Picture books that build character

Explore the book guides

Picture books, organized by character strength

Research in positive psychology identifies 24 character strengths valued across cultures, including creativity, honesty, teamwork, and gratitude. These strengths support children’s well-being, relationships, and long-term development.

Stories allow children to see character strengths in action—without turning reading into a lesson or lecture.

Browse by character strength

Kindness · Courage · Gratitude · Perseverance · Forgiveness · Humor · Love · Creativity · Curiosity · Hope · Perspective · Bravery · Self-Regulation · Humility · View all book guides

An illustration featuring school and office supplies, a large wrench with "INCREDIBLE 106S" written on it, a yellow measuring tape with a humorous note, and the inspirational quote "You’ve (probably) hit your heart of" by Natalie Labarre, promoting a positive mindset.
Book cover titled 'Benjamin Bear in Brain Storms!' starring Benjamin Bear wearing a space helmet, flying through space on skis with a trail behind him, surrounded by planets and stars.

Featured picture books from the Character Reads guides

A colorful comic-style book cover titled 'Can I Build Another Me?' by Shinsuke Yoshitake, featuring cartoon characters building, pretending, and interacting with robots and devices in various activities.
Illustration of a pig riding a bicycle on a park trail, surrounded by trees and colorful bushes, with the book title "The Power of Yet" and author Maryann Cocca-Leffler.
Cover of a children's book titled "It's Mine!" by Leo Lionni, featuring three green frogs on a brown log with one frog catching a butterfly.
Book cover titled 'Gilbert Ford's The Marvelous Thing That Came from a Spring'. It features a colorful illustration of a staircase made of white steps with a coiled spring on each step, a red armchair, a patterned lamp on a wooden table, a cat, and a girl crawling on the staircase. The background has a green wall with vertical dotted lines. The subtitle reads 'The accidental invention of the toy that swept the nation'.
Book cover for "Owl Moon" by Jane Yolen, illustrated by John Schoenherr, featuring a snowy landscape with a child and adult holding a flashlight, a large tree, full moon, and a gold medal logo.
A colorful illustration with a large green crocodile framing a quote that reads, 'I didn't do my homework because...' by Davide Cali and Benjamin Chaud. The crocodile's head and body surround the quote with a girl hanging upside down from its mouth, papers falling, and a desk with a dog and a lamp nearby.