“He who loves others is constantly loved by them. He who respects others is constantly respected by them.” – Mencius
The Importance of Teaching Respect to Kids
Respect is one of the most important values we can teach our children.
Respecting others’ feelings and opinions teaches us about empathy, tolerance, and helps us better understand the perspective of others. A study of children between the ages 5 and 15 found that on a fundamental level, children relate respect with kindness and fair treatment.
We all benefit from relationships that nurture empathy and interpersonal well-being.
There are several ways to teach your children social and emotional skills, such as like leading by example and discussing appropriate and inappropriate behavior.
A great way to get the conversation started is to read children’s books about respect.
Reading is one of the most effective ways to help children learn and understand different concepts. Research has shown that reading is more important for children’s cognitive development than their parents’ socio-economic background.
Read further as we discuss a list of helpful children’s books to teach your kids about respect.
17 Children's Books About Respect
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All Are Welcome Here is New York Time’s best-selling picture book about diversity and inclusion. It is a perfect back-to-school read for teaching children about accepting everyone irrespective of their color, religion, and culture. The book is a perfect way to teach about how the world needs tolerance and acceptance no matter what differences we have.
One basic way of being respectful is to understand and follow rules. Know and Follow Rules is a book about following the rules at school and home. The book starts with reasons to follow the rules and their benefits. The engaging illustrations of the book teach children how not following rules can lead to unpleasant consequences and can get us in trouble. It also contains questions and interactive activities to help children learn more about the topic and understand it better.
Doug is a typical boy that just doesn’t like hugs. There are other ways he likes to say hello and show he cares. In this humorous and playful book, readers learn about important ideas such as body autonomy and respecting the personal space of others. Parents can use this lighthearted book to help initiate conversations about consent, showing respect to others as well as having permission to set our own boundaries.
The Recess Queen is a great book to teach kids about bullying and its impact. The book is about a mean girl and how she would bully everyone at school until a new kid came to challenge her. With her cheerful personality, she befriends her and dethrones the recess queen. The book is ideal for 4-7 year-olds. It comes with a great lesson about standing up against bullying, the power of modeling kindness and respect, and making the world better through positive relationships.
That Rule Doesn’t Apply to Me! is a book by the award-winning writer Julia Cooks that teaches about character development and the importance of following rules. The book’s main character, Noodle, hates following the rules at home and school. He always questioned their purpose and hated to follow them. He learns from his mother about the benefits of rules and how they help develop a safe environment for everyone.
America’s beloved storyteller Kate DiCamillo has come up with another picture book with a great lesson about respect and compassion. The story revolves around Frances, a kind-hearted girl, an organ grinder, and his pet monkey. Around Christmas, the organ grinder and his pet monkey settle outside Frances’s apartment. Soon she notices they have no place to go on cold winter nights. The story unfolds and teaches a heartwarming lesson about respecting everyone and caring for others.
A Chair for My Mother is a beautiful book about family values and appreciating others’ efforts. It revolves around a girl who saves money in a jar to buy a comfortable chair for her waitress mother. After saving money for so long, the girl, her mother and grandmother go out to buy the best chair in the market. It is an emotional book about acknowledging others’ efforts and hard work and giving back love and kindness.
The Way I Act has bold illustrations and fun verses that teach children 13 ways to be on their best behavior. It is a great book for teaching children about how to act respectfully. The vivid illustrations helps children understand the lessons and provide opportunities for discussion.
The Bad Seed is an endearing book about willpower, acceptance and embracing your true self. It is about a bad seed who would do everything to annoy others and be disrespectful. One day a tiny mischievous seed changes his mind, and instead of being grumpy, rude and upset all the time, the bad seed chooses to be happy. The charming words by Jory John and vivid illustrations by Pete Oswald make this book a great choice for a children’s book about respect.
I Just Don’t Like the Sound of No! is the second book by Julia Cook’s “Best me I can be” series. It teaches about the appropriate social behavior to accept “no” politely. The main character of the book RJ hates the word “no.” He would do everything to convert everyone’s no into a yes until his teacher devised a great plan. The book is best for 3-6-year-olds with easy-to-understand sentences and images.
Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes is about accepting your own and respecting others’ identities. Due to its heart-touching message, it was named a notable book for children by American Library Association. The book is about a girl named Chrysanthemum, who loved her name until her first day at school. It shocked her when her classmates started mocking her name and making fun of her. As the story unfolds, it gives a message of tolerance, kindness and compassion toward others and how they help deepen relationships.
Interrupting Chicken teaches how not to interrupt while someone is talking. The book is full of wit and humor but teaches an important message on a lighter note. Papa chicken reads bedtime stories to little red chicken but gets annoyed as the chicken can’t stop interrupting. Both adults and children enjoy this enticing piece of writing. This Caldecott Honor Book is helpful for teaching children about respect and a great addition to your family library.
While many of the books on this list are about respecting others, another important lesson for children is to respect themselves and embrace their individuality. Loser is about a boy, Zinkoff, who knows he is different from others and accepts it. With great wit and playfulness, Jerry Spinelli shows readers that by overcoming failures and working though differences, one can achieve success and become a hero. This book is a good choice for 3rd graders and older.
Don’t Touch My Hair! teaches kids not to touch somebody without permission. The book is about a girl named Aria with beautiful, black, curly hair. Her hair is so mesmerizing that everybody who sees it wants to touch it. She goes everywhere, from land to underwater, until she has enough. This fun book helps readers appreciate the diversity and beauty of different ethnicities and teaches about asking for permission before touching someone. Your little ones can learn about personal space and the concept of consent with this interesting and well-illustrated book.
Do Unto Otters is all about making friends and treating your neighbors with kindness and love. The story is about Mr. Rabbit and his new otter neighbors. Initially, Mr. Rabbit gets confused about how to get along with otters because he doesn’t know anything about them. But by following the Golden rule of treating everyone the same way you want to be treated, he makes otters his best friends.
From the author that gave us such classics as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The BFG, comes another celebrated story. Matilda teaches children about sharing joy and respecting others, even if they do not reciprocate. The book is about a girl named Matilda. Her parents don’t respect her individuality and consider her an annoyance. The story takes a turn when Matilda realizes her inner powers to fight back against the treacherous headmistress Miss Trunchbull.
The book reminds everybody of the golden rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” With colorful illustrations and a beautiful message The Golden Rule teaches readers about treating others with respect and kindness so they will treat you the same way. The book’s story is about a grandfather teaching his grandson the golden rule and how to apply it in everyday life.
Other Suggestions About Teaching Respect to Children
Instilling respect in children requires proactive and intentional efforts from parents and educators. Here are some simple activities and strategies to teach kids about respect:
Tips for Teaching Children to Respect Others
1. Lead by example: Show children respect by treating them and others with kindness, empathy, and fairness.
2. Promote diversity and inclusivity: Teach children about different cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives, encouraging respect for all individuals.
3. Encourage positive communication: Teach children active listening, empathy, and the importance of speaking respectfully to others.
Simple Activities to Teach Kids About Respect
1. Role-playing: Encourage children to act out different scenarios where they have to demonstrate respect towards others. This does not have to be a formal exercise. Using toys during the course of their play is a great way to teach valuable lessons.
2. Gratitude exercises: Teach children to express gratitude and appreciation for others, fostering respect and kindness.
3. Collaborative projects: Engage children in group activities that require teamwork, cooperation, and respect for others’ ideas and opinions.
Respectful Behavior: Examples and Scenarios
Respectful behavior is essential in various settings. Here are some examples of respectful behavior to encourage at home and at school.
Respectful Behavior Examples at Home
1. Listening attentively when someone is speaking.
2. Using polite language and manners.
3. Respecting personal space and belongings.
Respectful Behavior Examples at School
1. Treating classmates and teachers with kindness and respect.
2. Cooperating with others during group projects.
3. Respecting the school rules and the learning environment.
Final Thoughts on Children’s Books about Respect
Stories are powerful tools to teach children life lessons. As a parent myself, I often reference lessons from the books we read and the movies we watch as a way of motivating them to apply what they have learned. We hope our detailed list of children’s books about respect will help you teach your little one about embracing differences and treating everyone with kindness and empathy.
