42 Picture Books That Will Teach Your Child How to Be a Good Friend

Inside: These picture books about friendship teach kids how to be a good friend and how to handle friendship problems. Add these titles to your collection of the best picture books.

My preschooler was eerily quiet while we all sat at the breakfast table. She ate her oatmeal, spoonful by spoonful, but she stared past everything and didn’t say a word as the rest of us chit-chatted.

But she’s a talkative 4-year-old who loves to ask why every chance she gets, so I tried to read her face a couple times. I knew she must be mulling something over.

And then during a break in the conversation, finally: “Mommy? Yesterday at the park, Alex told me I’m not his friend.”

Oh no, I thought. We’re starting friendship drama already?

When Parenting Lectures Don’t Work

I reached out to rub my daughter’s shoulder. “I’m sorry that happened. How did you feel when he said that?”

“I felt sad.” She ate another bite of oatmeal, the corners of her mouth turned down.

I waited, not sure what to say.

“He is my friend,” she said. “Friends shouldn’t say things like that to each other.”

I nodded. “You’re right. That’s not a nice thing to say to a friend.”

But then the image of my kid ghosting another kid at the park popped into my head, so I kept going. “But sometimes even friends say not-nice things to each other. What’s important is to talk about it after. You can tell him his words made you feel sad. Maybe he’ll say he’s sorry and make it right.”

She nodded, but I could tell my mini-lecture hadn’t quite made it through to her. She was stuck in the hurt.

But Here’s What Does Work

Lectures don’t work with kids.

Deep down, I know that. But in the moment, I wanted to fix my child’s hurt heart. So I resorted to busting out some parental wisdom she didn’t ask for – and wasn’t ready to hear.

But after four kids, I’ve finally learned what does get through to kids.

Because I can talk to my kid until I’m blue in the face about what it means to be a good friend, but it won’t get through to her the way a story about friendship will get through.

Research shows this isn’t just in my head – when reading fiction, your brain reacts the same way as if you were living the story in real life. In other words, reading fiction about something your child is struggling with is like setting up a virtual reality simulation where they can fully enter the experience and understand different perspectives.

So after that conversation with my daughter, I set off on a new parenting mission: Find all the picture books about friendship I can get my hands on.

But not the sickeningly sweet stories that go in one ear and out the other. The juicy ones my kids can sink their teeth into. The picture books about friendship that will lead my children down the path of understanding how to be a good friend, what to do in tricky situations with friends, and how to tell when someone’s a true friend.

Related: The Secret to Raising Your Kids to Be Kind {Printable}

The Best Picture Books to Teach Your Child How to Be a Good Friend

For months, I made it my my job to research children’s book titles that tackle friendship. Every week, I put 20 books on hold at the library, plus at every visit I browsed the shelves for even more picture books about friendship.

Together, my kids and I read hundreds of picture books on the topic of friendship.

The list below is the cream of the crop from those hundreds of books: the books I loved reading, and the books my kids asked me to read again and again. But more importantly, these are the best picture books about friendship that kicked off the most powerful conversations about what it means to be a good friend.

Related: 10 Picture Books About Love That Will Make Your Kids Feel Absolutely Loved

42 Best Picture Books About Friendship, Approved by Kids And Parents

Enjoy this list of the absolute best picture books about friendship! We read a lot of picture books in our house, so if you’re looking for more great recommendations for books that will become treasured favorites, check out The All-Time Best Picture Books Most Loved by Kids And Parents.

Note: indicates my family’s absolute top favorites on the list. These are the books my kids can’t get enough of!

For When It’s Hard to Make New Friends^†

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If your child is starting a new school year or you’ve moved to a new area, share one of these picture books about friendship with your child to help them understand and cope with the emotions they might feel.

1. The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend

At first glance, I made the mistake of thinking this book was just about imaginary friends, but it’s so much more than that. Kids who are shy will especially appreciate this story of what can happen when you push past that initial scary part of trying to make a new friend.

2. Big Friends

This is a cute story about making room for a new friend. We had great discussions about why it would feel weird to have a new friend join you and how it would feel for the kid who’s trying to befriend you.

3. Shy

Kids who are shy will especially love this beautiful book about what happens when you take a chance to speak up so you can make a new friend.

For When a Friend Is Upset

Even some adults aren’t sure how to handle it when a friend is upset. Help your child learn how to be a good friend in that situation by reading them these children’s books about friendship.

4. A Ball for Daisy

This is a sweet story about surprising a friend when they’re feeling down, and it teaches kids what it means to be a good friend.

5. Boy + Bot

This cute story is about being there for your friend in times of need. My toddlers have all loved this one!

6. Hooray for Hat!

This about sums it up from the back cover: “Happiness is best when it’s shared.” This is a great story for teaching kids what to do when your friend isn’t feeling particularly happy.

7. My Friend Is Sad

You can’t go wrong with the Elephant and Piggie series. Technically, they’re early readers not picture books, but even babies and toddlers love these stories.

8. Oliver and Patch

This book delivers an important message about doing the right thing to help a friend, even when it’s hard.

9. One

This picture book shows kids what to do when a bully is being mean to your friends.

10. Stick and Stone

This is an adorable story about the power of friendship, and adults love the puns.

11. Wilfred

In this sweet story of two unlikely friends, kids learn the importance of speaking up for your friends when others don’t treat them with kindness and respect.

For When a Friend Is Moving Away

A close friend moving away can be an intensely upsetting event in a child’s life. These picture books about friendship will help your child get through that difficult time.

12. Before I Leave

When your child has to say goodbye to someone important like a friend who’s moving away, this is the perfect book. When my preschooler’s favorite babysitter was moving to another state, we read this book several times a day, and it was the number one thing that helped my daughter process those big, scary emotions about losing a close friend.

13. City Dog, Country Frog

This is a sweet story about losing a friend and finding a new one. Plus, this book gave us an opportunity to talk about the topic of death and what that means – in a way that wasn’t scary or upsetting for our preschooler.

14. Sophie’s Squash

This little story about a child who befriends a squash is perfect for kids who are struggling with having to say goodbye to a friend who’s moving away.

For When You’re Not Getting Along With a Friend

Tiffs between friends are normal, but it’s not always clear to a child how they can move past the conflict and get back to having fun together. These picture books about friendship will teach your child important lessons they’ll be able to use in any relationship.

15. Enemy Pie

This story is a perfect fit for kids with hurt feelings because of something another kid did or said. So clever!

16. Good News, Bad News

A perfect little story about what to do when you get frustrated with a friend. By the way, this book has only four unique words, which is perfect for beginning readers.

17. Hector and Hummingbird

When your friends annoy you, what do you do? Kids who have younger siblings will appreciate this funny story of a bird annoying a bear.

About the Importance of Being an Includer

If you want to raise your child to be kind, they need to understand what it looks like to be an includer. These children’s books about friendship will give your child powerful, tangible examples of how to be an includer.

18. Each Kindness

Fair warning: This thoughtful story does have a sad ending. However, my kids enjoyed talking about what the main character could have done differently. We ended up having an ongoing discussion about regret and how we all have those moments in life we look back on and wish we’d acted differently. So many great conversations come out of this one every time we read it!

19. Leonardo, the Terrible Monster

Mo Willems at his best. This picture book shows kids the power of choosing empathy and friendship even when you’re “supposed to” exclude someone.

20. Quackers

In this book, kids see that you can be true to yourself, and your true friends will still accept you.

21. Ribbit!

This is a great story to teach the power of acceptance when you see that someone’s trying to fit in and be a part of a group.

22. Strictly No Elephants

This cute book helps kids think about the ramifications of excluding others and how that makes others feel. The perfect way to teach your child to be an includer. One of our family’s all-time favorites!

The Best All-Around Picture Books About Friendship

These are the best picture books about friendship to show your child what it means to be a good friend and to give them examples of how to handle various friendship problems.

23. The Bear and the Piano

In this story, the main character learns a big lesson about how important friends are – and how success and popularity can’t fill the void of friendship.

24. George and Martha

This series about the friendship between two hippos is a favorite for kids and adults. Because even though kids may not pick up on the dry humor at first, parents definitely will.

25. The Girl and the Bicycle

This is a wordless picture book about a girl who saves up for something she wants but then makes a decision to brighten a friend’s day instead. Full disclosure: The “friend” in the story may very well be her little brother, but siblings can be friends too!

26. The Happy Lion

This is a longer story, but it kept my kids engaged the whole way through. We loved the message of how a real friend can see the best in you even when everyone else thinks the worst.

27. Hooray for Amanda & Her Alligator!

This is a short collection of mini-stories from Mo Willems about that scary moment when your friend gets another friend.

28. Horrible Bear

This picture book does an excellent job of teaching kids how to assume the best in others and make new friends – while also making you giggle.

29. Horsefly and Honeybee

In this story, kids see the power of working together as friends.

30. I Will Not Eat You

Kids love this funny story about choosing friendship even when you start out as enemies.

31. Library Lion

Kind of a silly idea when you look at it objectively: a lion in a library? But this is one of the sweetest stories you’ll ever read about friendship.

32. The Lion and the Bird

This is a sweet, simple tale of friendship. A perfect fit for kids who have friends who live far away so they don’t get to see each other very often.

33. Lost and Found

Sometimes friendship surprises you when you’re not expecting it to find you. If you like this story, you may like The Way Back Home by the same author.

34. The Old Woman Who Named Things

This beautifully told story about a friendship between an old woman and a dog will warm the hearts of all ages.

35. Orion and the Dark

This tale of friendship doubles as a story that will help kids process their fears.

36. Penguin and Pinecone

This story shows kids that sometimes it’s important to do something that will help your friend even if it’s difficult for you. This is also a good fit for kids who’ve had to move away from friends.

37. Sad, the Dog

What a little gem! Kids love this story about why it’s important to extend kindness to others. They also learn the power of our words when we talk to others and how it can make other people feel.

38. Scrawny Cat

From the start of this story, kids feel empathy for the friendless scrawny cat, and the ending is perfect. This one gives you lots of opportunity to talk about how we treat others and about being open to new friends.

39. A Sick Day for Amos McGee

Being a friend means showing up, and no other picture book demonstrates that as beautifully as this story does.

40. Sparky

In this quirky story about a sloth, kids learn that it’s important to accept your friends for who they are instead of trying to change them into something they’re not.

41. Those Pesky Rabbits

In this funny story, kids see that sometimes friendship means showing up for your friends even when you have to stretch past your comfort zone.

42. Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge

This special friendship between a boy and an old woman shows kids that friends come in all shapes and sizes (and ages). This is also a great book for kids who have aging grandparents.

Related: The Ultimate List of the Best Picture Books, Endorsed by Kids And Parents

Your Turn

Which are your favorite picture books about friendship? Share in a comment below!