With the devastation in Houston on my mind, I think an important theme for our storytimes this week needs to be let's be helping hands in our community and our world. There's no better way to get great volunteering inspiration than in books. Here are some of my favorite books for inspiring us to volunteer in our communities and be helping hands.
The Can Man deals with homelessness and giving to those who need it most. A boy has to decide between giving his saved money to buy a homeless man a winter coat and spending his money on a new skateboard.
Last Stop on Market Street follows a grandmother and her grandson as they make their way through town on a city bus. The grandmother teaches her grandson the importance of volunteering time to help others. The artwork is great, too!
When Sarah is waiting at the bus stop on a cold winter day, she sees a little boy without any mittens. She decides to knit him some and leave them for him to find.
While this book isn't explicitly about volunteering, it is a story about thinking about how our actions affect others.
Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen shows kids how a soup kitchen works and who the kitchen serves. Informative and entertaining.
A Chair For My Mother is my favorite picture book for many reasons, one being the way the community in the story gather together to support the mom and daughter after their apartment burns down, destroying all of their belongings.
Magical Hands is a sweet book about helping friends with their work without being asked.
Inspiring, instructive, and informative! A great resource for helping our community and world.