Books to Encourage Good Manners

It’s hard to say no to a child’s request when it’s accompanied by a well-mannered “pwease” – even when they can’t yet pronounce it properly (so cute)! But good manners aren’t just about getting what you want. They show respect and appreciation.

These books demonstrate good manners in action – and they’re entertaining reads as well. Slip one (or more!) into your story time stack and read them with your child so they can see why good manners are so important.

Please, Mr Panda

This is such a simple book, but oh so perfect. Mr Panda offers a box of doughnuts to a penguin, a skunk, an ostrich and a whale but, each time, he changes his mind and decides not to share the doughnuts after all. That is, until a polite lemur uses the magic word – “please”. This story is a lovely way to show that good manners are valued. It’s delightfully illustrated too, with the animals drawn in bold black and white oil pastels with the occasional pop of colour for fun. The bright doughnut endpapers are gorgeous. Please, Mr Panda is written and illustrated by Steve Antony and published by Hodder Children’s Books.

When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree

This book hits all the right notes. It’s funny, honest and heart-warming, teaching little readers about good manners, perseverance and the rewards of reaping what you sow. A little girl is keen for a gadget for her birthday, but Grandma shows up with a lemon tree. The little girl’s facial expressions are gold. The pictures tell us what she really thinks (kids will so relate!), but she smiles, says thank you and takes good care of that tree. Then she grows lemons and makes lemonade. But there’s more than that and, it’s clever. Read it and enjoy the surprise. And, if you like, make some lemonade – there’s a recipe included too. The book is beautifully designed and illustrated with a mix of small and full-page pictures with pops of bright colours. The endpapers cleverly change from the front of the book to the back to reflect the story. When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree is written by Jamie Deenihan, illustrated by Lorraine Rocha and published by Sterling Children’s Books.

What To Say when you don’t know what to say

This book presents awkward moments children face alongside a simple suggestion of what they could say. Beautiful illustrations present scenarios including a friend moving away and a child caught drawing on the wall. It’s a great book to have on the shelf to pull out as needed to prompt conversation and give kids confidence to deal with different situations. It shows that most of the time, the right thing to say is just what you feel and always with kindness. What to Say When You Don’t Know What to Say is written by Davina Bell, illustrated by Hilary Jean Tapper and published by Hachette Australia.

Liarbird

This is a fantastic story. It’s a fun take on the fable The Boy Who Cried Wolf, but better. The lyrebird thinks it’s fine to tell fibs, but the book shows that lying can have terrible consequences. The story is funny and thoughtful and a fantastic prompt for conversations about telling the truth. The illustrations are bold and fun and feature a lineup of native Australian animals, including a few from the Bunting team’s other stories. Liarbird is written by Laura Bunting, illustrated by Philip Bunting and published by Scholastic.

The Thank You Dish

This is a fantastic story. It’s a fun take on the fable The Boy Who Cried Wolf, but better. The lyrebird thinks it’s fine to tell fibs, but the book shows that lying can have terrible consequences. The story is funny and thoughtful and a fantastic prompt for conversations about telling the truth. The illustrations are bold and fun and feature a lineup of native Australian animals, including a few from the Bunting team’s other stories. Liarbird is written by Laura Bunting, illustrated by Philip Bunting and published by Scholastic.