Preschool books about friendship help our youngest readers what it means to be a good pal. From sharing to listening to being accepting of others, these books convey beautiful messages. Check out our list of preschool friendship books below!
Life-long friendships begin in our earliest years
My best friend has been by my side since we were just two years old. We met in nursery school, stood by each other at Bat Mitzvahs and weddings, and now our own kids (six boys between the two of us!) are pals.
Remarkably, we have stayed so close for more than forty years, and whenever I read some of the books on this list, I think of Jill. We are so lucky to have each other,
Preschool books about friendship are fabulous teaching tools
Friendships are crucial for a child’s social and emotional development. Thus, we must do all we can to nurture and encourage such relationships.
Providing children with authentic examples of fulfilling friendships, including all the ins and outs and ups and downs of what it means to be a friend, is vitally important. Short of modeling these special relationships yourself, one tried and true way to do this is to read great books with your little ones.
Friendships are the very first relationships our kids will choose for themselves. Teach them to make good choices – and to be a good pal – with books that teach them the importance of sharing and listening, respecting differences, and accepting others exactly how they are. With these skills in hand, your kids will go a long way.
RELATED: We’ve got more than 100 children’s book lists on Happily Ever Elephants. Be sure to check out this link!
Frequently asked questions
Aside from modeling what beautiful friendships look like, use books! Through preschool books about friendship, our youngest readers learn about sharing and listening. Books also show teach kids to be kind, respectful, and inclusive. Even preschoolers can take the lessons these stories impart to heart, and they are wonderful springboards for meaningful conversation!
It’s hard to pick because there are so many phenomenal stories! Two that have a piece of my heart are Shy, by Deborah Freedman, and My Best Friend, by Julie Fogliano and Jillian Tamaki. Shy is so unique and perfect for little ones who are nervous to reach out to befriend others. My Best Friend is a pitch-perfect, authentic look at the friendship between two little girls, and it makes my heart sing with every read-through.
Absolutely! In fact, I have a whole list of friendship books that are a bit more complex and nuanced than the stories included here, making it perfect for elementary-aged children. Check out our list of children’s books about friendship at the link.
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We love these preschool books about friendship!
Shy remains unseen in the gutter of the book, too nervous to confront his fear of having to interact with others. Shy loves birds, though, but has only ever read about them. One day, Shy hears and sees a beautiful bird flying near him, but he is too nervous to leave his home and say hello. Will he eventually find the courage to leave? And if he does venture out of his home, will he show us his face or try to stay hidden among other animals he meets along the way? This gorgeous, gentle book experiments with form, art and prose in a manner so fresh and unique, it makes you feel as if you are discovering a picture book for the very first time. An all-time fave and the perfect story for kids who are nervous about making new friends! For our full review of Shy, click here!
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This may be the most precious, authentic children’s book ever. We are so in love with this delightful story that celebrates new friendships — those times you meet someone and instantly “click,” knowing it’s the beginning of a long, joyful relationship. Whether laughing at each other when playing make-believe, drawing each other encircled by hearts, or continuing to love one another even though your favorite ice creams are different, this book, with its vintage feel and glorious illustrations, is simply magical. Tender, emotional, and written in pitch-perfect kid-speak, this one is a must for every bookshelf.
Something bad has happened to Taylor: she cannot get over her devastation when a tower she worked so hard to construct crashes to the ground. Her friends try to help. They offer suggestions and unsolicited advice, trying everything in the books to get her to calm down. But only when the rabbit sits and listens — just listens, quietly, calmly and with compassion — does she begin to feel better. How I love this one! This is a favorite picture book highlighting the ever-important quality of listening and not trying to “fix” things. It’s a good read for us grownups, too.
Tanesha spills grape juice all over her new dress, and a classmate searches for just the right way to make her feel better. I love the way this sweet, simple story walks through actions any child can take to spread kindness throughout their classrooms and communities. Even small acts of kindness have significant impacts that go a long way toward building friendships and connections. A fabulous preschool kindness book. For our full review of Be Kind, click here!
Birt and Etho are best buds, using their big imaginations every time they play. But what happens when a new boy comes along and their two turns into three? Three is such a tough number for little kids – I see it firsthand with my own boys regularly. But I love how this story reminds kids that there is always room for one more — and making a new friend never means you forget the old. This is one of those preschool books about friendship that is not only fun and well-written, but it teaches a valuable lesson purely and authentically!
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Everyone struggles with feelings of loneliness, and everyone has looked across a fence — or a classroom or a quad or a playground — and felt a pang of sadness when they realize there is someone on the other side they would love to connect with. Reaching out isn’t easy, though. In fact, it can be downright hard. But the rewards? Tremendous. Use this book to remind little ones that these feelings of solitude are universal– but we can’t overcome them until we make an effort and get just a little out of our comfort zone and do our best to make new friends!
Two young birds come across a polka dot ball, and they immediately mistake it for an egg. They both lay claim to it, and then of course they fight to take care of it. Ultimately, the birds end up climbing on top of their “egg” and eventually bond over a bigger purpose- how to care for the baby inside that they believe will arrive any day. When a bluebird lets them know that the egg isn’t actually an egg at all but a ball instead, it is clear that duck and goose have created quite a strong bond. Though they abandon their mission, they don’t abandon each other. This is the most adorable preschool book about friendship!
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In this sweet story, we are introduced to a young mime, who never uses words to convey his emotions. He goes through his days alone until befriended by a little girl who catches his make-believe ball. The beauty here lies in the fact that Dennis’s new friend never attempts to make Dennis speak. Instead, the readers see that their newfound friendship transcends words, and we can easily find ways to accept one another — both for our similarities and our differences. This is hands down one of our very favorite preschool books about friendship! For our full review of Be a Friend, click here!
Friendship comes with its ups and downs, of course. But one of the hardest parts of finding a best friend is having to say goodbye to that friend. This beautiful story by a favorite author shows two friends saying hello and goodbye to various things — goodbye to snowmen is hello to jumping in puddles, goodbye to the sun is hello to the stars — and then showing the difficulty inherent in saying goodbye to a friend when she has to move away. Sensitive, gentle and profound, Doerrfeld conveys to readers that even the most difficult goodbyes open us up to brilliant new hellos — and though it may take time to heal, a new day with many new hellos is always on the horizon. For our full review of Goodbye, Friend! Hello, Friend! click here!
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Little Witchling doesn’t mind her cave of inky bats, the beetles in her bed, or even the drip, drip, drip of water on her head. But what she really minds is the gaping hole in her heart. She longs for a friend to fill the lonely space, and the only way she knows how to find one is to cast a spell! Can she conjure a pal by taking the last hair from Lily’s teddy bear? Or will she be true to Lily, and in doing so discover the true meaning of friendship? I usually don’t love rhyming books but this one is pitch-perfect and just so adorable! It made us smile from beginning to end and is a perfect read-aloud book.
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Tim often feels alone and unseen at school, until the day he meets Sam, a big blue whale who is having trouble finding his way back home. Tim has got to help get his new friend back to the water, but it proves much harder than anticipated. He doesn’t give up though, because “friends don’t let friends down.” Kids will squeal with delight and excitement, all the while cheering Tim on as he tackles the biggest challenge of his life – returning Sam home to the water where he belongs.
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A little boy and his pet elephant are banned from the local Pet Club Day meeting via a crude sign hanging on the door: Strictly No Elephants. When the boy meets another child who has also been turned away from the club with her pet skunk, the two decide to make a club of their own. They go to the park, draw up a sign, and open their gathering to all, inviting everyone — no matter what kind of animals they choose as pets — via the most beautiful sign. What does it say? Three simple words: “All are welcome.” For our full review of Strictly No Elephants, click here!
Leonardo has a problem. He is one terrible monster. As hard as he tries, he cannot scare anyone! So Leonardo finds the most scaredy-cat kid in the world, and he goes on a mission to scare the tuna salad out of this little boy, Sam. Leonardo believes he is successful after Sam bursts into tears, until Sam unleashes a litany of wrongs that have upset him, all having nothing to do with our little monster. When Leonardo realizes how sad Sam is, he makes a big decision: he decides Sam needs a friend instead of a monster. This is one of the most fun preschool books about friendship – and a fabulous book about not-so-scary monsters! For our full review of Leonardo the Terrible Monster, click here!
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A little girl wants nothing more than a pet, but her mom isn’t so thrilled. What animal complies with her mother’s stringent requirements? A sloth, of course! The girl is thrilled when Sparky arrives in the mail, but she soon comes to realize that having a sloth is quite different than anticipated. She tries to turn the sloth into a circus show but quickly realizes you can’t impose your will and desires on others. This book wonderfully imparts to kids that the best part of friendship comes when you can truly recognize who is sitting beside you and you can embrace that special someone for everything they are — and are not.
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Each book in the Elephant and Piggie series is fantastic, and we especially love how this one shows Piggie doing everything he can to cheer up his friend Gerald — but in disguise! What does Gerald truly need? Even though Piggie’s antics were pretty hilarious, all Gerald wanted was his best friend’s company so the two could share the laughs together. So sweet, and as always, filled with lots of humour! I especially love how this preschool book about friendship distills a more complicated concept into bite-size chunks even toddlers can understand.
This is a darling friendship story for your littlest readers! The story begins as an elephant wakes up and feels awfully grumpy. Alas, a present outside his door reveals a fun new hat, brightening the elephant’s mood considerably. What follows is an intro to several more grumpy animals, each, in turn, made happier when the elephant and the others share the hat. This book perfectly illustrates the concept of paying it forward, teaching even the youngest readers that their simple actions can brighten the world around them. For our full review of Hooray for Hat! click here!
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What happens when a tiny snail hopes to see the world? He hitches a ride on a giant humpback whale that takes him on a wondrous adventure. But one day, the whale becomes lost and confused, and suddenly, he is beached in the sand. Will the tiny snail ever be able to repay the great whale for its kindness? We love this book that beautifully highlights a small snail’s courage, a giant whale’s kindness, and a friendship that arises among the unlikeliest pair.
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RELATED: We’ve got a fabulous list of kindergarten read-alouds for you on Happily Ever Elephants, so be sure to check them out!
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