My mother is the librarian at an elementary school library and I volunteer there every once in a while when I'm not in class. As a result I have read my fair share of children's books and have realized how morally deep the books are. As children we don't realize a lot of the life lessons hidden within our favorite children's books. These are just a few of the books I have come across in my adventures through the library.
1. "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein
This is the classic book about being generous. It is also a book about unconditional love and being grateful for what you are given.
2. "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" by Laura Numeroff
This classic book is checked out by kids everyday. This book, unlike "The Giving Tree," shows how if you give someone something it may turn into a slippery slope where they continually ask for more.
3. "Don't Let The Pigeon Drive the Bus" by Mo Willems
This book teaches that getting frustrated and angry about things will not make your life any easier. Like the pigeon, you will not be allowed to do what you want if you try to coerce people into giving you your way.
4. "The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss
If the Lorax teaches you anything it is that if you care about something you should go out of your way to protect it. To quote the book, "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it's not."
5. "The Magic Tree House Series" by Mary Pope Osborne
The lesson behind the Magic Tree House is that we should never stop adventuring and that we should never stop using our imaginations. Our imagination will take us all over the world if we just give it the opportunity and traveling is much more fun when you are with a friend.
6. "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle
All of Eric Carle's books have some life lesson behind them. "The Mixed Up Chameleon" teaches kids that they should be happy with who they are and should never try to be like anyone else because they are special just the way they are. Likewise, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" teaches that even if you become a little overweight that should never stop anyone from becoming something beautiful. One should also never be ashamed of binge eating according to this wonderful book.
7. "Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak
This books teaches multiple life lessons important for life. One is that you should never judge someone based on their appearance. When the monsters are acting all scary Max doesn't find them scary and does not judge them. People can also learn that there is a wild thing in everyone that should be let out every once in a while.
8. "This is Not my Hat" by Jon Klassen
If you do not know what this book is about, it is about a little fish who steals the hat of a big fish. He flaunts it about and that eventually ends in the little fish's demise. Now obviously the moral to this story is to never steal. In addition, this story teaches kids that people notice more things than they might think.
9. "Pinkalicious" by Victoria and Elizabeth Kahn
Pinkalicious is a girl who loves pink. She eats so many pink cupcakes that she turns pink. She gets told that she needs to eat green foods to go back to normal. Instead she eats more pink cupcakes and she turns red. Kids learn that too much of a good thing is not longer a good thing. Kids also learn who important their vegetables are through this tale about eating too much junk food.
So if you see a children's book lying around you should pick it up. You might even learn something.
