Teaching children to respect themselves, other people, and the world around them is crucial. Children learn about respect continuously from the actions of others. It is important for us to model a respectful attitude for children to learn from. Using picture books is a great way to teach respecting ourselves, accepting differences, using respectful words and respecting the environment.

These books illustrate respectful behaviour and will help children look at situations from the perspective of others. They show characters who are:

• polite and use their manners
• considerate
• able to treat others as they wish to be treated
• respectful of their environment
• respectful of the property of others
• good listeners
• helpful and kind
• able to put themselves in the shoes of others
• willing to reflect on how their actions affect others

Of course, some books about respect illustrate disrespectful characters and the consequences of their negative behaviour.