13 Children’s Books That Celebrate Different Ways to Show You Care

Set in 1935 during the Great Depression, Lydia Grace Finch is sent to the city to help her Uncle Jim at his bakery. She brings her passion for gardening with her, along with packets of seeds and the hope that there will be someplace to grow them. Once she arrives and finds window boxes and a secret place to create a garden, she finds ways to use her passion to bring joy to her unsmiling uncle. Through letters from Lydia Grace and charming illustrations, readers will find all the different ways Lydia Grace’s family shows their love.

Rosa is helping to care for her sick grandmother. Still, she wants to do more than bring her soup. To make Grandma feel better, Rosa and her friends make music. When Rosa sees how much Grandma enjoys it, Rosa organizes a band to earn money to help with Grandma’s bills. Her friends join the band, neighbors enjoy the music, and Rosa adds to the money jar. Watercolor paintings this tale of family, community, and music.

In this sweet board book, Daniel Tiger talks with his dad about how making something for someone is one way to say, “I love you.” Warm and cheerful illustrations show Daniel’s different ideas for what to make — from singing a song to baking a cake to drawing a picture — and his dad’s reactions to his son’s expressions of love. Look for the companion title,“I Love You, Mom.”

A young girl sees all kinds of love for her in the eyes of her mother, her amah, and her little sister. Their eyes are like her eyes, which kiss in the corners and crinkle into crescent moons.The girl begins to embrace and celebrate her own appearance. She learns to love herself — and reflect love back to her family.

Antonio (who loves word games and reading) searches for the right words to express how he feels about his mother and her partner, Leslie. feels embarrassed by Leslie because of how his classmates make fun of her height and paint-splattered clothes. As he makes a Mother's Day card in class, Antonio is unsure about what to do. But after visiting Leslie’s art studio, Antonio rediscovers all the things he loves about Leslie. He happily shows her the picture of their family that he’s drawn. This book is written in Spanish and English.

Molly is having fun helping her friend Tooey and his dad train Anka, Tooey’s new sled dog. But when they have to rush home, their sled hits a snowbank – and Anka runs off! Molly and Tooey try to track the missing dog down. They use the radio station to get their community’s help to find the lost dog. Beginning readers to read on their own and then talk about what it means to love and care for the animals in your life.

Lola is excited about being a big sister. Since she loves it when her parents read to her, she shows love to her new baby brother Leo by reading to him. She always finds just the right book to share with him, whether it’s feeding time, bath time, or diaper-changing time! And even though a house with a baby is busy, Lola still gets a story of her own at the end of the day. This book for preschoolers shows caring siblings and engaged, loving parents.

It’s Tía's ninetieth birthday! Cecilia wants to find just the right present for her great-aunt. She fills a basket with items that remind her of the special times she and Tía have spent playing, reading, and baking together. Tía loves her basket and thanks Cecilia with a dance.

Saturdays are a special time for Juna. That’s when she gets to help Appa (her father) in their dry-cleaning store. And then they end the day with tacos! Today, though, Juna hears an upset customer yelling at Appa about a lost jacket. Hoping to help her worried father, Juna's quest to find the jacket becomes a magical journey. During her adventure, she meets some amazing animals that show her the different ways that fathers care for their young.

As best friends, Frog and Toad have many adventures together. Early readers will enjoy the humor that results from their different personalities, but also see how much Frog and Toad care for each other. They nurse each other when they feel sick. Toad makes a button-covered jacket for Frog to thank him for helping to look for his lost button. Frog tries to protect Toad from onlookers who want to see him in his bathing suit. And when Toad feels sad about never getting any mail, Frog sends Toad a letter.

Amara loves learning about bats, watching bats, and hanging by her legs like a bat. She loves bats! After Amara’s family moves, she’s eager to meet the bats in her new town. But at the nearby park, bats have disappeared due to habitat loss. Amara comes up with a plan that inspires her neighbors to care about bats as much as she does. Young readers will be inspired to work with their community to care for their environment.

Wilfrid has many aging friends who live in the nursing home next door. His favorite person is Miss Nancy. When Wilfrid hears that Miss Nancy has lost her memory, he wants to help her find it! He brings her special things to help her remember. Wilfrid’s objects help Miss Nancy remember special stories, which she shares with Wilfrid. This book shows preschoolers how different ages can care for each other.

Soccer makes Sierra happy, but it also makes her sad. Sierra’s auntie always helps her get ready and listens to Sierra talk about her games. But she can’t take time off work to come to see her play. When her auntie finally has a chance to watch Sierra play, the game is rained out! Sierra speaks up and asks her coach to hold the makeup game in her neighborhood so her auntie can be there. Sierra’s auntie comes and yells and cheers loudest of all for Sienna. This charming read-aloud shows how to express caring by giving time and energy to the people you love. Also available in Spanish as “El fútbol me hace feliz.”