Sacrifice is a part of our lives, whether we do it for others, or for ourselves.
The act of giving up something we own that is priceless, and oftentimes intangible, like our time and energy, is a powerful act of transformation.
And helping your kids understand the value of sacrifice may be one of the most important lessons you teach them.
You may think that sacrifice is not a common theme in children’s books. Well, you may be surprised.
Here are five children’s books that touch on the theme of sacrifice that you should definitely read with your kids.
The Giving Tree
Written by Shel Silverstein in1964, The Giving Tree is a popular illustrated children’s book that tells the story of a young boy and a tree, who are best friends.
The tree takes care of the boy as he grows up, sacrificing it’s fruits, branches and trunk to help the boy build a home, a boat and many other things.
When the boy grows old and asks the tree’s help once last time the tree says that it no longer has anything left of itself to give.
This powerful story illustrates that sacrifice is a double-edged sword, and that it should only be reserved for dire moments and not for the passing whims of others.
Charlotte’s Web
Written by E.B. White in 1952, Charlotte’s Web is an amazing book about the friendship between Charlotte, the spider, and Wilbur, the pig, who is destined for slaughter.
Not wanting to lose her friend, Charlotte devises a plan that will save Wilbur’s life.
Knowing that Wilbur’s owner will not kill a famous pig, Charlotte weaves webs that say nice things about him, leading everyone to believe they are miracles.
But through all this Charlotte is growing old and dying.
In her last moments, she gives Wilbur her eggs as an act of love and Wilbur takes care of them until they hatch.
The Quiltmaker’s Gift
Written by Jeff Brumbeau in 2001, The Quiltmaker’s Gift is about a greedy, unhappy king who hoards countless treasures and wealth from his subjects, for no other purpose than to own them (he even makes a list for all the objects in his possession).
One day, he meets a quiltmaker who make beautiful magical quilts.
Hoping to finally find something that would make him happy, the king forces the quiltmaker to make him one, who tells him she will only do so once he has given away all of his things.
Finding joy in small acts of charity, the king eventually loses all his wealth in the process, which earns him the quiltmaker’s quilt.
The Black Cauldron
Written by Lloyd Alexander in 1965, The Black Cauldron is a book about a group of boys and their quest to find a magical black cauldron that has the power to create an unstoppable undead army.
When they discover that evil forces are hellbent on using the cauldron’s powers to conquer the kingdom the boys go on a quest to destroy it and the undead army forever.
But the only way to destroy the cauldron is for someone to willingly climb into it to die. In the end one of the boys sacrifices himself to save his friends.
The Legend of the Bluebonnet
Written by Tomie dePaola in 1983, The Legend of the Bluebonnet is a story based off an old Texas folktale about a Native American girl who loved her tribe so much that she sacrificed the most precious thing she had to save them all.
When the village shaman proclaimed that the Great Spirits were angry and wanted the villagers to sacrifice their most valued possessions, no one in the tribe wanted to do it.
Only a young orphan girl whose parents left her a doll before they died did. The same doll she sacrifices in order to end the drought and bring the rain.
Teaching Sacrifice with Books
It can be hard to teach children about sacrifice, but books can greatly help with this.
But the point of reading is not merely to convey moral values or wisdom, but to encourage critical thinking.
You can always use books with important themes like sacrifice to start a conversation.
Ask them what they feel about the book, what lessons they think the author is trying to teach.
Some of us may be guilty of not giving enough credit to kids when it comes to textual analysis.
They may offer more interesting and profound insights than even an adult might have missed.
Sacrifice is not just about loss or death, as some books will have you believe.
It’s about kindness, hope and courage; and these are all important values for children to learn.
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