Picture Books to Support Character Education Lessons Picture books expand children’s experiences and provide opportunities for classroom discussion. The following picture books reflect positive character traits including the traits outlined in the popular Six Pillars of Character program. Students can see themselves or friends in storybook characters and wonder how the characters will solve their challenges. Classroom teachers have the opportunity to emphasize positive character traits by reading and discussing quality children’s picture books with their students. The picture books are organized by character traits that are placed in alphabetical order starting with the Six Pillars of Character traits and followed by additional positive character traits. There is also a listing of videos available from the San Diego County Office of Education’s Media Services and a list of helpful websites that provide lesson plans, units, and other support material. Six Pillars of Character Trustworthiness—Be honest • Don’t deceive, cheat or steal • Be reliable—do what you say you’ll do • Have the courage to do the right thing • Build a good reputation • Be loyal—stand by your family, friends and country Respect—Treat others with respect and follow the Golden Rule • Be tolerant of differences • Use good manners, not bad language • Be considerate of the feelings of others • Don’t threaten, hit or hurt anyone • Deal peacefully with anger, insults and disagreements Responsibility—Do what you are supposed to do • Persevere: keep on trying! • Always do your best • Use self-control • Be self-disciplined • Think before you act—consider the consequences • Be accountable for your choices Fairness—Play by the rules • Take turns and share • Be open-minded and listen to others • Don’t take advantage of others • Don’t blame others carelessly Caring—Be kind • Be compassionate and show that you care • Express gratitude • Forgive others • Help people in need Citizenship—Do your share to make your school and community better • Cooperate • Get involved in community affairs • Stay informed and vote • Be a good neighbor • Obey laws and rules • Respect authority • Protect the environment —From http://www.charactercounts.org Picture Books That Support the Six Pillars of Character Traits Caring Kindness Andersen, Hans Christian. The Little Match Girl Cohen, Miriam. Best Friends Brimner, Larry Dane. The Sidewalk Patrol Cole, Joanna. Bully Trouble Bunting, Eve. Night Tree Bang, Molly. The Paper Crane Bruchac, Joseph. The Great Ball Game: A Muskogee Story Friedman, Ina R. How My Parents Learned to Eat Bunting, Eve. Summer Wheels Hutchins, Pat. My Best Friend Cohen, Barbara. Molly’s Pilgrim Brown, Marcia. Stone Soup Bang, Molly. The Paper Crane dePaola, Tomie. William’s Doll Delton, Judy. Two Good Friends Henkes, Kevin. Chrysanthemum dePaola, Tomie. Nana Upstairs, Nana Downstairs Keats, Ezra Jack. Goggles! dePaola, Tomie. Now One Foot, Now the Other Polacco, Patricia. Thank You, Mr. Falker Fine, Edith Hope. Under the Lemon Moon Seuss, Dr. Horton Hears a Who! Fleming, Candace. Boxes for Katje Steptoe, John. Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters Fox, Mem. Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge Woodson, Jacqueline. The Other Side Fox, Mem. Tough Boris Freeman, Don. Corduroy Respect Lionni, Leo. Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse Lionni, Leo. Tico and the Golden Wings Adler, Carole S. Get Lost, Little Brother Martin, Bill Martin, Jr. Knots on a Counting Rope Aliki. Two of Them McPhail, David. The Teddy Bear Andersen, Hans Christian. The Ugly Duckling Meddaugh, Susan. Martha Walks the Dog Bartone, Elisa. Peppe the Lamplighter Miller, William. The Piano Beaumont, Karen. I Like Myself! Ness, Evaline. Sam, Bangs & Moonshine Borden, Louise. A. Lincoln and Me Nolen, Jerdine. Raising Dragons Brimner, Larry Dane. The Sidewalk Patrol Perrault. Cinderella Brimner, Larry Dane. School Rules Polacco, Patricia. Chicken Sunday Brown, Marc. Arthur’s Eyes Polacco, Patricia. I Can Hear the Sun Brown, Marcia. Once a Mouse: A Fable Cut in Wood Polacco, Patricia. Pink and Say Bruchac, Joseph. The Great Ball Game: A Muskogee Story Polacco, Patricia. Rechenka’s Eggs Bunting, Eve. The Wednesday Surprise Polacco, Patricia. Thank You Mr. Falker Bunting, Eve. On Call Back Mountain Ransome, Arthur. The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship Bunting, Eve. So Far From the Sea Schertle, Alice. Down the Road Bunting, Eve. Smoky Night Saltzberg, Barney. Crazy Hair Day Bunting, Eve. Summer Wheels Saltzberg. Barney. Mrs. Morgan’s Lawn Burton, Virginia Lee. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel San Souci, Robert D. The Talking Eggs Cannon, Janell. Stellaluna Sharmat, Marjorie. Gladys Told Me to Meet Her Here Carle, Eric. Grouchy Ladybug Sharmat, Marjorie. Mooch the Messy Child, Lauren. I Will Never, Not Ever, Eat a Tomato Simont, Marc. The Stray Dog Cohen, Miriam. Best Friends Soto, Gary. Chato and the Party Animals Coles, Babette. Prince Cinders Stanley, Diane. Raising Sweetness Curtis, Jamie Lee. Tell Me Again About the Night I was Born Steptoe, John. Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters dePaola, Tomie. Nana Upstairs, Nana Downstairs Turner, Ann. Katie’s Trunk dePaola, Tomie. Now One Foot, Now the Other Turner, Ann. Nettie’s Trip South Ets, Marie. Play with Me Viorst, Judith. Tenth Good Thing About Barney Fine, Edith Hope. Under the Lemon Moon Zolotow, Charlotte. William’s Doll. Fleischman, Paul. Weslandia Fox, Mem. Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge Fairness Friedman, Ina R. How My Parents Learned to Eat Freeman, Don. Come Again, Pelican Brimner, Larry. The Noodle Game Garland, Sherry. The Lotus Seed Brown, Marcia. Stone Soup Greenfield, Eloise. Daydreamers Clifton, Lucille. Everett Anderson’s Friend Grimm. The Frog Prince Cohen, Barbara. Molly’s Pilgrim Kellogg, Steven. Johnny Appleseed Cronin, Doreen. Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type Lester, Helen. Tacky the Penguin Hoffman, Mary. Amazing Grace Lester, Helen. Hooway for Wodney Wat Kimmel, Eric. Cactus Soup Lionni, Leo. Inch by Inch Krull, Kathleen. Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez Lobel, Arnold. Frog and Toad All Year Lester, Helen. Me First Lobel, Arnold. Frog and Toad Are Friends Lovell, Patty. Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon Lobel, Arnold. Frog and Toad Together Pfister, Marcus. Rainbow Fish Lovell, Patty. Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon Scieszka, Jon. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs Marshall, James. George and Martha Seuss, Dr. The Sneetches Marshall, James. George and Martha Encore Viorst, Judith. Alexander Who Use to Be Rich Last Sunday Marshall, James. George and Martha One Fine Day Various Authors. The Little Red Hen McPhail, David. Sisters Miles, Miska. Annie and the Old One Miller, William. The Piano O’Neill, Alexis. Recess Queen Peet, Bill. Big Bad Bruce Polacco, Patricia. Chicken Sunday Perrault. Cinderella Polacco, Patricia. Mrs. Katz and Tush Perrault. The Sleeping Beauty Polacco, Patricia. Pink and Say Polacco, Patricia. The Keeping Quilt Potter, Beatrix. The Tale of Peter Rabbit Polacco, Patricia. Pink and Say Schertle, Alice. Down the Road Rylant, Cynthia. Scarecrow Schur, Maxine Rose. The Peddler’s Gift Say, Allen. The Bicycle Man Seuss, Dr. Horton Hatches the Egg Sendak, Maurice. Where the Wild Things Are Shannon, David. No, David! Seuss, Dr. The Lorax Steig, William. Brave Irene Shannon, David. A Bad Case of Stripes Van Allsburg, Chris. Two Bad Ants Sharmat, Marjorie. Bartholomew, the Bossy Van Allsburg, Chris. Jumanji Schur, Maxine Rose. The Peddler’s Gift Viorst, Judith. Alexander Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday Shea, Pegi Deitz. The Whispering Cloth: A Refugee’s Story Waber, Bernard. Ira Sleeps Over Silverstein, Shel. The Giving Tree Ward, Lynd. The Biggest Bear Spier, Peter. People Steig, William. Amos & Boris Citizenship Galdone, Paul. The Three Billy Goats Gruff Stevenson, James. Wilfred the Rat Adler, David A. The Babe & I Thurber, James. Many Moons Baylor, Byrd. Hawk, I’m Your Brother Turkle, Brinton. Thy Friend, Obadiah Blos, Joan. Old Henry Van Allsburg, Chris. The Polar Express Bunting, Eve. Fly Away Home Waber, Bernard. Ira Sleeps Over Carlson, Nancy. How to Lose All Your Friends Wells, Rosemary. Yoko Cooney, Barbara. Miss Rumphius Williams, Margery. Velveteen Rabbit Creech, Sharon. A Fine, Fine School Williams, Vera B. A Chair for My Mother Cronin, Doreen. Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type Winter, Jeanette. Follow the Drinking Gourd Cronin, Doreen. Duck for President Wiesniewski, David. Golem dePaola, Tomie. The Legend of Bluebonnet Winthrop, Elizabeth. Dumpy La Rue Deedy, Carmen Agra. The Yellow Star Woodson, Jacqueline. The Other Side Guthrie, Donna. A Rose for Abby Yangsook, Choi. The Name Jar Henkes, Kevin. Chrysanthemum Yashima, Taro. Crow Boy Johnson, D.B. Henry Hikes to Fitchburg Yolen, Jane. Owl Moon Keates, Ezra Jack. Goggles! Zolotow, Charlotte. The Quarreling Book Lee, Milly. Nim and the War Effort Zolotow, Charlotte. William’s Doll McPhail, David. The Teddy Bear O’Neill, Alexis. Recess Queen Responsibility Polacco, Patricia. Thank You, Mr. Falker Ryan, Pam Muñoz. The Flag We Love Arnold, Tedd. The Signmaker’s Assistant Ryan, Pam Muñoz. One Hundred Is a Family Bartone, Elisa. Peppe the Lamplighter Saltzberg, Barney. Crazy Hair Day Berenstain, Stan and Jan. Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room Seuss, Dr. The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins Brimner, Larry. The Promise Wahl, Jan. Candy Shop Brown, Marc Tolon. Arthur’s Computer Disaster Yangsook, Choi. The Name Jar Bruchac, Joseph. The Great Ball Game: A Muskogee Story Bunting, Eve. Summer Wheels Trustworthiness Burton, Virginia Lee. Katy and the Big Snow dePaola, Tomie. The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush Aesop. The Boy Who Cried Wolf dePaola, Tomie. Strega Nona Andersen, Hans Christian. The Emperor’s New Clothes Fox, Mem. Harriet, You’ll Drive Me Wild Beskow, Elsa. Pelle’s New Suit Gramatky, Hardie. Little Toot Burton, Virginia Lee. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel Grimm. Little Red Riding Hood Chorao, Kay. Molly’s Lies Havill, Juanita. Jamaica’s Find Demi. The Empty Pot Henkes, Kevin. Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse Hayes, Joe. Juan Verdades: The Man Who Couldn’t Tell a Lie Heyward, Du Bose. The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes Hoban, Russell.