42 Picture Books That Will Teach Kids 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. Bailey 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 chit-chat, finally: “Mommy? Yesterday at the park, Alex told me I’m not his friend.”

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

I reached out to rub her 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.

An Important Parenting Mission

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.

Now on my third kid, 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 she 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}

Photo by Caitlin Regan

The Best Picture Books That Will Teach Kids 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

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

1. 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.
2. Boy + Bot – My toddler especially loved this cute story about being there for your friend in times of need.
3. 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.
4. My Friend Is Sad – You can’t go wrong with the Elephant and Piggie series. Technically, they’re easy readers not picture books, but even babies and toddlers love these stories.

5. Oliver and Patch – An important message about doing the right thing to help a friend, even when it’s hard.
6. One – This picture book shows kids what to do when a bully is being mean to your friends.
7. Stick and Stone – This is an adorable story about the power of friendship, and adults love the puns.
8. 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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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

1. Enemy Pie – This story is a perfect fit for kids with hurt feelings because of something another kid did or said. So clever!
2. 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!
3. 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

1. 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!
2. 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.
3. Quackers – In this book, kids see that you can be true to yourself, and your true friends will still accept you.
4. 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.
5. 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.

Best All-Around Picture Books About Friendship

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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!
4. 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.

5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Horsefly and Honeybee – In this story, kids see the power of working together as friends.
8. I Will Not Eat You – Kids love this funny story about choosing friendship even when you start out as enemies.

9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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.

13. Orion and the Dark – This tale of friendship doubles as a story that will help kids process their fears.
14. 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.
15. 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.
16. 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.

17. 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.
18. 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.
19. 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.
20. 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

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Your Turn

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

Kelly Holmes

I’m a mom of four, a recovering perfectionist, and the author of Happy You, Happy Family. Parenting is hard enough without all the guilt we heap on top of ourselves. So let’s stop trying to be perfect parents and just be real ones. Sound good? Join my mailing list and as a bonus, you’ll get 25+ incredibly helpful cheat sheets that will ease your parenting struggles.