Learning to display kindness and compassion for others is a critical and ongoing developmental process and an important part of young children's evolving social competence (Han and Kemple in "Early Child Educ J" 34(3):241-246, 2006; Moore in "Early Child Educ Today" 19(3):36-44, 2004). The capacity to care emanates from physical and psychological caregiving by nurturing others, develops into self-nurturing, and gradually supports the ability to nurture others (McNamee and Mercurio in "Early Child Res Pract," http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v9n1/mcnamee.html, Spring 2007). Literature that highlights and supports secure attachment and positive interaction between young children and their significant adults and highlights kindness serves to build foundations of trust whereby prosocial behaviors such as sharing, helping, comforting, and caring are acknowledged and valued. A rationale, selection criteria, and teaching strategies for using picture books to encourage kindness are presented. Fourteen children's books are reviewed and recommended.