📚 How to Help Kids Become Global Citizens (with Picture Books)
Kids don’t need a passport to start thinking globally, though they should definitely get one, they need stories. When we “shrink” the world with books, maps, food, and conversations, kids notice both similarities and differences, and immigration stories help them practice empathy in real, age-appropriate ways.
Why global citizenship matters (and how books help)
Books make the world smaller. A city across the ocean becomes a street with a bakery, a school, and a library kids can imagine.
Immigration builds empathy. Seeing what it’s like to arrive somewhere new (new foods, names, languages) helps kids practice welcome and respect.
Folktales show shared values. Across cultures, heroes face challenges with courage, kindness, and wit.
A simple plan at home or school
Map it. Keep a world map handy. Every time you read, pin the setting.
Reading Passport. Staple a little booklet: title, country, one new word, and one question per book.
Taste & say. Learn a greeting and try a snack from the region.
Ask better questions. “What’s similar to our life? What’s different? How do we show welcome?”
Connect to newcomers. Pair books about daily life with immigration stories to talk about belonging and community care.
Here are some of my favorite picture books that take kids around the globe.
📖 "Bella & Harry series"
by Lisa Manzione
Two pups tour cities like Paris, Cairo, Tokyo, Rio, Istanbul; kid-friendly landmarks, foods, and phrases. Great for giving kids the travel bug.
📖 "The Empty Pot" (China)
by Demi
When Ping’s seed won’t grow, he brings an empty pot—his honesty earns the emperor’s trust.
📖 “The Korean Cinderella” (Korea)
by Shirley Climo
A beloved folktale in a Korean setting; compare to classic versions.
📖 "Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters”(Zimbabwe-inspired, southern Africa) by John Steptoe
Two sisters face hidden tests; humility and kindness lead to hope.
📖 "The Librarian of Basra” (Iraq)
by Jeanette Winter
A librarian saves books during war, quiet courage in service of learning.
📖 "Islandborn" (Caribbean/Dominican diaspora → United States)
by Junot Diaz
Lola gathers neighbors’ memories to picture her island and her identity.
📖 "Stepping Stones. A Refugee Family’s Journey” (Syria)
by Margriet Ruurs
A Syrian family leaves home for safety; stone-collage art tells a hopeful, honest story.
📖 "If You Lived Here. Houses of the
World" (Global)
by Giles Laroche
A cut-paper tour of homes worldwide, showing how place, climate, land, and culture shapes the way people build.
📖 "The Whale Child” (Pacific NW-Canada)
by Keith Egawa and Chenoa Egawa
A child journeys with a whale to learn how to care for ocean and land.
📖 "Ada’s Violin" (Cateura, Paraguay)
by Susan Hood
Kids build instruments from trash and form an orchestra.
🌍 Why this helps?
Global citizenship isn’t an “extra”, it’s a daily habit our kids need in a noisy, polarized world. Stories shrink the distance between us, giving children language for fairness, welcome, and shared humanity. Each map pin, greeting, and read-aloud is a small practice in empathy that adds up. Start with one book and one simple action, and watch curiosity grow into courage.
With Books and Bravery -The Pocket Librarian