Kid lit is powerful; it can potentially transform young people into kinder, more understanding grown-ups. I especially love stories that encourage kids to help those in need. Those titles are tricky to write; sometimes they inadvertently leave children who are on the receiving end of charity feeling like objects of pity. That’s why I particularly appreciated Lana Button and Eric Walters’ picture book One Can, illustrated by Isabelle Malenfant (Groundwood, September 2). Offering an especially thoughtful approach, the tale centers on a child who eagerly donates a favorite can of noodles to a class food drive. At school, the protagonist beams as the other students cheer and the teacher places a snowflake sticker on the can, marking it as the 100th one collected.

But the child’s pride turns to uncertainty when the very same can, adorned with the telltale sticker, turns up again several days later; Mom brings it home for dinner one night. “Mom, are we the people in need?” the child asks. It’s a quiet yet potent moment of realization, tinged with sadness, but Mom points out, “When we have extra things, we will be sure to take our turn to give.” The book closes with the protagonist doing just that, donating an outgrown pair of mittens. Button, Walters, and Malenfant have crafted a meaningful take on altruism; they acknowledge that requiring assistance can make young people feel self-conscious, even ashamed, while giving their young protagonist the opportunity to make a difference, too.

One Can joins several recent picture books that sensitively explore economic instability. In Hilary Horder Hippely’s I Know How To Draw an Owl, illustrated by Matt James (Neal Porter/Holiday House, 2024), Belle wows the other kids at school by producing a gorgeous image of the titular bird. “How did Belle make his eyes so wise?” asks Ms. Rio, the teacher. It turns out that Belle, who lives with Mom out of a car parked in the woods, has had a close encounter with an owl. But Belle doesn’t want to open up…until a new boy arrives at school. His mother’s shabby car resembles Belle’s, and Belle feels a surge of protectiveness and is soon showing the newcomer around. Casting their unhoused protagonist as the story’s hero, Hippely and James offer a deeply empathetic portrait; kids in Belle’s situation will feel empowered.

The unhoused mother and son at the center of James E. Ransome’s A Place for Us (Nancy Paulsen Books, August 5) lead a matter-of-fact existence; a day of school and work is capped by a library visit before they bed down in the park for the night. Ransome’s tale is infused with respect, compassion, and love for his protagonists, and though he doesn’t end the story with a solution to their problem, his author’s note provides plenty of food for thought. He writes, “My hope is that this book sparks readers to ask: In a country of vast resources, what is our responsibility to those without access to the basic necessities?” It’s a tough question, but young readers will surely be able to answer it one day—especially those who grow up reading such insightful literature.

Mahnaz Dar is a young readers’ editor.