The best children's books for
confident kids

Children's books are as common as sand on the beach. According to Statista, 8,321 new children's books were published in Germany alone in 2022[1] [1] Statista (2022): Statistics on children's and young adult books   That's a lot of choice. Among them are light reads: stories about important football matches or that make the wildest horse-girl dreams come true. This top list presents six of the best children's books that not only entertain but also promote the personal development and self-confidence of little ones. They can be given as gifts with a clear conscience or added to your own children's book library.

1. Children's book for explorers – Maybe. A story about the endless talents within each of us

Pictures say more than 1,000 words. There are not many words in this book either. But the few that Kobi Yamada has written in are powerful. It begins with "You are you. Someone like you has never existed before and never will again. There is so much inside you." Numerous "Maybe..." sentences follow. "Maybe you are here to bring light to dark places?", "Maybe you will raise your voice for those who cannot speak for themselves?"

The recurring "maybe" here does not stand for childish indecision, but for possibilities. For opportunities to develop, for talents that want to be discovered. But here, it is not necessarily the text that guides you through the individual sequences, but the pictures. The illustrator Gabriella Barouch takes hold of both thoughts and imagination and reveals dream worlds that run through a child's life and, if you really want to, can become reality. A fantastic book that gives self-confidence. 

Recommended age: 3 - 99 years

2. Children's book for self-confidence – nOT enough

nOT enough is a children's comic that charmingly and humorously tells the everyday life of Natalie. A girl who always feels like she is not enough. Not athletic enough, not popular enough, not stylish enough. And of all things, on her first day at a new school, her best friend turns away from her to belong to the cool kids from then on... The twist is predictable: Of course Natalie is enough! But the path there is surprisingly turbulent and simply lovingly drawn. Not just a short-lived pleasure for outsiders. 

3. Children's book for the curious – The Little Prince 

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's most famous work has been delighting children and adults alike for over 80 years as one of the most popular children's books worldwide. It shows how important it is to look at the world with childlike eyes every now and then. Children learn in a playful way what "being friends" means and how to nurture friendships. They also learn appreciation for things and living beings and receive many valuable pieces of advice, as the little prince asks and questions a lot in the story. The perhaps most important message: Don't always take everything so seriously.

"Grown-ups have a passion for numbers. When you tell them about a new friend, they never ask you about the essentials. They never ask: 'What does his voice sound like? What games does he love most? Does he collect butterflies?' Instead, they ask: 'How old is he? How many siblings does he have? How much does he weigh? How much does his father earn?' Only then do they think they know him."

4. Children's book to do along – The 6-Minute-Diary for Kids

5. Children's book for tolerance and diversity – Raffi and his pink tutu

Raffi, the protagonist of the book, is very reminiscent of the author himself: Riccardo Simonetti. Through his style, which breaks with typically "masculine" clichés, he polarises. His childhood and youth were marked by discrimination, and even today he receives abuse because of his appearance or his homosexuality.

In the book, Raffi experiences this exclusion because one day he decides to wear a pink tutu to school. The very athletic Raffi simply likes it, but his class thinks: "a tutu is only for girls".

The book conveys one thing above all: acceptance. Accept yourself as you are. Accept others, even if they have different hobbies or do not like the same things. Individual, tolerant children are strong children.

6. Children's book for creativity – Frederick

Another classic on the list of the best children's books with a wonderful message is the picture book "Frederick" by Leo Lionni. It tells the story of the little mouse of the same name, who lives in a large mouse family. While the others collect food for the winter, Frederick takes a completely different path and prefers to collect sunbeams, bright colours and words. No one understands what the point is. Frederick and his strange methods are mocked and insulted. When the cold winter then comes and food becomes scarce, Frederick uses his memories as well as the sunbeams and brings colour and beautiful hours to the gloomy days.

Hardly any other story tells so sweetly of the courage to be different and how much value art and creativity can have in this. An intelligent story for the heart.

Learning from children's books