Little People, Big Hearts.
The gift that keeps on giving.
When my 2 year old daughter really loves something that she’s eating, she pulls it out of her mouth and tries to feed it to me. It’s half-eaten and disgusting so I decline, but her heart is in the right place. I’m telling you this because children inherently love giving. They share their favorite stuffed animal with you when you’re having a bad day, they run to retrieve their special Band-Aids when you impale your foot on their errant Legos, they offer tastes of their favorite snacks.
It is never too early (or too late) to teach our children about the importance of giving. To help you connect with your little one on the topic, I’ve selected five books in five fun categories. Each book is directly affiliated with a charity or foundation, making them the perfect choice for your budding philanthropist.
For the Nature Lover: Greta and the Giants (4-8 Years)
Introduce your little one to climate change activist Greta Thunberg in this brilliant allegory. Greedy giants are destroying the forest and plundering it for building materials and resources. Sad and scared, the forest creatures approach Greta for help. Greta’s simple, solo protest grows into a movement, and the end result will fill your heart with hope and happiness. This book raises money for 350.org, which is dedicated to supporting renewable energy solutions and fighting the fossil fuel industry.
Support 350.org here.
For the Animal Lover: Rescue & Jessica (4-8 Years)
Rescue & Jessica is based on the true story of double amputee Jessica Kensky and her NEADS World Class Service Dog, Rescue. Rescue was paired with Jessica in the early days of her physical recovery and rehabilitation. He brought joy, comfort, support, and friendship during her most difficult days. This book is done with such sensitivity, balancing a serious injury with careful yet honest storytelling so as not to overwhelm or distract young readers from Jessica and Rescue’s incredible relationship.
Support NEADS here.
For the Sports Enthusiast: I Promise (3-7 Years)
Inspired by and dedicated to the students and families of The LeBron James Family Foundation’s I PROMISE School, this book is the perfect read for your future champion. Every morning, I PROMISE students recite a list of promises to themselves similar to the ones that are powerfully stated in the book. Written by the King himself, strong messages about discipline, commitment, accountability, humility, and respect will encourage young readers to do right by themselves and others, and live up to their full potential.
Support the LeBron James Family Foundation here.
For the Budding World Traveler: Kind (2-5 Years)
This book is full of great ideas for small acts of kindness that children can do to make a difference. There is a strong focus on extending kindness to newcomers and being welcoming and open minded to people from different countries and cultures. Kind donates a portion of sales to the Three Peas charity, which provides essential goods and services to refugees from war torn and impoverished countries. 38 illustrators contributed their art to this book for free in a visually spectacular act of kindness.
Support Three Peas here.
Let’s Hear It for the Girls: Malala's Magic Pencil (4-8 Years)
Nobel Peace Prizewinner Malala Yousafzai authored this inspiring book about her girlhood in Pakistan. In her country, education for girls was a privilege and not a right, and Malala fought hard to stay in school. In the face of danger and discrimination, young Malala bravely wrote about the struggles and injustices she and other female students faced, and she shared their story with the world. She continues to advocate for girls’ education through the Malala Fund, which was a favorite charity of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Support the Malala Fund here.
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10% of purchases through Bookshop.org go directly to local bookstores. Little Biblio earns an affiliate commission when you buy through links on our site.