It's all about stories!: Empathy Week June 2023

A pictorial guide to the picture books we shared this week, some basics about Empathy, and links to further resources.

What is Empathy? "The ability to understand and share the feelings of another", including

* sensing other peoples' emotions

* imagining how someone feels

* imagining what someone else is thinking

* mirroring someone's feelings

* identifying how a person is feeling

* understanding another person's feelings

* seeing things from another point of view

* really listening to what others have to say

* feeling overwhwlmed by other's tragedy

How can we foster and develop empathy in children?

* modelling empathy

* discussing emotions and feelings

* helping out at home, in the community or globally

* praising empathetic behaviour

* share stories about kindness

* talk about the character's feelings in stories

* learn about other people's cultures and backgrounds

* learn about why we need to look after our planet

* be kind

* talk to children about the good things that people do like Greta Thunberg and Malala Yousafzai

* ask children "How are you feeling today?", introduce new vocabulary here

Hello! A Counting Book of Kindnesses by Hollis Kurman and Barroux. I absolutely love this book. It's full of hope, reminding us that small kindnesses go along way, making people feel welcome and truly included. But also that we need big kindnesses, big gestures, and actions from our leaders to enable systems to be kind and welcoming too. As we count from 1 to 10 the refugees travel to a new home where they find safety, a warm welcome, friends and happiness. At a training on neglect the other day, one of the speakers stood at the front of the room and reminded us that actually children are not only being neglected within families, but many more are being neglected by the entire system, which needs to have children at its heart. Share this book, and spread the message about empathy and kindness. Published by @otter-barrybooks and endorsed by @amnestyinternational. Find out more here - https://www.otterbarrybooks.com/books/hello!-

Mrs Noah's Garden by Jackie Morris and illustrated by James Mayhew. A follow-up to their book Mrs Noah's Pockets, this book explores what happens after the flood, while Mr Noah turns the ark into a house, and Mrs Noah creates a garden with the help of the children. Nice gentle rain came, and helped the garden to grow, and there were bees, dragonflies and and birds. And on Midsummer's day the children wake to find their garden blooming with flowers and fruits. This is a magical tale full of mystical creatures, inspiring a love of nature, how new beginnings are possible, and how, if we plant things, they will grow. Published by @otter-barrybooks Find out more here - https://www.otterbarrybooks.com/books/mrs-noah's-garden

Pattan's Pumpkin, An Indian Flood Story by Chitra Soundar and Frané Lessac. Based on a traditional folk tale from Kerala in South India, this retelling replaces the traditional "churraka" or bottle-gourd, with a more familiar pumpkin. Pattan lives in the mountains with his family and all the animals, where one day he finds a plant that needs tending and plants it in his garden. It grows into the most enormous pumpkin. When the great storm comes Pattan hollows out the pumpkin, saving one seed, his family and the animals. The book is beautifully illustrated, and perfect for reading aloud. Published by @otter-barrybooks Find out more here - https://www.otterbarrybooks.com/books/pattan's-pumpkin

Migrations - Open Hearts, Open Borders. Foreword by Shaun Tan and illustrated by illustrators from 28 countries on the theme of human migration. Shortlisted for the Books Are My Bag Readers Award 2019, this little postcard-sized book is actually a collection of postcards from picture book illustrators around the world carrying a powerful message about human migration. It's aim is to "express support for and solidarity with the hundreds of thousands of human migrants who face immense difficulties and dangers in their struggle to find a better and safer place to live". By sharing this book and their thoughts and illustrations, the authors hope to inspire a vision for a better world. Published by @otter-barrybooks and endorsed by @amnestyinternational. Find out more here - https://www.otterbarrybooks.com/books/migrations