Best Books About Sharing for Preschoolers (Ages 3–5)

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1. Sharing Silver — best overall pick (ages 3–7) ⭐ Top Pick

In Sharing Silver, Silver the Super Pup shows a greedy dog named Bandit how kindness and generosity always come back around — through Olivia's music, Benny's waterwheel, and a whole forest that gives back to those who give. The ages 3–7 window is a perfect match for preschoolers, and the reason it tops this list is in the framing: sharing isn't presented as something you do because you have to, but as a power you build the more you practise. That shift — from rule to superpower — is exactly what gets preschoolers wanting to share rather than resisting it. Read it together before a playdate and you have a ready shortcut: "what would Silver do?"

“You get what you give — and the more you give, the more you get.”

Sharing Silver — a superhero training story about sharing and giving, ages 3–7. Our top pick for preschoolers who need to want to share.

View Sharing Silver on Amazon

You can read a sample of Sharing Silver first, or browse Silver's quotes about sharing and kindness for lines worth talking about together.

2. The Rainbow Fish — by Marcus Pfister (ages 3–6)

A beautiful fish with shimmering scales learns that sharing his most prized possession wins him something better than admiration: real friends. The physical foil scales on the page make this a sensory experience as well as a story, which keeps preschoolers engaged through repeated reads. The lesson is clear and visible — the fish shares, the fish becomes happy — and that direct cause-and-effect lands well for children at this age who are just beginning to understand why sharing might be worth it. View The Rainbow Fish on Amazon →

3. Should I Share My Ice Cream? — by Mo Willems (ages 3–6)

Elephant Gerald wants to share his ice cream with Piggie — but talks himself out of it until the ice cream melts. Mo Willems captures the exact inner monologue a preschooler goes through in those sharing moments, which is why children find this so funny and recognisable. The simple speech-bubble format means even reluctant readers follow the story easily, and the humour makes it one of the most re-readable books on this list. Great for children who understand what sharing is but find the in-the-moment decision the hardest part. View Should I Share My Ice Cream? on Amazon →

4. Strictly No Elephants — by Lisa Mantchev (ages 3–6)

A boy and his tiny pet elephant are excluded from the local Pet Club — so he starts a new one where every unusual pet is welcome. A warm, charming story about standing up for someone who doesn't fit in and the kind of friendship that doesn't ask you to change. Particularly good for preschoolers who are starting to navigate group dynamics — who's in, who's out, what kind of friend you want to be — which tends to show up in earnest right around the preschool years. The elephant is completely endearing. View Strictly No Elephants on Amazon →

5. Have You Filled a Bucket Today? — by Carol McCloud (ages 4–8)

Introduces the "bucket-filling" idea: kind acts fill other people's invisible buckets (and fill yours too), while unkind acts dip into them. It's a simple, memorable metaphor that preschoolers carry into everyday life long after a single reading — many schools use it as shared language, which makes it worth having at home to reinforce it. Best for children around age 4 and up who can hold an abstract idea. A good companion read alongside Sharing Silver. View Have You Filled a Bucket Today? on Amazon →

6. Be Kind — by Pat Zietlow Miller (ages 4–8)

A quiet, thoughtful story that asks what kindness actually looks like in everyday moments — picking up a dropped crayon, including a classmate who looks different, noticing someone who seems sad. Jen Hill's warm, specific illustrations make every small act feel achievable. Unlike most books on this list, it doesn't have a single big story — it builds the idea of kindness as something you do in lots of small ways every day. Works well for children heading into preschool or reception year who are starting to navigate a bigger social world. View Be Kind on Amazon →

7. Enemy Pie — by Derek Munson (ages 4–7)

A little boy has a sworn enemy — until his dad says the only way to get rid of an enemy is to spend a whole day being kind to them. Original, funny and genuinely surprising, Enemy Pie is the book for preschoolers navigating that complicated space between rival and friend. The moment when the enemy becomes a best friend is deeply satisfying for children who've watched playground dynamics from the outside. A great one to read before a new school year or a playdate with someone unfamiliar. View Enemy Pie on Amazon →

8. The Giving Tree — by Shel Silverstein (ages 4–8)

A tree gives everything it has to the boy it loves, from apples to branches to its very trunk, across a whole lifetime. A classic that most parents already know. Preschoolers aged 4–5 who can follow a longer story with a bittersweet ending find it genuinely moving — and it opens a conversation about whether giving everything is always the kindest thing, which grows richer as children grow. Worth reading as a pair with Sharing Silver: Silver shows that giving comes back around, while the Giving Tree invites a different kind of question. View The Giving Tree on Amazon →

Quick comparison: at a glance

Use this table to find the right preschool sharing book for your child's age and the specific situation you're navigating.

How to pick the right book for your preschooler

The best book is the one that matches the specific situation your child is navigating right now. If sharing toys during playdates is the flashpoint, Should I Share My Ice Cream? or Sharing Silver mirror that exact moment. If your preschooler is starting a new group setting and you want them to understand inclusion and kindness, Strictly No Elephants and Be Kind name those dynamics more directly. If you want a book that builds a sticky mental model for kindness they'll carry long after reading, Have You Filled a Bucket Today? is hard to beat.

Whichever you choose, read it more than once. Preschoolers learn through repetition — the same book read five times across a fortnight does more than five different books read once each. Once your child knows the story, you have shortcut language for real-life moments that is far more effective than any explanation you could give in the middle of a meltdown. For more practical ideas on what to say and do in those moments, see our guides on ways to teach your child to share and helping with sibling rivalry — which is usually where the sharpest sharing battles happen.

Also see the full sharing and kindness round-up (all ages, toddler through age 8) and the toddler sharing round-up if you have a younger child.