Reading is a critical activity for a child’s development, and what they read can help shape their identity, how they feel, and express their emotions and relationship with the world. There is plenty of evidence which suggests that reading improves memory and concentration, expands your vocabulary, and boosts critical thinking skills. In addition, it can help children become more empathetic by examining the unique experiences of others.
Some kids’ books are better—and more appropriate—than others in terms of teaching valuable life lessons. The best books for children usually involve the main character overcoming adversity or learning important skills. They also have captivating visuals and encourage follow-up conversations.
Here are some of the best books that dads can read to their children.
1. Kindness Matters
Part of the Life Skills for Kids series, Kim Mitzo Thompson and Karen Mitzo Hilderbrand’s Kindness Matters is a meaningful children’s book about friendship and the importance of being nice to others. Using colorful illustrations of various animals being kind to each other in different circumstances, the book promotes virtues like acceptance, positivity, forgiveness, inclusion, and honesty.
These concepts are explained in simple language, making the book easy to read and grasp for kids as young as 5 years old. Of course, kids can also benefit by having their parents read this book to them at an even earlier age. The digital edition of the book features interactive elements, such as lively music and animal sound effects.
2. Have You Filled a Bucket Today?
Perfect for children between the ages of 3 and 9, Carol McCloud’s book Have You Filled a Bucket Today? promotes kindness and the importance of empathy and community. The author explains the concept that everyone has a bucket and that our actions—negative or positive—can either fill or take away from the buckets of others—and ourselves.
McCloud learned about the bucket-filling concept from a brain research expert at a seminar for early childhood educators in the 1990s. This expert spoke about how parents and caregivers can fill a child’s bucket. When she wrote the book in 2006, she made a point to also emphasize how children can fill others’ buckets.
“As you read this book with children, use it as an opportunity to model this concept by filling their buckets. Tell them why they are special to you,” McCloud suggests. “Help them imagine whose bucket they might fill and what they could say or do to fill a bucket. Tell them whose bucket you filled that day. Practice with them to become daily bucket fillers. Very quickly they will experience the pride and joy of filling buckets.”
McCloud has since published two follow-up books for older kids: Growing up with a Bucket Full of Happiness: Three Rules for a Happier Life and Best Bucket Filler Ever!: God’s Plan for Your Happiness.
3. Mason’s Greatest Gems
Mason’s Greatest Gems is another children’s book that uses a not-so-subtle metaphor to teach important lessons to children. Written by Chelsea Lee Smith and Elaheh Bos, the story is about a young boy who finds a treasure chest in his backyard and is enamored with a piece of quartz that he polishes to perfection. Through this activity, Mason learns about developing his inner gems, or positive character traits like kindness and courtesy. His mother teaches him that these virtues are already inside of him and that he needs to “mine” and “polish” them.
4. The Not-So-Right Day
The Not-So-Right Day is a book that teaches kids that there isn’t always just one way of doing things. Children learn individuality and that it’s fine to have differing opinions through the example of Milo and Iggy, two brothers who rarely agree on how to do simple tasks. Milo is more rigid, preferring to do things the “right” way, whereas Iggy has his own unique approach that is also just fine.
The book has engaging, colorful illustrations and easy-to-understand language and concepts. Author Wiley Blevins is a former elementary school teacher and an editorial specialist for early reading at Scholastic in New York City. He holds a master of education from Harvard University.
5. The Girl Who Makes a Million Mistakes
Making mistakes is a normal part of life. Brenda Li’s The Girl Who Makes a Million Mistakes encapsulates this with an engaging story and fun illustrations, highlighting that it’s not only OK to make mistakes, but showing how kids can grow from them and become more resilient.
The book has a 4.5/5 star rating on Amazon with more than 2,700 reviews.
6. The Wild Robot
More suitable for readers 10 and up, Peter Brown’s The Wild Robot tells the story of an emotionless, shipwrecked helper bot who learns to survive, be kind, and love through interactions with animals on her new island. Roz, the robot, wins over these animals with kindness and helps them survive a harsh winter. The book teaches kids that there are ways to overcome adversity, especially when working together with others.
