The role of children's literature in helping children make sense of themselves, their experiences and their worlds either in a classroom setting or in a more therapeutic context has been well documented. What has not been researched as far as we know is the use of children's literature in the college classroom as a means of enabling students to address difficult topics such as issues of oppression and social justice in a manner that is less overwhelming and less threatening. At one Connecticut University children's literature was used in numerous classes in both early childhood education and sociology as a means of facilitating student compassion and empathy for others. Whole group read-alouds of children's literature proved to be an effective tool to help students take the risk of confronting and knowing their own personal views and then make powerful connections to those of others.