Teaching children manners and social skills can be difficult, sharing stories about how to act and the importance of good manners can help.
I’ll wait, Mr Panda
by Steve Antony
Mr Panda is making a big surprise. What is it? The animals must wait and see. But waiting is boring. Only one little penguin has the patience and politeness to stick around. Will he be rewarded?
Age: 3+

Please Mr Panda
by Steve Antony
Panda has a tray of doughnuts. Animal after animal tells him the one they want, but it’s only when Lemur says ‘please’ politely that Panda will give any out! A witty and stylish lesson that manners will get you EVERYTHING. Even a trayload of doughnuts.
Age: 3+
Thank you, Mr Panda
by Steve Antony
Mr Panda is happy to help his friends prepare for a special surprise – if they remember to say thank you, that is!
Age: 3+
Yikes, Stinkysaurus!
by Pamela Butchart and Sam Lloyd
Stinkysaurus is the smelliest dinosaur in the whole world and the other dinosaurs decide it is time for him to have a bath. Can they turn Stinkysaurus into a clean dinosaur?
Age: 3+

There’s a Bear on my Chair
by Ross Collins
Poor Mouse! A bear has settled in his favourite chair and that chair just isn’t big enough for two.
Age: 3+

How do you do, Mr Gnu?
by Billy Coughlan and Maddie Frost
Gnu is delighted to receive an invitation for tea with the queen, but are his manners up to scratch? He’d better start practising.
Age: 3+

Perfectly polite penguins
by Georgiana Deutsch and Ekaterina Trukhan
Penguins are always perfectly polite. But then Polly the not-so-polite penguin decides that being polite is boring! Uh oh! A laugh-out-loud story about the importance of manners!
Age: 3+

Sharing a shell
by Julia Donaldson
When a little hermit crab finds a shiny new shell he doesn’t want to share it – not with a blobby purple anemone and a tickly bristleworm.
Age: 3+
Doodle Bites
by Polly Dunbar
Doodle is a crocodile who likes to bite, but learns his lesson by the end of the book.
Age: 2+
Treasure ahoy! Pirates can share
by Tom Easton
Sam, the pirate, discovers a bag of gold coins. Will he share his treasure or keep it for himself? Notes and activities for parents are included.
Age: 4+

Croc needs to wait
by Sue Graves
Croc can never wait for anything – he’s always interrupting, rushes everything and he can never wait to take his turn. Can he learn to slow down and be a little more patient? This funny, charming story is the perfect way to introduce young children to being patient, and help them understand the importance of waiting their turn.
Age: 4+
Elephant Learns to Share
by Sue Graves
Elephant doesn’t like to share anything and everyone at school thinks he is mean. One day he is given a gift that he can’t play with on his own. Will he work out how to have fun and make friends?
Age: 3+
Rhino learns to be polite: a book about good manners
by Sue Graves
This funny, charming story is the perfect way to introduce young children to being polite, and help them understand the importance of using nice manners. Also included are suggestions for activities and ideas to talk through together to help children fully understand how their behaviour can impact on others. Rhino does not have very nice manners, especially at the dinner table. But soon no one wants to sit near him at lunch time and he even misses out on tea at his friend’s house. It is time for Rhino to bring out his very best manners.
Age: 4+

Kind
by Alison Green
With gorgeous pictures by a host of top illustrators, ‘Kind’ is a timely, inspiring picture book about the many ways children can be kind, from sharing their toys and games to making those from other countries feel welcome.
Age: 4+

When a dragon comes to stay
by Caryl Hart and Rosalind Beardshaw
When a dragon comes to stay, will she behave herself? Why, of course she will. Obviously she knows she must share her toys, eat daintily and skip happily upstairs at bathtime. Well, not quite. Like all toddlers, this little dragon finds good manners a tiny bit tricky. It’s lucky she has some friends to help her.
Age: 3+
Brandon’s SO bossy
by Judith Heneghan
Brandon is a bossy dragon whos always trying to tell his friends what to do. This becomes a big problem when he and his friends get ready for a big skills contest.
Age: 3+
Ruby’s SO rude
by Judith Heneghan
Ruby is a rude dragon. She pushes and grabs, won’t say sorry and hurts the other dragons’ feelings. But something stops her in her tracks and makes her realise she is upsetting her friends. Can she learn to behave politely after all? Read about good manners and behaviour in these delightful stories.
Age: 3+
All Mine!
by Zehra Hicks
Poor Mouse is just about to tuck into a sandwich, when in swoops Seagull and gobbles it up. Mouse’s crisps aren’t safe either. What a greedy and ill-mannered bird he is! This is a very funny cautionary tale.
Age: 3+
The bad seed
by Jory John
This is a book about a bad seed . A bad seed. How bad? Do you really want to know? He has a bad temper, bad manners, and a bad attitude. He’s been bad since he can remember! This seed cuts in line every time, stares at everybody and never listens. But what happens when one mischievous little seed changes his mind about himself, and decides that he wants to be – happy?
Age: 4+

The only way is badger
by Stella J. Jones and Carmen Saldaña
Badgers are best. Or so Badger thinks. As he says: ‘If it’s not black and white then it’s just not right!’ But what if he’s wrong?
Age: 4+

My name is Bear!
by Nicola Killen
Hear can’t wait to introduce himself to his new neighbours because he thinks he has the best name in the world! But when he learns his neighbours’ names he can’t stop laughing and his comments become more and more rude! Will Bear ever learn some manners?
Age: 3+
I Keep Clean
by Liz Lennon
Using simple words and colourful photographs, this book helps young children find out how to keep clean.
Age: 3+

Friends
by Kim Lewis
Warm simple story about a boy and girl who fall out because they don’t want to share, but realise it’s more fun to do things together.
Age: 3+

Lionel and the lion’s share
by Lou Peacock
Lionel the lion does not like to share. After all, lions always get the lion’s share. He buys all the best instruments from the music shop, all the smartest hats from the hat shop and all the brightest balloons from the balloon stall. But at Chloe’s birthday party Lionel goes too far and eats all the cake. That’s when Lionel’s friends decide that something has to be done.
Age: 3+

When Angus met Alvin
by Sue Pickford
Angus is a gentle alien who loves growing things in his space garden. But his world is turned upside-down by the unwelcome arrival of Alvin, a cocky and boastful alien from a different planet. Until Alvin’s clever-clever tricks misfire and turn him into a minute, pin-size creature, Angus helps his visitor recover – if he promises to behave better and learn some manners. Maybe the two aliens will end up friends after all!
Age: 3+
Ruthie and the (Not So) Teeny Tiny Lie
by Laura Rankin
Ruthie fox lies about the camera she finds, but eventually faces up to what she has done and tells the truth.
Age: 3+
Blow Your Nose, Big Bad Wolf
by Steve Smallman and Bruno Merz
When the three little pigs won’t give the wolf a tissue, their houses are blown down by his sneezes! To make matters worse, they then catch his cold.
Age: 4+

Jumblebum
by Chae Strathie and Ben Cort
Johnny’s mum thinks his room is a mess, but he doesn’t care… until all his clutter attracts the terrible Jumblebum Beast.
Age: 4+
Naughty Naughty Monster
by Kaye Umansky and Greg Abbott
A very naughty monster is on the rampage. It takes several attempts by a small fairy before he finds a better way to behave.
Age: 3+
Words are Not For Hurting
by Elizabeth Verdick and Marieka Heinlen
Think before you say something hurtful, and “I’m sorry” can help if you do. Positive guidance on using your words.
Age: 2+

Banana!
by Ed Vere
One monkey has a tantrum because it wants the banana that the other has. The word ‘please’ has a magic effect. A very simple book with fun illustrations.
Age: 3+
Useful Organisations
Pampers:
Helpful tips on teaching young children manners.