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Inside: Discover a list of great children’s books about manners that will help you teach manners to toddlers and preschoolers!
When it comes to teaching young kids about manners, things are not always easy.
Sometimes the little ones don’t understand why it’s necessary to be polite or, even if they understand the reasons, they can still have a difficult time when they need to share or to use nice words like “please” and “thank you” in their interactions with others.
One of the best ways to teach toddlers and preschoolers about manners and their importance is to read together nice children’s books about manners.
We are just going through a period when I want to focus more on teaching my son about manners, so we discovered some really helpful books that give us the opportunity to discuss manners in a playful way and allow me to emphasize their importance.
I chose to have a playful approach regarding the manners because I want my son to learn that being nice and polite is a wonderful thing and not something he must do because parents say so.
I try to suggest a polite approach for each situation and to be a good example for him in regards to how I interact with other people, but without forcing him to say or do things just because I want him to.
He is still learning about manners, but I’ve noticed that the books we read have a very positive impact on him. He is more willing to use manners in his interactions, and he is really glad when he acts like one of the characters, especially the ones in the “Little Genius” series. 🙂
Children’s books about manners: 13 books that are great for toddlers and preschoolers
Here is a list of children’s books about manners that are great for toddlers and preschoolers.
In case you are looking for some inspiration for discussing manners with your children, I think that these books are a perfect way to start.
For each book, you will find here also the official description of the book to provide you more details about its content.
1.Llama Llama Time to Share
Llama Llama is one of our favorite characters, and this book is a great resource for talking with kids about sharing toys with other children.
“Fun to read aloud and helpful to children and parents alike, Llama Llama Time to Share is for any child who needs a little encouragement in sharing.”
You can find the book here.
2. Little lion shares
The “Hello genius” series contains a lot of wonderful books for young children, and you will find some of them on this list.
They are great for toddlers, but they can also be used for preschoolers because they teach good lessons about manners in a playful and nice way.
My son really enjoys them!
“Little Lion does not like to share, but he must learn so he can share something extra special with his mom.”
You can find the book here.
3. Hippo says “Excuse me”
“Hippo uses his manners to help a little chick.”
You can find the book here.
4. Manners time
“Manners start with a smile—then you add the words. There are polite words to use when you greet someone, ask for something, or (oops!) make a mistake. There’s even a nice way to say no. This book gives toddlers a head start on manners, setting the stage for social skills that will last a lifetime. Includes tips for parents and caregivers.”
You can find the book here.
5. Mouse says sorry
“Mouse is very careless as he runs home for supper. He must use his manners and say sorry as he makes his way home.”
You can find the book here.
6. Bear says “thank you”
“With the help of his mom, bear completes a cute craft project while using his manners.”
You can find the book here.
7. Little Dinos don’t yell
This book is great for teaching young kids not to yell. It contains a short story with nice illustrations and gives the parent the opportunity to teach children to avoid yelling and use a lower voice in their interactions.
“Even though Little Dino has a loud roar, she must learn that yelling is not a proper behavior.”
You can find the book here.
8. Little elephant listens
This book gives a good opportunity to discuss the importance of listening without interrupting.
“Little Elephant uses his big ears to listen to his parents.”
You can find the book here.
9. Emily’s Sharing and Caring Book
“Toddlers will laugh as they learn the importance of sharing toys and food, appreciating others, taking turns, and other fundamentals of good manners in this cheery book by Cindy Post Senning and Peggy Post, codirectors of The Emily Post Institute—the most trusted name in etiquette. Illustrated by talented artist Leo Landry, Emily’s Sharing and Caring Book explains two underlying principles of etiquette with a positive, fun attitude and in terms that every kid can understand.”
You can find the book here.
10. What if everybody did that?
“If you drop just one soda can out the window, it’s no big deal … right? But what if everybody did that? What if everybody broke the rules … and spoke during story time, didn’t wash up, or splashed too much at the pool? Then the world would be a mess. But what if everybody obeyed the rules so that the world would become a better place? Using humorous illustrations rendered in mixed media, these questions are answered in a child-friendly way and show the consequences of thoughtless behavior.”
You can find the book here.
11. Penguin says please
“Penguin is very demanding and must learn to use his manners and say please.”
You can find the book here.
12. Clifford’s manners
This is a great good for discussing good manners because it includes all the important manners that children should learn. The book is more suitable for preschoolers.
“Emily Elizabeth taught Clifford good manners. He always says “please” and “thank you,” follows the rules, and SHARES with his friends. It’s easy to like someone like Clifford: even if he makes mistakes, he always tries to be kind and considerate.”
You can find the book here.
13. May I please have a cookie?
“Alfie learns that the best way to get a delicious cookie is to say please! Alfie loves his mommy’s cookies, and he wants one more than anything! But grabbing for one, fishing for one, and dressing up as a cookie inspector don’t seem to work. His mommy says there is a better way. What is it? Beginning readers will learn proper manners with Alfie as his mommy teaches him to say the magic words.”
You can find the book here.
This is how our list of children’s books about manners looks like.
I hope you found here some useful books to read with your kids! If you have any other recommendations, I would be glad to find them out!
I love your approach on how to teach manners. My youngest nieces are 3 and 5. These books are great ways to help teach manners. Thank you for sharing.
These are all great books for toddlers and small children. We need to start early for them to be successful adults
You are right! The childhood years are really important for building happy and confident adults!
I used all this and more on my kids, happy to say they have great manners now! However, seems like this is not at the top of the list with today’s toddlers, so kudos for blogging.
Looks like there are a few adults (of all ages) that could use a read through these. I really love the adorable art in the books that you chose as well; that is one of my favorite things about children’s books.
Aw, these books look great. My kids would have loved them when they were smaller.
what a great list. im going to look for some of these next time i go to the library with my nephew
Love this! Definitely passing this post along to my friends who have littles around this age.
Greta | http://www.gretahollar.com
These are good reinforcement in teaching kids manners. But for me, the best would still be parents setting as examples for them.
These books look so cute! We enjoy the Clifford and the Llama Llama series.
I haven’t read these type of books in a long time. Clifford was one of our kid’s favorites. I miss the Big Red Dog:)
This is a great list of books! When my children were smaller we read books as well. Also, what I found is to lead by example and then reinforce that such as “doesn’t mommy say please when she asks you to do something”….both the books and at home enforcement worked wonders!
Manners are so important for children to learn. I cannot stress that enough. I would definitely approach this with books such as these. I learned so many of my manners as a child through the Berenstein Bears.
Thanks for sharing this great booklist. Good manners can’t be cultivated in one day. Children need to be reminded of these good manners constantly. I will add these to my kid’s booklist and read with him over and over.