Helpful Children’s Picture Books About Manners

When we teach manners to young children, I think we have to be both explicit as well as demonstrative, meaning we also must give examples that show what we mean about manners. These children’s picture books are both.

Some picture books about manners are preachy. Kids don’t like books like that. Neither do I.

That’s why this list contains picture books that are narrative stories that teach the lesson in manners through examples and often, humor.

As you know, the big concepts we want our kids to learn about manners are:

• Saying please and thank you
• Having patience
• Being polite and kind to others
• Cooperating with others
• Sharing
• Apologizing

Helpful Children’s Books About Manners

Everyone Shares (Except Cat) by Jamie Michalak, illustrated by Katie Mazeika

A darling simple rhyming story shows that dog shares, bear shares, but Cat doesn’t share. Until Cat realizes that seesaws aren’t fun with one person and she starts to share with the other animals. A sweet with a valuable lesson in manners and sharing.

Everyone Says Please (Except Cat) by Jamie Michalak, illustrated by Katie Mazeika
You’ll crack up at this book showing animals with good manners and cat who stops and fumes and demands CHEESE. It’s a full-on meltdown until he realizes that mouse got cheese simply by saying please. So cat does, too. And he finally gets what he wants. Love this darling book about manners.

How to Apologize by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka
Use this gentle, instructive guidebook to teach children about apologizing. It talks about how hard it can be but that it’s important because it makes both you and the other person feel better. It gives readers examples of what not to do (don’t make excuses) and what to do (be sincere). The examples show animals acting out apologies and because most of them aren’t good apologies, end up being quite funny. (One not-sincere example is, “Mom told me I had to apologize for putting your doll in the fishbowl or I can’t go outside and play baseball. So I’m sorry.“) Excellent.

Rude Cakes by Rowboat Watkins
Rude Cakes have no manners. One particular rude cake is mistaken for a hat by a giant cyclops who thinks he is a hat. Rude Cake will have to learn to say please or he’ll be a cyclops hat forever. My daughter thought this was hilarious and I liked the valuable life lesson!

The Magic Word by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Elise Parsley

We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins
You are going to read this picture book multiple times — it’s so funny while being profound. After a rough first day at school where she eats her classmates, gets scolded by the teacher, spits them out, and doesn’t make any friends, Penelope’s dad explains that “children are the same as us on the inside. Just tastier.” HA. The next day, Penelope eats her classmates again. She just can’t stop herself! However, when the class goldfish chomps on Penelope’s finger and it HURTS, she realizes that it’s no fun to be someone else’s snack. It hurts. She’s learning EMPATHY!! 🙂 So even when her classmates look delicious, Penelope learns to resist eating them. This means now she has friends and playmates at school. And better manners, too.

My Little Gifts: A Book of Sharing by Jo Witek, illustrated by Christine Roussey
Lift-the-flap to reveal presents that come in a box or a suitcase, gifts that are shared with a sister or handmade, and gifts of imagination. The swirly crayon drawings are so much fun! Clearly, the little girl narrator clearly loves her friends, sister, and family. It’s a very sweet picture book about manners and generosity that you can use to teach these values.

How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodbye? by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Mark Teague
YES! A new book in the fantastic “How Do Dinosaur” series!! This book helps children consider that the best thing they (and dinosaurs) can do when they have to part from a loved one is to tell someone about their feelings and give a big hug (instead of faking a tummy ache or shaking their head).

The Thank You Dish by Trace Balla

At dinnertime, Mama and Grace start with a prayer of thanks. Mama is surprised when Grace adds all sorts of unexpected things she’s thankful about to the prayer. She’s thankful for kangaroos and for the road workers that fixed the bike path. She’s thankful for the farmer’s vegetable stand. Above all, Grace’s exemplifies an attitude of gratitude. This warmly-illustrated picture book is sure to spark your own creative ways to be more thankful and kind.

The Sunshine Squad by Jamie Michalak, illustrated by Lorian Tu
The lesson in this book is that we can all be heroes, even the youngest and smallest because kindness is a superpower, too.

Sophie and the Tiny Dognapping by Jamie Michalak, illustrated by Lorian Tu
Sophie is jealous of her friend Mia’s dollhouse and its dog. Sophie wants that dog so she steals it — and then feels guilty. Sophie’s worried she’ll get in trouble but she decides to admit the truth and return it. Her friend Mia forgives her and reminds her that everyone makes mistakes.

Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas by Natasha Yim, illustrated by Grace Zong
My daughter says this picture book is SO MUCH better than the original Goldilocks and the Three Bears because in this story of a young Chinese girl named Goldy, Goldy returns to the scene of her crime to apologize and help fix the mess she made. This is a better ending, don’t you think? As you will see, good manners include apologizing for mess-ups.

One Word from Sophia by Jim Averbeck, illustrated by Yasmeen Ismail
Sophia really wants a pet giraffe for her birthday. She sets out to convince her family. She starts with her mother, a judge, and presents her case. Mother says that Sophia’s argument is too verbose. Sophia tries fewer words with Father. But he says her presentation is too effusive. As Sophia continues with each family member, ultimately she reaches her last-ditch attempt and finally says one word that works: PLEASE.

Thankyouplease by Pierre Winters and Barbara Ortelli
Teach your kids about manners with this picture book! Six-year-old Nina wears her hair in braids, is often grumpy, and talks back to her mommy. One day, when Nina is outside calming down, she hears a voice calling to her from a hole in a tree. She peers in and discovers the Circus of Good Manners led by a Ringmaster named Thankyouplease. She watches as the performers turn somersaults and says, “Good morning!“, “Good afternoon!“, and “Goodnight!” When Nina joins the performers, she must use the same polite words, too. Ultimately, Nina watches more performers, eats cotton candy, and learns valuable lessons in manners that she’ll use with her mommy and her dog, Hugo when she returns home.

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