Good Behavior: Books For Kids
This list of the best kids books about good behavior is sure to include a new favorite for the voracious young reader in your life! From Little Oink to Miss Fox's Class Shapes Up there's something here for everyone's tastes. Do you have a favorite book about good behavior? Let us know!
Little Oink is a neat little fellow. Clean, clean, clean, that's all he wants to do. But Mama and Papa won't have it! They say in order to be a proper pig he has to learn to make a proper mess. What's a little pig to do? Now available as a board book, Little Oink shows Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Jen Corace applying their traditionally wry humor to the issue of cleaning up, in a laugh-out-loud romp that is sure to make readers giggle with recognition.
Ten years ago, Amy Krouse Rosenthal burst into children's books with Little Pea, a book destined to become a classic. Her witty text about a little pea who won't eat his sweets combined with the whimsical yet warm hearted art by Jen Corace create a go-to baby gift, a hilarious read-aloud, and the perfect intervention for picky eaters.
A perfect introduction to manners and playing nice, by David Ezra Stein—author of Caldecott Honor winner Interrupting Chicken, Pouch! (a Charlotte Zolotow Honor book) and Leaves (recipient of the Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award). From cuddling koalas to friendly penguins, an array of animals illustrates fun, sweet, and silly examples of “how to be nice,” showing simple ways young children can show they care for those around them. The lyrical text, funny illustrations and upbeat friendship message make this a great gift and a wonderful introduction to manners.
Some tea parties are for grown-ups. Some are for girls. But this tea party is for a very special guest. And it is important to follow some rules . . . like providing comfortable chairs, and good conversation, and yummy food. But sometimes that is not enough for special guests, especially when their manners are more Cretaceous than gracious . . . Introducing Tea Rex, a guest that just about any child would love to have to tea!
No ordinary beast, Maurice is neat, polite, photogenic, and his roar is delightful to the ear, which leads his parents to enroll him at the Abominable Academy for Brutish Beasts, where he realizes he has a few things he can teach his fellow beasts.
Mrs. Gorski I Think I Have the Wiggle Fidgets - The Adventures of Everyday Geniuses is meant to demonstrate various forms of learning, creativity, and intelligence. Each book introduces a realistic example of triumph over difficulty in a positive, humorous way that readers of all ages will enjoy! David gets scolded a lot by his teacher, Mrs. Gorski, for not paying attention in class. He wants to pay attention but it is just so hard when an exciting idea pops into his head. And he usually can't tell that he's making a mistake until after he makes them. But after a particularly big mistake, David comes up with his own plan to tone down his wiggle fidgets. This award-winning story is a simple introduction to ADHD and the creative ways of finding solutions to the challenges that ADHD can create. Mrs. Gorski, I Think I Have the Wiggle Fidgetsis the recipient of: the Academics' Choice Gold Seal Mom's Choice Award Gold Parents' Choice Award "A masterful tale of empowering children...Esham artfully describes the gifts and challenges of children with ADHD." -Dr. Susan Baum, professor emeritus, the College of New Rochelle Praise for the series: "This is a wonderful book series. Each story shows children that success is about effort and determination, that problems need not derail them, and that adults can understand their worries and struggles. My research demonstrates that these lessons are essential for children." --Dr. Carol S. Dweck
Missy Piggle-Wiggle and the Whatever Cure - Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle has gone away unexpectedly and left her niece, Missy Piggle-Wiggle, in charge of the Upside-Down House and the beloved animals who live there: Lester the pig, Wag the dog, and Penelope the parrot, among others. Families in town soon realize that like her great-aunt, Missy Piggle-Wiggle has inventive cures for all sorts of childhood (mis)behavior: The Whatever Cure and the Just-a-Minute Cure, for instance. What is a stressed out parent to do? Why, call Missy Piggle-Wiggle, of course! New York Times-bestselling author Ann Martin brings her signature warmth and comic genius to a new character. And artist Ben Hatke brings it all to life!
No! - Everyone thinks Otto is adorable. But then Otto learns the word no -- and now he says it all the time! At first, it's fun to refuse to eat, take a bath, and go to bed. But when Otto has a bad day at school, Daddy has the perfect solution.
Grumpy Monkey - A hilarious picture book about dealing with unexplained feelings…and the danger in suppressing them! Jim the chimpanzee is in a terrible mood for no good reason. His friends can’t understand it—how can he be in a bad mood when it’s SUCH a beautiful day? They encourage him not to hunch, to smile, and to do things that make THEM happy. But Jim can’t take all the advice…and has a BIT of a meltdown. Could it be that he just needs a day to feel grumpy? Suzanne and Max Lang bring hilarity and levity to this very important lesson. This picture book is an excellent case study in the dangers of putting on a happy face and demonstrates to kids that they are allowed to feel their feelings (though they should be careful of hurting others in the process!).
Meet Alice Guy-Blaché. She made movies—some of the very first movies, and some of the most exciting! Blow up a pirate ship? Why not? Crawl into a tiger's cage? Of course! Leap off a bridge onto a real speeding train? It will be easy! Driven by her passion for storytelling, Alice saw a potential for film that others had not seen before, allowing her to develop new narratives, new camera angles, new techniques, and to surprise her audiences again and again. With daring and vision, Alice Guy-Blaché introduced the world to a thrilling frontier of imagination and adventure, and became one of filmmaking's first and greatest innovators. Mara Rockliff tells the story of a girl who grew up loving stories and became an acclaimed storyteller and an inspiration in her own right.
The fun is au naturel when a rule-touting ranger dares to ask Sasquatch to put some clothes on.In the Pacific Northwest, the trees are always green, the eagles are always stern and Sasquatch is always, well, naked. But what happens when a rule-touting ranger shows up to ask Sasquatch to put some clothes on? Find out in this story of mountainous fun and evergreen hilarity.
Midas wants everything to be his favorite color—yellow! He chooses yellow clothes, eats yellow foods, and uses only the yellow paint at his easel. But when he impulsively paints his beloved green Dinoboo, Midas discovers that too much of a good thing is a big mess! Joan Holub’s carefully crafted text is brought to life by Leslie Patricelli’s famously humorous illustrations. Includes a summary of the original Midas’s Wish myth at the end.
From New York Times bestselling author Toni Buzzeo and Caldecott Medal winning illustrator David Small, comes a cool tale about an unlikely friendship. On a spontaneous visit to the aquarium, straight-laced and proper Elliot discovers his dream pet: a penguin. When he asks his father if he may have one (please and thank you), his father says yes. Elliot should have realized that Dad was probably thinking of a toy penguin, not a real one… Clever illustrations and a wild surprise ending make this sly, silly tale a kid-pleaser from start to finish.
Help little ones learn how to use their inside voices with this second story in the brand-new Wee Beasties series from New York Times bestselling author Ame Dyckman. Roary the Lion loves to roar. The only problem is, he roars WAY too loud. WAIT! Can you show Roary how to be quiet? Wee Beasties is a new board book series from New York Times bestselling author, Ame Dyckman, featuring silly animals doing the things they love just a little TOO much. In this second book in the series about Roary the Lion and his big outside roar, little ones will learn how to use their quiet inside voices.
If You're Going to a March - "If you're going to a march, you're going to want a sign"--and this cheerful, introductory handbook. Inspired by author Martha Freeman's own experiences, it addresses many of the questions kids might have: What should I wear? How will I get there? Where can I go to the bathroom? Is it okay to dance? (It is!). All the while the text focuses on our Constitutional right as Americans to assemble . . . whatever our political point of view.
Will Bear Share? - An exciting and hilarious new series all about early childhood milestones from debut US talent Hilary Leung!
Penguin Says "Please" - Penguin learns to say please in different situations throughout this sturdy board book. With simple text and vibrant photos, this is an excellent way to start teaching manners.
Good Dog - This charming picture book—from the author-illustrator of The Rabbit Listened and Little Bunny Foo Foo: The Real Story—follows an adorable stray puppy who exemplifies what it truly means to be a “good dog.” When a puppy in need of a friend follows a kind girl into town, he lands himself into all sorts of trouble. He gets lost. He’s nearly run over. And he gets chased out of a bakery for being a “bad dog.” But when the pup and the girl reunite in the park and she leaves behind her favorite doll, the puppy has a chance to prove just what a good dog he really is! This heartwarming story told with bold, beautiful illustrations and sparse text is a perfect read-aloud book and great for beginning readers. Families who enjoyed Kelly DiPucchio’s bestselling Gaston, Patrick McDonnell’s lovable characters, and Mike Twohy’s award-winning Oops, Pounce, Quick, Run! will fall in love with Cori Doerrfeld’s Good Dog.
Sometimes Ruby needs just one more minute of sleep, one more thingy for her hair, one more push on the swing, and one more scoop on her cone, (and one more, and one more, and one more . . .) until one more is just too much. Maybe it’s time for just one? If you know a someone like Ruby, Just One More will be just right!
A little rhino charges around his house and school. Everyone reminds him to be more careful, but his clumsiness continues. Will he remember to be gentle when it's most important? This lovely story will inspire discussions about appropriate ways of expressing oneself, and can be used to help children develop impulse control and self-regulation.
It’s good to bite a carrot. It’s good to bite a steak. It’s bad to bite your sister! She’s not a piece of cake. Cause… People don’t bite people! That’s what this book’s about. So if you find you’re tooth-inclined— you’d better check it out!
Help little ones learn how to give a BIG gentle hug with this first story in the brand-new Wee Beasties series from New York Times bestselling author Ame Dyckman. Huggy the Python loves to hug. The only problem is, he hugs WAY too hard. WAIT! Can you show Huggy how to give a gentle hug? Wee Beasties is a new board book series from New York Times bestselling author, Ame Dyckman, featuring silly animals doing the things they love just a little TOO much. In this first book about Huggy the Python and all the things he loves, little ones will learn how to give a big gentle hug.
Froggy loves the library! When Froggy and Mom and Pollywogilina set out for the library, Froggy brings a wheelbarrow to hold all the books he plans to borrow. There are so many to choose from: Dinosaur books! Books about Space Frog! Froggy is so excited that he forgets to use his indoor voice. Readers enjoy Froggy’s antics, and so does Miss Otterbottom, the librarian. “Come again soon, Froggy,” she says.
The Way I Act - The Way I Act explores thirteen ways of behaving. The friendly verses and bold illustrations convey many positive ideas of how to act in a variety of situations. In the companion book, The Way I Feel, children learned that feelings come and go and simply are. A little older now, they are ready to think about the ability they have to control how things turn out. Like The Way I Feel, this book is ideal for children with autism.
Hush Now, Banshee! - Join Banshee as she discovers the virtues of quiet time in the noisiest counting book in the land.Everyone is enjoying quiet time, but little Banshee just wants to have fun the only way she knows how: Loudly. Join Banshee as she counts her way through the Irish landscape in the noisiest counting book in the land. It's gonna be a blast: You can count on it.
Snippet the Early Riser - Snippet is a typical snail. He loves to draw. He loves to play soccer. He loves piggyback rides. But unlike other snails, he does not love to sleep in. While his family is snoozing the morning away, he is wide awake and determined to rouse his family. But how? Snippet the Early Riser is the perfect bedtime (or wake-up time!) tale, celebrating early birds and late snoozers alike.
Noah Noasaurus - Noah Noasaurus woke up feeling very No. No to brushing his teeth. No to eating breakfast. And definitely No to playing with his little brother. Things only get worse when Noah goes for a walk and relentlessly cheerful Toby Rex, Brian Brontosaurus, and Ava Ceratops follow him. Together, the group starts a bona fide dino parade that even Noah can?t resist. This lighthearted, whimsical story will have readers laughing along at Noah and his friends?as well as at their own bad moods.
Meet Egg. Cuter than a button, enormously personable, and talented, too. Say "sit," and Egg sits. Good Egg! Say "roll over," and egg rolls over. What a good Egg! Of course, Egg does all of this with a toddler's help, who lifts the flaps and pulls the tabs and operates the wiggle behind the wiggle-waggle. But that's the most fun part: interacting with the Egg. Then comes the pay-off. "Speak," is the command, and children will crack up in delight and surprise with what happens next. Created by Barney Saltzberg, Good Egg is that rarest of rare books where utter simplicity is utterly irresistible. The Egg has neither eyes nor smile nor furrowed brow, yet exudes an adorable, eager-to-please charm. No sentence is longer than two words, yet in the eight board book pages, an engaging story is told. Add the flaps and the tabs and the pleasure of movement, and Good Egg will be read again and again.
The little dog in this family works very hard to be good, but he doesn't understand why his collar has the wrong name on it.
Once upon a time a prince was born. The kingdom was excited and proud. But Prince Betram was not a good boy. He put spiders in the soup, pulled up the roses in the royal garden, and broke all of his toys. As each year passed, he grew meaner and naughtier . . . until one day, a witch cast a spell on Bertram to punish his bad behavior. Can Bertram learn to be kind and break the curse? This timeless fable perfectly embodies the golden rule: always treat others the way you would like to be treated. The child-friendly illustrations, complete with the detailed, cross-hatching lines, reveal Lobel's great talent as an artist and a master storyteller. Arnold's daughter and renowned theater designer, Adriane Lobel, wrote an introductory note to celebrate the return of this charming tale.
A picnic, a beach, a pie cut into pieces and shared with good friends. Pie is for sharing. It starts off round, and you can slice it into as many pieces as you want. What else can be shared? A ball, of course. A tree? What about time? Through the course of one memorable Fourth of July picnic, Stephanie Ledyard and Jason Chin take young readers through the ups and downs of sharing in this lovely picture book.
When Ms. Alex is called away from the classroom, she leaves Yasmin in charge, but the other children just ignore her and start acting silly and noisy--until Yasmin thinks up a way to motivate them to finish the math assignment, quietly.
Lucia Lacorte, Poor Sport - Lucia Lacorte's gaming club meets on Fridays, but the truth is the other members are not having fun because, win or lose, Lucia is a very poor sport; a fact that is finally made clear to her when the others stop showing up, and her grandfather mimics her behavior when he wins--and loses.
Madeline Says Merci - Madeline loves adventure and is not afraid of mice. She loves winter, snow, and ice. And she also knows the secret to being polite is simply to be kind to others. With help from her friends—Miss Clavel, the girls, and even Pepito—Madeline introduces basic ideas such as please and than you, sharing, cleaning up, and so much more. With charming illustrations and humorous verse, this new book will be treasured by Madeline fans of all ages.
Mucking About - We are in Ireland and it's an awfully long time ago. Centuries and centuries. The country is supposed to have gone Christian, but there's still magic in the air, druids in the forest, fairy music in the distance. Manchán's mother wants to make a monk of Manchán. Manchán most emphatically does not want to be made a monk of. He'd rather sing songs with his father, or go fishing with his friend, Pagan-of the-Six-Toes, or go charging through the forest with his pet pig, Muck, or go bare-back riding over the bog on the chieftain's mad ram, Balor. Anything fun or adventurous or magical, and absolutely nothing to do with turnips, penance, prayers, monks, and chanting. Poor Manchán! The more he mucks about having fun, the more his mother is determined to tame him.
Tales for the Perfect Child - Sergio Ruzzier brings his mischievous touch to a timeless favorite by Florence Parry Heide, beloved author of The Shrinking of Treehorn. This delightful new edition includes one never-before-published story. Ruby is reliable (kinda). Arthur is careful (sorta). Harry eats his carrots (though it depends on what you mean by “eat”). And just like all perfect children, Gloria helps her mother (well, that might be an exaggeration). As the eight deliciously wicked tales featured in this hilarious chapter book prove, it’s perfectly nice to be a perfect child—but where’s the fun in that?
In this new edition of the classic companion to Tales for the Perfect Child, Sergio Ruzzier lends his signature humor to Florence Parry Heide and Sylvia Worth Van Clief’s delectably subversive fables. Genevieve is careless. Muriel is discontented. Phoebe is always putting off until tomorrow what she should be doing today. And Chester is the laziest turkey you ever heard of. Caleb and Conrad, on the other hand, are polite and kind and thoughtful and gracious and truthful. But some good that does them! If the morals you find in these pages aren’t exactly, well, moral…just don’t pay any attention to them!
Mind your manners! There's more to good manners than just saying "please" and "thank you"! With 44 simple rules on how to behave, and how not to behave, this giggly guidebook shows you exactly what it means to have good manners, and what happens when you don't follow the rules of good behavior... Kids and their parents will giggle their way through this clever and colorful guide on polite behavior, and are sure to want the companion book on how to behave at school, too!
In this Night Before book, kids get ready for that all-important moment of the school year: class picture day! It’s the night before class picture day, and kids all down the block are getting ready. Everyone wants to look perfect for the photo. They fix their hair, practice smiles, and choose outfits. At school the next day, they try to stay picture-perfect. Will everything look perfect for the big moment when they say, “Cheese?”
Even though Missy Piggle-Wiggle is preoccupied with repairing her Upside-Down House that was damaged in a storm, she always finds time to administer her magical cures that rid children in Little Spring Valley of their unwanted habits and misbehavior.
Doing the right thing can be hard! When prized possessions start going missing, Cody gets a crash course in the most important rules of all — the rules of life. In Cody’s life, many things are hard to predict. Like why her older brother, Wyatt, is obsessed with his new bicycle called the Cobra, or why her best friend Pearl suddenly wants to trade favorite toys. Pearl says she will trust Cody with Arctic Fox because Cody is a trusty person. But Cody doesn’t want to give up her beloved Gremlin, and she regrets it as soon as she hands him over. When the Cobra goes missing, Cody has to decide for herself who is trusty and who is not. If only she had Gremlin to talk to! Surely Pearl wouldn’t mind if she secretly traded back . . . it’s not stealing if it belonged to you in the first place, right?
You Can't Win Them All, Rainbow Fish - A brand new paperback title in the bestselling Rainbow Fish series! Everyone loses once in a while. But being a good sport when you lose isn’t always easy—not even for Rainbow Fish. A lighthearted look at accepting loss without losing your sparkle!
Katie and the Fancy Substitute - There is an elegant substitute teacher in class today, but Katie's attempts to impress her keep going wrong.
Miss Fox's Class Shapes Up - Miss Fox’s students are too tired and cranky to get through the day! It’s up to Miss Fox and her new wellness regimen to help them eat better, exercise, and get more sleep! Kids will learn ways to stay healthy and bring fitness into their everyday lives.
Did you enjoy our children's book recommendations? Did we miss one of your favorites? Let us know in the comments below!