divide them. At first the girls watch each other from afar, but then they decide that a fence like that is meant for sitting on — together.
Kerascoet
When a girl sees a classmate getting bullied, she wonders what she can do to help. This picture book shows the power of a simple act of kindness.
Anna Dewdney
Llama llama has a playdate with his new neighbor. Can he learn the power of sharing with his new friend?
Sara Gillingham
Friendship is like flowers blooming in the garden. Explore this book which compares growing and nurturing a friendship to the tender care that it takes to grow a beautiful flower.
Looking for some stories on navigating friendships for older children? Here is a wonderful collection of stories for Middle School or High School students.
Share a read aloud with a children’s book on friendship to celebrate International Friendship Month and witness the power of children's literature to foster meaningful connections and lasting friendships.