Some kids just naturally have empathy for others, but those kids are rare. For most of us, it takes time and effort to learn empathy at a young age. Emma and Emmanuel are here to help. As young kids showing off their super power of empathy for other kids, they pave the way toward understanding, so those reading the book (or having it read to them) can learn what empathy is and how to share it with others.
Empathy Is Your Superpower is written in short vignettes where Emma or Emmanuel demonstrate empathy toward another child—one who is being bullied for unusual shoes or a classmate who doesn’t have much to eat for their lunch—to show kids how to act towards those who are hurting or sad. There are also questions for each situation, so that parents, teachers, and caregivers can help children think through what the kids are feeling and what they might have done in the same situation.
Most of this short book focuses on these small moments of empathy, but at the end there are several exercises for the adults to take on and share with their kids. Volunteer your time at an animal shelter with your child, for example, and have a conversation about why you chose to spend your time there and about how it helped the animals and humans there. Or act out your feelings, like a game of charades. Have a conversation with your kids about what you were feeling, how they could use clues from your expression or behavior to understand what the feeling is and what they could do if they saw another child feeling that way.
Author Cori Bussolari, PsyD, and illustrator Zach Gzreszkowiak have created this fantastic tool to help teach kids how to understand the feelings of another and what to do to help soothe them. Empathy Is Your Superpower helps teach kids how to understand what others are experiencing and how they can help by being kind and generous with their time and attention.
I enjoyed reading Empathy Is Your Superpower. I think it’s important to teach this to kids (actually, I’ve known adults who could use these lessons as well), and Bussolari draws on her time as a psychologist and teacher to help create lessons that are memorable but easy to understand. The charming illustrations add life and interest, making this a good tool to help adults teach kids how to be superheroes with their powers of compassion.
Egalleys for Empathy is Your Superpower were provided by Rockridge Press through the Callisto Media Publisher’s Club, with many thanks.
