World Book Day – Thursday 4th March 2021 (https://www.worldbookday.com/) As a very different World Book Day approaches, many teachers are chatting about activities that will work well for the children who are in school as well as those who are learning at home. There are so many fun and creative ideas being shared that will… Continue reading Whole School Picture Book Ideas for World Book Day 2021
Just Like You is an incredibly beautiful picture book that builds empathy in its readers and celebrates the features we all share. It is narrated by an ordinary little girl who is just like all children everywhere. She is exploring her identity. I can just imagine her playing “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” with so… Continue reading Just Like You by Jo Loring-Fisher
February 2021 The Invisible is a beautiful and powerful story of identify and sense of self. Everyone is someone and everyone is important. This is a wonderful picture book for building empathy and helping young readers to understand issues of poverty and valuing each individual. Isabel always notices the beautiful things in life. She is… Continue reading The Invisible by Tom Percival
March 2021 Twelve year old Cora Byers is brave and bold. She is also autistic. She knows who she is (and who she isn’t). Life isn’t always easy (especially since she lost her mum) but she’s learned how to cope and make the best of many challenging situations. She understands what makes her different, even… Continue reading Show Us Who You Are by Elle McNicoll
The Valley of Lost Secrets is an evacuee story that focuses on the most important aspect of that endeavour – the day to day lives of the children who were sent from their homes to places so very different from what they knew. Twelve-year-old Jimmy and his six-year-old brother, Ronnie, are evacuated to a village… Continue reading The Valley of Lost Secrets by Lesley Parr
With themes of Autumn, Harvest, Friendship and Empathy, Oh No, Bear! is a charming book for young children. One morning, Bear wakes up very hungry. As he makes his way around the forest, visiting his friends, he eats far more than he ever intended. He worries that he’s made his friends angry but he just… Continue reading Oh No, Bear! By Joanne Partis
In 2017, Empathy Lab founded Empathy Day. This year, developing empathy is more important than ever as the entire world is living through incredibly challenging times. In order to support and care for each other, we need to build up our empathy skills. I have written an article about books that develop empathy for Barrington Stoke publishers and… Continue reading 5 FANTASTIC BOOKS TO DEVELOP EMPATHY IN CHILDREN
