The Brainstorm 64: 6 Picture Books for Building Values & Character

Here's 6 picture books that have messages about the importance and value of good character, whether generosity, unselfish love, self-control, kindness, or honesty.

Picture Book Resources

The Story of Jumping Mouse by John Steptoe
A little mouse sets off in search of the great land far beyond he has heard and dreamed of. The way there has challenges, but Magic Frog gives the little mouse the ability to jump which helps make things easier. Along the way, Jumping Mouse comes across others animals in need, and with magic from Magic Frog he self-sacrificially gives away of his magic and senses to help them. In the end, Jumping Mouse reaches his destination but cannot see or smell it due to his acts of kindness until Magic Frog rewards his unselfishness.

I absolutely love Steptoe's illustrations, even though they are black and white, they are still incredible. The story itself is also wonderful. Jumping Mouse is so sweet and kind, he's a great little hero and role model.

Activity Tie-ins:

• Unselfishness/Sacrificial Love: Jumping Mouse is an incredibly loving little critter. He gives away to others regardless of the hardships it could cause himself. Ask students whether or not they would have done the same thing. Do they know any real people, living or historical, who have demonstrated sacrificial love that they admire? 
• Native American Folklore: This story is based on a Native American folktale. Have students research which tribe first told this tale and why the kangaroo mouse was chosen as a main character. 
• Creative Writing Extension: Folktales are often altered and adapted as they are spread. Have students rewrite the tale to fit a different geographic area. For example, what creatures could be used if the story were set in the Arctic or Japan or Hawaii? You can have students randomly choose an area that interests them, or do it as a class writing activity and rewrite it for the area in which you live. For example, students in my school could rewrite it with Thai jungle creatures.
• Ecosystems/America West: Those studying ecosystems of the American West will find this book includes a good survey of organisms found in those areas, and could be used to create a food web or just to introduce students to the typical animals of that region.
• Caldecott Honor: If you're studying award books, this is one that won the Caldecott Honor. Have students discuss why they think Steptoe's illustrations earned this honor.
• Art: Steptoe did so much with just black and white. Have students discuss why they think he chose this style for this story.

Give and Take by Chris Raschka
An apple farmer learns to balance listening to the two little men Give and Take.

This tale's moral didn't quite turn out the way I had predicted because not only do the little men prompt the farmer to give and take things but also to give and take advice. The moral is thus to balance listening and advising, as well as generosity versus selfishness. I like Raschka's illustrations of his dog stories, but the broad strokes and such can make some of these pages hard to understand illustration-wise. Still, it provides a good conversation starter and some of you may love the unique illustrations.

Activity Tie-ins:

• Listening Skills: This is a good book to use when talking about the importance of good listening skills.
• Controlling Your Tongue: Teaching kids when to talk and when to keep quiet is an ongoing battle that really never ends, even when the kids our quite big (aka well out of high school). This is a great book to use as a conversation starter on when it is important to speak up, when others might really need to hear what you have to say, and when you should just keep those lips tightly sealed.
• Generosity vs Greed: Have students compare and contrast what it is to be generous and unselfish, versus greedy and selfish. What are the intangibles both reap for their actions?
• Art & Opinion vs Fact: I mentioned the unique art style up above. I have a feeling most kids are going to have an opinion about the art too. Use this as an opportunity to differentiate between fact and opinion. Have students state some facts about the art. Then have them share some opinions about the art.

The Quiltmaker's Gift by Jeff Brumbeau, ill. by Gail de Marcken
A very greedy king finds out that there is a quiltmaker in his kingdom who just gives away
beautiful quilts to other people, and he is hurt that he has never received one. He demands that she make him one of his beautiful quilts. The wise quiltmaker takes the opportunity to require payment in rather unique methods and teaches the king valuable lessons on the joys of blessing others and being unselfish. The king must give things away from his hoarded treasures, and each time he does so, she will add a square to his quilt. The king’s heart changes dramatically in the process, and in the end, he learns to joyfully give until he cannot give any more.

The pictures are beautifully captivating and the message against materialism is wonderful. This is a longer picture book, so it may require two sittings to read.

Activity Tie-ins:

• Generosity vs Greed: Perhaps even more than the previous book, this one helps demonstrate some of the intangibles people reap as a result of greed or generosity. See if students can identify them. You can also have students brainstorm and identify anyone in real life or history that they admire because of the person’s generosity.
• Giving & Heart Attitude: Have students chart or just discuss how the King’s attitude about giving changed over time. Can they think of a time when they showed generosity, but were grumpy about it? Can they think of a time when showing generosity gave them joy? You can also have students brainstorm someone they admire who gives with a happy heart.
• Compare/Contrast: Read this book and Raschka’s book, and have students compare and contrast the two.
• Materialism & the Media: This book provides a fantastic opportunity to evaluate the media that surrounds them. If the King were in their world, where would he have gotten the idea that having more things would make him happier. See if they can identify print or video ads that contain that message and have them analyze why those companies might want the King to believe that. 
• Unselfishness Quilt: To encourage students in your class to be unselfish, challenge classmates to write on a quilt square when they observe someone acting unselfishly. Over days and weeks, piece together a quilt of unselfish acts students have observed in each other. (The quilt could be real or just paper put on a bulletin board.)

If You Plant a Seed by Kadir Nelson
A rabbit and mouse plant some seeds and eagerly reap the fruit, but they learn the hard way about the benefits of sharing and kindness.

A beautifully-illustrated story with a fantastic message about patience and the blessings of kindness.

Activity Tie-ins: 

• Patience: The rabbit and the mouse find that it takes a while for the seeds to grow into fruit. Waiting is not easy, but it is worth it in the end. Rabbit and mouse also demonstrate some things to do while waiting, like reading that can help make the time go faster. You can have the class brainstorm other things that can be done to help themselves have patience. Or have them brainstorm some things that take a long time but are worth having patience for.
• Kindness: Rabbit and mouse learn the hard way that selfishness and being unkind can hurt both themselves and others. See if students can identify the benefits of being kind in the story and in real life situations.
• Plant Units: A good read when studying plants and waiting for your own little seeds to sprout.
• Art: Kadir Nelson’s artwork is amazing. It is 100% ok to pick this one up just to look at the pictures. 

Three Bears in a Boat by David Soman
Charlie, Dash, and Theo are doing something they know they really shouldn't do when they accidentally break their mother's favorite blue shell. Rather than fess up to their deed, they set out in their boat to find a replacement shell. They search high and low, face a few dangers, each other's pointing fingers and their own guilt. And when they’re finally ready to do the right thing, they get an unexpected reward (though no dessert).

A beautifully illustrated adventure with a nice little moral too.

Activity Tie-ins:

• Honesty & the Blame Game: This is a great book to use to talk to kids about blaming others and owning up to their crimes/faults. It also provides a good example of how you can get yourself into even greater trouble by delaying doing the right thing. How would the story have been different if the bears had admitted what they had done right away? What could they have avoided?
• Discipline: This is also a good book to use when talking about why adults discipline children. It's a well-balanced story in that the mother obviously loves and forgives the three little bears, but that doesn't mean she withholds all consequences of their actions. (Some will argue that the little bears deserved a more severe punishment, but there's also the terrifying storm they weather which seems to have straightened them out better than many other consequences would have. This could be fodder for an interesting class debate or persuasive paper: Did the bears get the punishment they deserved or not?) 
• Plot Diagram: This is a good story to have students practice doing a plot diagram of. There are several events. There’s a clear-cut onset of the problem when the shell breaks, a definite climax that leads the bears to decide to admit their guilt, and then the denouement when they confess.
• Art: What the kids will enjoy most about this book is probably the illustrations.  They are enchanting.
• Adventurous Read: If you’re looking for an adventurous read, this is a good short one. The little bears go on quite an adventure and see many wonderful things in their hunt for a replacement shell.

Little Elliot Big City (Little Elliot #1) by Mike Curato
There are several challenges faced by a small elephant in a great big city. But Elliot tries to make the best of things. He can't help but be disheartened though when he can't get a cupcake because he's too small to be noticed. In his tragic state he starts home when he comes upon someone in even more dire straits. He helps a creature even smaller than himself and finds himself rewarded in more ways than he expected.

Elliot is cute all by himself in the way he handles being small. Add to that his kind actions and the touching rewards he gets in exchange, you get one stellar book (and quite possibly the need to run out for cupcakes). I liked the 1940s-ish setting of the book too. It adds a certain extra charm to New York. Oh, and did I mention that the illustrations are fantastic? The illustrations are fantastic.

Activity Tie-ins:

• Self-pity Trap: Elliot could easily just wallow in his own self-pity, but instead, he decides to focus on helping someone else. Kindness gets him out of his little slump and brings unexpected joy. Ask students when are they tempted to feel sorry for themselves. Does it help? Have them talk about the saying that there’s always someone worse off. Is that true? Challenge them to try Elliot’s cure for self-pity next time by looking for a way to show kindness to someone else.
• Kindness: Elliot’s friendly act gets him a new friend, and a cupcake too! What are some of the benefits students have seen from being kind? At the same time, discuss if we should be kind just to get something out of it for ourselves.
• Friendship: Elliot doesn’t set out from home planning to make a new friend, but because of his kindness he ends up with one. Some kids struggle with knowing how to make friends. Elliot provides some key ingredients for friendship: reach out with kindness, and find a common interest, even something like cupcakes.
• 1940s: If you’re studying the 1940s, this is a fun look at New York during that time period.
• Elephants: Ok, so a polka-dotted elephant is a little unusual. Still, if you’re doing a unit on elephants for little ones, you could include Elliot. You could also do an extension activity and read about real elephants. Or have students do a project on elephants in literature. (Others like Babar come to mind.)
• Cupcakes: You cannot read this book without cupcakes. It would just be torture. If you’re fighting the mid-year slump and need an excuse to have cupcakes in class to spice things up, Elliot is there to help you out. He’ll provide the story and excuse, you can provide the cupcakes.
• Fun Read: What’s not to love about a polka-dotted elephant who loves cupcakes? Little Elliot has other adventures too. So far there’s one other Little Elliot book published, and a third coming out in August of this year.