Children's titles for Empathy Day 2023

EmpathyLab's annual book collection is specially selected by an expert panel to help children and teens develop an understanding of different life experiences and issues, and help build empathy. Empathy Day 2023 is held on Thursday 8 June.

Take a look at these titles for young children, available to borrow from our catalogue.

Understanding and sharing emotions

Sometimes I'm a Baby Bear, Sometimes I'm a Snail by Moira Butterfield and Gwen Millward
What If, Pig?, by Linzie Hunter
Sometimes I Am Furious, by Timothy Knapman and Joe Berger
The River, by Tom Percival
Storm Goliath, by James Sellick and Craig Shuttlewood
Everybody Has Feelings, by Jon Burgerman
The Stompysaurus, by Rachel Bright and Chris Chatterson

Picture books

I Am the Subway, by Kim Hyo-Eun
Our Tower, by Joseph Coelho and Richard Johnson Frances
Saving the Butterfly, by Helen Cooper
That's Nice Love, by Owen Gent
The Can Caravan, by Richard O'Neill and Cindy Kang
The Comet, by Joe Todd-Standon
The Queen on Our Corner, by Lucy Christopher and Nia Tudor
Valentine's Guest House, by Sam Sharland
Yes You Can, Cow!, by Rashmi Sirpeshpande and Rikin Parekh
What Do You See When You Look at a Tree?, by Emma Carlisle

Early readers

All to Play For, by Eve Ainsworth
Sidney Makes a Wish, by Lisa Thompson
Nikhil and Jay: The Star Birthday, by Chitra Soundar
The Boy Who Grew a Tree, by Polly Ho-Yen and Sojung Kim-McCarthy

Non-fiction

What is Racism?, by Katie Daynes and Jordan Akpojaro
Who Are You?, by Smitri Halls and Ali Pye

Novels

The Tide Singer, by Eloise Williams
Call Me Lion, by Camilla Chester
Can You Feel the Noise?, by Stewart Foster
Children of the Benin Kingdom, by Dinah Orji
Cuckoo Summer, by Jonathan Tulloch
Has Anyone Seen Archie Ebbs?, by Simon Packham
Keep Dancing, Lizzie Chu, by Maisie Chan
Rosie Raja: Churchill's Spy, by Sufiya Ahmed
The Boy Who Lied, by Kim Slater
The Good Turn, by Sharna Jackson
The Last Firefox, by Lee Newbery

Graphic novels

Frankie's World, by Aoife Dooley
Saving Sorya: Chang and the Sun Bear, by Trang Nguyen and Jeet Zdung
The Awakening Storm, by Jaimal Yogis and Vivian Truong

Poetry

Cloud Soup, by Kate Wakeling and Elina Braslina
Courage in a Poem
Here Be Monsters, by Jay Hulme and Sahar Haghoo
This is How the Change Begins, by Nicola Davies