Empathy Day was set up back in 2017 by the fantastic folk at
EmpathyLab who are on a mission to help children become more empathetic, creating a generation that understands the power of this vital skill. Their aim is to reach a million children a year by 2026.
The reason we’re so enthusiastic about
Empathy Day is that it focuses on using books and stories to help children step into someone else’s shoes and flex those empathy muscles.
Can fiction books really play a part in empathy?
Books aren’t just brilliant at developing empathy. There are a host of amazing benefits educationally, emotionally and socially. You may like to check out our top reasons
why reading matters. Some of the
health benefits of reading may surprise you too!
Which books can help boost empathy?
Any book which transports you into another person’s shoes is going to help boost empathy. But of course, there are some titles that do this particularly well, or weave themes of kindness, compassion, resilience and inclusion into the story in such a way that it super-charges the benefits to readers.
Each year EmpathyLab create a
Reading for Empathy Collection with this in mind. It’s their top picks from the children’s publishing landscape and a fantastic resource for parents and teachers.
What’s happening on Empathy Day in 2023?
On Thursday 8th June 2023, children, teachers, authors, illustrators and all manner of book-related professionals will be enjoying a day of activities and celebrations. This year's theme is Mission Empathy.
Excitingly, Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2022-2024, Joseph Coelho, will be leading a nationwide, empathy-focussed National Assembly on the day.
There will also be a return to live events, including a major event with Manchester Libraries. And Sophy Henn, award-winning author/illustrator of the Pizazz and Lifesize series, will be Empathy Day’s first official illustrator.
Find out more and sign up for a free Empathy Day Toolkit
here.