Early Childhood Education Journal, Vol. 31, No.
3, Spring 2004 ( 2004)
Books for Children
Promoting Empathy and Developing Caring Readers
Pauline Davey Zeece, Department Editor
INTRODUCTION
Children in early childhood settings today face an
adulthood full of decisions about how and for whom they
should care. As the world is literally accessible through
their fingertips and ever-increasing technological ad-
vances, the need for a deeper and perhaps an earlier un-
derstanding of global differences appears imminent.
Children must be equipped to “get along” with a wide
variety of people throughout their lives (American Psy-
chology Association [APA], 1997). Quality early child-
hood education environments promote the beginning de-
velopment of children’s moral character, compassion,
and skills to form healthy, rewarding relationships with
others (Patten, 2001).
In early childhood, young children begin to learn
to work cooperatively, compassionately, and empatheti-
cally (Patten, 2001). Empathy, or being able to “feel the
feelings of others” (Barnet & Barnet, 1998, p. 164) has
been identified by Kagan (1985) as one of the core
moral emotions. It drives prosocial development and
motivates children to do something on behalf of another.
Empathy promotes understanding of others, and its found-
ation begins in early childhood. As empathy develops,
it increases prosocial behavior and becomes a key ingre-
dient of meaningful social interactions between individ-
uals and among groups (Eisenberg & Fabes, 1998; Tu-
riel, 1998).
Hoffman (1997) posits a developmental sequence in
which prosocial actions emerge from early empathic ca-
pacity. He suggests that as early as the second year of
life, children demonstrate an increasing ability to differ-
entiate between their own and others’ internal states.
Thus, young children are increasingly capable of becom-
ing empathically involved in others’ distress and to re-
spond with other-oriented sympathetic concern. While a
child’s environment, culture, and temperament influence
his or her predisposition for empathy and compassion,
there is strong evidence that child-rearing practices af-
fect this emerging empathic development (Barnet &
Barent, 1998; Kohn, 2000).
193
What then can early childhood education profes-
sionals do to promote this development? Kohn (2000)
outlines several mechanisms by which adults may en-
courage caring, prosocial, empathic behavior in children.
Each of these may be supported by the selection and use
of culturally and developmentally appropriate literature
for children.
EMPATHY IS SUPPORTED WHEN ADULTS USE
LITERATURE TO ENCOURAGE SECURE
ATTACHMENT AND NURTURING
Positive early attachment patterns have been shown
to influence patterns of social development in later years.
Warm and caring parents and significant caregivers help
young children to construe the world as a manageable and
safe place. This makes them more open to the needs of
others (Kohn, 2000). Special stories can reinforce the no-
tion that children are valued and accepted. Books can be
a visual and verbal way to confirm to children that they are
loved. Shared in meaningful ways, such resources nurture
children’s emotions, as well as their minds.
Middleton, Charlotte. Do you still love me? Cam-
bridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 2003. 32 pp., $15.99.
Ages 4 to 6 years.
Dutiful Dudley has a well-scripted life. The best
part of his routine, however, is the way he curls in
Anna’s lap every evening. Then one day, Anna brings
home something new-a baby chameleon called Pequito.
From then on, things take a disturbing turn. Everyone
loves the irascible reptile. Dudley cannot compete. Worst
of all, at the end of the day, there is now somebody else
in Dudley’s favorite place. Every young reader who has
experienced jealously, competition, or apprehension about
any new addition to a family will smile with relief at the
clever, courageous, and consoling conclusion.
Norac, Carl. I Love to Cuddle. Claude DuBois, illus-
trator. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for
Young Readers, 2003. 32 pp., $5.99. Ages 3 to 6 years.
1082-3301/04/0300-0193/0  2004 Human Sciences Press, Inc.
194
Lovable Lola is back in this enjoyable follow-up to
the bestselling I Love You So Much. When Mommy and
Daddy are gone, even for only a little while, Lola feels
lonely. There is nobody around to give her a special hug!
It is just not the same with a new babysitter. But then
Lola comes up with a clever idea: she brings every cud-
dly thing she has into the living room and makes her
very own Cuddle Island! An effective story for explor-
ing feelings related to separation and return-and every-
thing in between.
Bynum, Janie. Pig Enough. San Diego, CA: Har-
court, 2003. 40 pp., $16.00. Ages 3 to 7 years.
Willy does not fit in. His trumpet wails to a tone-
deaf ear, his memory fails during the school play, and
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his pitching abilities fall short. Will he find his niche?
The pig scouts might just be the answer. There is one
small glitch. Willie is a guinea pig! Young readers-out-
siders and insiders alike-will enjoy the tenacity, heroic
rescue, and final triumph of this winsome little guinea
pig, who at story’s end, saves the day and finds his place
in the world.
Partridge, Elizabeth. Whistling. Anna Grossnickle
Hines, illustrator/quilter. New York: Greenwillow
Books/Harper Collins, 2003. 40 pp., $16.00. Ages 4 to
7 years.
In the clearing, sparks from a smoldering fire light
up the night; Jake and his father are camping out. Chil-
dren are drawn into this simple father-son tale. The com-
pelling quilt illustrations of Anna Grossnickle Hines (see
also Pieces: A Year in Poems and Quilts, Greenwillow,
2001) provide an evocative backdrop as a boy and his
dad whistle up the dawn as the sun peeks over the ho-
rizon.
Just when I think my lungs will burst,
Daddy’s whistle starts up, rich and low.
I gulp in more air.
Together our whistling is strong and true.
Final pages detail the quilter’s technique so children and
their adults can create a story quilt of their own.
Gay, Michael. Zee. New York: Clarion Books, 2003.
40 pp., $15.00. Ages 3 to 7 years.
Zee is allowed to climb into bed with his parents,
but only after they are awake. And this morning it is
Promoting Empathy and Developing Caring Readers 195

very, very early and they are very, very sleepy. Zee
knows just what they need . . . coffee! But when the de-
lightful little zebra trips on a toy, the coffee spills. Now Lichtenheld’s colorful, hilarious images are full of fan-
there are only a few drops left to share. Zee must find tastic details that will be a hit with readers of all ages.
another way to wake his parents without making them A surprise ending makes this book perfect for the grump
upset. His final solution ends in a family snuggle that in every family or any early childhood education setting.
will bring smiles to snuggling-loving readers.
Saltzberg, Barney. Crazy Hair Day. Cambridge, MA:
Candlewick Press, 2003. 32 pp., $15.99. Ages 5 to 8
EMPATHY IS SUPPORTED WHEN ADULTS USE years.
LITERATURE TO GUIDE CHILDREN AND
PROVIDE EXPLANATIONS Stanley Birdbaum rises early on Crazy Hair Day.
This is going to be his best day at school! His mother
Adults help children develop prosocial behaviors and helps him create the sure to be judged zaniest hairdo
empathic reactions when they explain which and why ever. It is indeed a work of art-almost. When Stanley
some behaviors are important and how actions can help gets to school he discovers that Crazy Hair Day is next
or harm people. Special stories and books can highlight week. Retreat into the bathroom creates a resourceful
explanations and reinforce prosocial actions. By accu- diversion until his best friend comes to get Stanley for
rately identifying feelings and linking them to behaviors,
children are given the opportunity to consider the cause
and effect of words and actions. Stories that label feel-
ings provide insight into a wide range of behaviors and
demonstrate the positive consequences of prosocial ac-
tions. These things support the development of a young
child’s emerging empathy and provide a springboard to
investigate social behaviors of all kinds.

Lichtenheld, Tom. What Are You So Grumpy About?

New York: Little, Brown, and Company, 2003. 32
pp., $15.95. Ages 5 to 9 years.

Did you get up on the wrong side of the bed?

Were all your favorite clothes in the laundry?
Did your brother/sister TOUCH you?
Did your gravy touch your peas?

What Are You So Grumpy About? addresses with gentle

humor many of the things that annoy children. Tom
196
the class picture. How could things get any worse? For-
tunately, it does prove to be a day Stanley will never
forget, because his classmates surprise him by wearing
silly, makeshift hats for the photograph. This story is a
testimony to the vulnerable feelings of young children,
the need to be accepted, and the power of friendship.
Light, Steve. I Am Happy: A Touch-And-Feel Book of
Feelings. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 2003.
12 pp., $12.99. Ages 3 to 6 years.
What does angry feel like? Is it scratchy? Do legs
get rubbery when a person is afraid? For young children
who sometimes have difficulty articulating what they
are feeling, this touch-and-feel book offers a creative
way to begin conversations about emotions.
Cheng, Andrea. Anna the Bookbinder. Ted Rand, il-
lustrator. New York: Walker & Company, 2003. 32
pp., $16.95. Ages 5 to 9 years.
Anna, the young protagonist of this compelling pic-
ture book, helps her father in his bookbindery. Wise be-
yond her years, Anna understands that the family busi-
ness is being threatened by competition from cheaper,
large-volume operations that glue bindings, rather than
carefully stitching them by hand. When Anna’s mother
goes into labor prematurely, father cannot fill an order
from an influential customer. There is no one left to
complete the order-or is there? Rand’s luminous water-
color illustrations create the perfect impressionist frame
for this engaging tale.
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Fleischman, Paul. The Animal Hedge. Bagram Iba-
toulline, illustrator. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick
Press, 2003. 32 pp., $16.95. Ages 6 to 9 years.
Facing adversity, following dreams, and finding
hope in family-these are the themes in Fleischman’s
newest tale. In the throes of a dreadful drought, a farmer
is forced to sell all of his beloved animals. Heartbroken,
he moves his three sons to a small cottage surrounded
by a curious hedge. Without their farm, the farmer and
his sons subsist by sharpening tools, but there is still
great sadness about the loss of the farm and its animals.
When the farmer’s sons become adults and need to
find trades, they trim the hedge into shapes that reveal
their own hearts’ desires. The farmer is left with a won-
drous topiary world surrounding his cottage. Will it be
enough to make him happy? Thoughtful young readers
will delight at the ending.
EMPATHY IS SUPPORTED WHEN ADULTS
PROVIDE LITERATURE THAT SUSTAINS THE
PROMOTION OF A CHILD’S POSITIVE AND
PROSOCIAL SELF-IMAGE
A strong sense of self is one of the most powerful
bases from which empathy can emanate. Adults can nur-
ture children’s positive self-esteem by helping them dis-
cover what kinds of literature they like and what kinds
of books they can master. Part of a child’s self-esteem
comes from feeling competent and skilled at something
they enjoy. By creating opportunities for children to
explore different storylines, formats, and topics-and
Promoting Empathy and Developing Caring Readers 197

nurturing literary interests-adults can play a big role in

helping children to be successful as they learn emergent
reading skills and feel good about themselves. Below
are some new stories to share with children as they dis-
cover the best part of who they are and who they can
grow to be.

Haan, Amanda. I Call My Hand Gentle. Marina Sa-

gona, illustrator. New York: Viking, 2003. 40 pp.,
$16.99. Ages 3 to 7 years.

Look at your hand.

It can hit, or it can hug.
It can break, or it can tickle . . .

What can you do with your hand? Haan encourages

readers to look at the many things their own two hands
can do. Touching on themes of peace, violence, and re-
sponsibility, this provocative and strikingly illustrated
book sends an upbeat message that readers of all ages
will want to share.

Nolen, Jerdine. Thunder Rose. Kadir Nelson, illustra- Simple rhyming text and vivid photographs of
tor. San Diego, CA: Silver Whistle/Harcourt, 2003. multiracial toddlers frame the wonders of being a very
32 pp., $16.00. Ages 5 to 8 years. young child in a book about life-size explorations and
From the first seconds of her existence, Thunder little hands.
Rose comes booming into the lives of Jackson and Milli- Hands can wave
cent MacGruder. At birth this newborn sits up, thanks her to say “hello.”
parents for bringing her into the world, and informs them Hands can touch things
that she is very fond of the name Rose. So begins the story HIGH and low.
Hands can learn
of Thunder Rose, who drinks her milk straight from the to tie a shoe.
cow and prefers the company of her bull, Tater, to a more Hands can say,
typical childhood pet. Nolen and Nelson have created a “I love you.”
tall tale and a powerful new African American heroine.
A guaranteed repeat request resource!
Hudson, Cheryl Willis. Hands Can. John-Francis
Bourke, photographer. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick
Press, 2003. 32 pp., $14.99. Ages birth to 3 years.
198
McDonald, Megan. Penguin and Little Blue. Kather-
ine Tillotson, illustrator. New York: Richard Jackson
Book/Atheneum Books for Young Readers/Simon &
Schuster. 2003. 32 pp., $15.95. Ages 4 to 7 years.
Every young child can identify with feelings related
to missing family or friends. But Penguin and Little Blue
miss all one million three hundred twenty-eight thou-
sand and forty-eight of their feathered friends. Will their
longing for home and Antarctica thwart their comically
depicted showbiz career? Will memories of white ice,
blue ice, pancake ice, pencil ice-all ice-lure them away
from their Kansas ice machine and swimming pool?
Young readers will speculate and then chuckle as the
penguins plot to escape show business and reach Antarc-
tica. Children are also subtly reminded that reaching for
the stars is best when your feet-or flippers-are planted
well on home ground.
EMPATHY IS STRENGTHENED WHEN YOUNG
CHILDREN ARE PROVIDED LITERATURE
THAT HELPS THEM RECOGNIZE THAT
IMPORTANT ADULTS IN THEIR LIVES TAKE
THEM SERIOUSLY
Adults who take children seriously treat them as peo-
ple whose feelings, preferences, and questions matter.
These actions model caring and empathic interaction.
Children can have a wide range of reactions to stories
and books. They may feel everything from elation to
desolation and excitement to boredom. The key then is
to use the literature-sharing experience to recognize, la-
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bel, and discuss such feelings and to eventually explore
how reactions may be the same or different for other
people.
Guest, Elissa Haden. Iris and Walter: The Sleepovers.
Christine Davenier, illustrator. San Diego, CA: Gul-
liver Books Paperbacks/Harcourt, 2002. 44 pp.,
$5.95. Ages 6 to 9 years.
Excitement turns to skittishness as Iris prepares for
the big event at Walter’s house. Davenier’s fourth title
in the Iris and Walter easy-reader series touches on the
context and feelings of many early primary children who
are anticipating their first sleepover. Sleepover plans are
extensive and grand: the friends plan a puppet show, ride
Walter’s horse in their pajamas, and camp out on the
front porch. True to life for many youngsters, however,
the plans change. Homesickness becomes unbearable
when Walter falls asleep before Iris. A middle of the
night drive home and a happy and reassuring reunion
top off the sensitive tale.
Davies, Nicola. Surprising Sharks. James Croft, illus-
trator. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 2003. 32
pp., $15.99. Ages 5 to 9 years.
Sharks, like some groups of people, get stereo-
typed. But not all sharks are the same-or dangerous.
They come in all shapes and sizes. Some sharks are only
slightly bigger than a chocolate bar; others have built in
fairy lights or blow up like a party balloon. Sharks do
kill about six humans every year, but people kill about
100 million sharks during the same length of time. Bud-
ding environmentalists and youthful ichthyologists will
dive into this fact-filled and fascinating resource.
Promoting Empathy and Developing Caring Readers
Krull, Kathleen. M Is For Music. Stacy Innerst, illus-
trator. New York: Harcourt Children’s Books, 2003.
56 pp., $16.00. All ages.
This witty alphabet books plays to the tune of mu-
sic-loving and music-learning young readers. From “an-
them and accordion” to “zydeco and zither,” Krull uses
abstract and concrete terms to illustrate each letter. For
example, Oo is for orchestra playing “Old MacDonald
Had a Farm.” Closer inspection of the oil-and-acrylic
collage illustrations also reveals octet, oboe, organ, over-
ture, one-man band, and even a rooster singing opera!
Musical notes at the end of the book enrich readers’
understanding of the diversity, complexity, and joy of
music in all its forms.
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Lester, Julius. Shining. John Clapp, illustrator. San
Diego, CA: Silver Whistle/Harcourt, 2003. 32 pp.,
$17.00. Ages 6 to 9 years.
In a small mountain village, a young girl named
Shining is born. As she grows, Shining runs, plays, and
smiles like other children, but she never utters a word.
The villagers shun her in fear, but the young girl waits
for the right time to share her extraordinary sounds and
assume her role as the next village leader. Newberry
Honor author Lester creates a powerful tale about the
importance of understanding and accepting difference
and sharing one’s own voice. Notes by the author and
illustrator supplement the text.
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