Friendship books are a great way to teach young children to be good friends in a fun way. sharing, compassion, and kindness are important skills that need to be constantly modeled and reinforced. Today Kindergarten Planet and I are excited to share our favorite friendship books that your students are sure to love.
*combine this with our social-emotional pocket chart activities!
You are reading: Books about friends for kindergarten
books about friendship
will you be my friend by peter brown
my students love another peter brown book, boys are terrible pets which is so much fun and always a class favorite! kids love seeing this author again with a fun story of friendship. Lucy tries really hard to find a friend, but she has quite a few setbacks along the way. she however, finds a friend who loves her just the way she is.
owen & mzee by isabella hatkoff
This is a true story of an orphaned baby hippo and a 130-year-old giant tortoise who form a remarkable friendship. owen (the hippopotamus) was stranded after a tsunami and was rescued by villagers in kenya. he surprised everyone when this hippo and an old turtle started to be friends. they are inseparable and even eat, swim and play together. This is one I read every year to my students. it’s a bit longer because of the information, but you can edit it as needed – the images themselves are so captivating for students!
gilbert the great by jane clarke
This is a great story to read to students who may have drifted away from old friends and had to adjust to new places. Gilbert the great white shark and Raymond the remora were best friends and inseparable. But one day, Raymond has to move. Gilbert has to come to terms with this loss, and along the way he meets a new acquaintance who can help him.
doing with otters by laurie keller
mr. rabbit has new neighbors. they are otters! he doesn’t know anything about otters, will they get along? Mr. owl advises mr. rabbit to treat otters the same way you would like to be treated! This fun story features many situations where you can show good manners and is very engaging and fun for young readers.
my friend is sad by mo willems
everyone loves elephant and piggy! they are back in this story where the elephant is feeling sad and his good friend piggie tries to cheer him up. This is a fun elephant-pig friendship story, and it quickly becomes a class favorite!
you’re kind by todd snow
See Also: The Best Books on Gandhi | Five Books Expert Recommendations
This story has colorful images that show children in everyday situations: at home, at school, at play, and with family. the children in the books are from various cultures and ethnicities. This book teaches children that they have the qualities to be good friends with others, such as sharing, inviting others to play, taking turns, and more.
How do dinosaurs play with their friends? by jane yolen
Dinosaurs are back in a fun book that is a guide to friendship and enjoyable play with others. kids are told to “play nice”, but what does that mean? This book teaches how friends can play together with fun rhymes and engaging illustrations.
enemy pie by derek munson
summer was going well until jeremy ross moved down the street and became the enemy. luckily dad seems to know how to get rid of enemies! you feed your enemy “enemy cake”, but first, you have to spend the whole day with them! This funny story teaches the lesson that sometimes people are not what they seem and that even an enemy can become a friend.
Want unlimited access to more teacher support, activities and resources?
Then be sure to request your invitation so you can be the first to know when the doors to our printing and reproduction club will open again.
with instant access to hundreds of printables by subject and skill (look no further on the internet!), every tkc resource, a vault of digital games, Sunday “super” surprises and much more – your planning time just got easier.
See Also: 23 Gripping Book Industry Statistics [2022]: Facts About The US Book Industry – Zippia