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Short answer: for ages 3–7, the standout book for making friends is Sharing Silver — it shows that sharing and kindness are what win real friends. Other lovely choices are The Little Book of Friendship, Devon Makes a Friend, Strictly No Elephants, Making Friends Is an Art! and How to Be a Friend.
1. Sharing Silver — best for showing that giving is how you make friends
Making friends and sharing are really the same lesson: the more you give, the more comes back. In Sharing Silver, Silver the Super Pup shows a greedy dog named Bandit how kindness and sharing always come back around — and how that same generosity is exactly what turns strangers into friends. Instead of telling a child to "go and make friends", it gives them the move that actually works: be kind first, share, and include others.
“The world is like a mirror. It reflects back what you give.”
Sharing Silver — a superhero training story about sharing and giving, for ages 3–7. Best book on this list for showing a child that kindness is what makes friends.
View Sharing Silver on AmazonYou can read a sample of Sharing Silver first, or if your child is finding friendships hard, see our guide on what to do when your child has no friends.
2. The Little Book of Friendship — by Zack Bush and Laurie Friedman
A warm, rhyming little book about the simplest truth of friendship: the best way to make a friend is to be one. Lovely for talking through small, doable ways to be kind and welcoming. View The Little Book of Friendship on Amazon →
3. Devon Makes a Friend — by Jessica Davault
A gentle story following a child through the nerves and small brave steps of making a new friend — relatable for any little one who finds saying hello hard. View Devon Makes a Friend on Amazon →
4. Strictly No Elephants — by Lisa Mantchev
A boy and his tiny pet elephant are turned away from the local pet club, so they start their own — one where everyone is welcome. A beautiful story about inclusion and being the friend who lets others in. View Strictly No Elephants on Amazon →
5. Making Friends Is an Art! — by Julia Cook
Part of Julia Cook's well-known social-skills series. A relatable character learns the everyday habits that help make and keep friends — practical and reassuring for a child who needs the how-to. View Making Friends Is an Art! on Amazon →
6. How to Be a Friend — by Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown
A friendly guide (from the team behind Arthur) to making friends, being a good one, and handling the tricky bits like bossiness, falling out and feeling left out. A great reference to return to. View How to Be a Friend on Amazon →
How to choose, and how to read it
Pick a short story with one clear, friend-making idea — share first, include someone, say sorry — and a hero your child likes, then read it more than once so the move becomes familiar. The payoff comes when you name it in real life: "that was a kind, friend-making thing to do". Pair the reading with a small, doable step like inviting one child to play. For more, see raising a kind, sharing friend and playdate ideas that build friendship skills.