CommunicationListeningConfidence
Velumi and the Lumerra Post Office
Letters, little mysteries, and a shy night courier who discovers that every voice deserves to be heard.
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Marty TalefoxStory WorldsBooks by theme · Empathy
Picture Books About Empathy for Kids
Empathy begins with noticing that another character may see, feel, remember, or need something different. Picture books make that process visible: children can study a face, compare viewpoints, or pause before a character responds. These Marty Talefox stories invite children ages 3–7 to practise perspective-taking through story rather than instruction.
Browse all books →Ages 3–7 · Illustrated · Made for shared reading
Stories to explore
Stories that invite children to look from another point of view
Lumerra, Meruni, and Sovari all place attention at the centre of the story: listening to a voice, preserving a memory, or noticing something another person has lost.
ListeningMemoryBooks
Meruni and the Library Under the Roots
Below an ancient tree, forgotten stories wait for a careful listener.
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Mindful listeningMemoryWonder
Sovari and the Archive of Vanishing Sounds
Sovari gathers forgotten bells, waves, whispers, and laughter—and helps the world hear them again.
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CourageKindnessCooperation
Lumari and the Garden of Sleeping Lights
Ten richly illustrated adventures in one 96-page collection about courage, kindness, and bringing the sleeping garden home again.
Explore Lumari and the Garden of Sleeping Lights →A gentle guide for grown-ups
Why picture books are especially good for empathy
Illustrations slow a social moment down. Children can inspect expressions, body language, distance, and context before deciding what they think a character feels or needs.
A story also provides emotional distance. A child can think deeply about a fictional character without being required to disclose or explain a personal experience.
Ask before naming
Try ‘What might this character be noticing?’ before supplying an emotion label.
Compare perspectives
Ask how the same event might feel different to two characters.
Notice needs, not only feelings
Empathy can lead to different responses because different characters may need different things.
For families
Questions parents often ask
Can picture books teach empathy?
Stories can support empathy by giving children repeated opportunities to notice perspectives, feelings, motives, and needs in a low-pressure setting.
What is the difference between empathy and kindness?
Empathy is about understanding or considering another perspective; kindness is one possible response to that understanding.
Should I tell my child what the character feels?
Sometimes, but it can be useful to ask first. The child may notice evidence in the illustration that leads to an interesting interpretation.
Are empathy books useful for preschoolers?
Yes. Even young children can notice expressions, actions, and simple differences in what characters want or need.
From the journal
How Picture Books Help Children Practice Perspective-Taking
How illustrations and story choices can help children notice another character’s point of view, needs and feelings without turning reading into a lesson.
Read the article →