10 Best Children's Books About Teamwork and Cooperation

Books about teamwork and cooperation help children learn how to share, listen, solve problems, and work toward common goals. These skills help build stronger relationships and prepare kids for school, friendships, and future challenges.

Through these stories, children see what good cooperation looks like in action. Relatable characters, like classmates, siblings, or friends, help them imagine themselves in similar situations. These examples show that working together can be fun, rewarding, and the key to overcoming challenges.

10 Best Children's Books About Teamwork and Cooperation

These books make teamwork easy for kids to understand and fun to put into practice.

1. Swimmy by Leo Lionni

Swimmy tells the story of a small black fish who lives happily in the ocean with his school. When a big fish eats all his friends, Swimmy explores the sea and discovers its wonders. He meets a new group of small red fish who are too afraid to leave their hiding place.

Swimmy comes up with a clever plan. By working as one, they explore the ocean safely and happily. Swimmy’s idea teaches that creative thinking, sharing a goal, and trusting one another can solve big problems. It encourages kids to see teamwork as a way to face challenges they couldn’t handle alone.

Price: $6.49 on Amazon, $8.99 on Barnes and Noble

2. Stone Soup by Marcia Brown

Three hungry soldiers arrive in a village where the townspeople hide their food, unwilling to share. The soldiers announce they can make soup from stones and begin cooking in a large pot of water. One by one, each villager contributes something until the pot is full of a delicious soup.

This story shows that when everyone contributes, even a little, it can lead to something wonderful for the whole group. It teaches kids that cooperation is about pooling resources and working toward a shared goal. It also encourages generosity and trust, both key parts of teamwork.

Price: $7.85 on Amazon, $8.99 on Barnes and Noble

3. Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld

Duck! Rabbit! follows two unseen narrators who look at the same picture but see different things. One insists it’s a duck, the other claims it’s a rabbit. As they argue, they point out details to support their own view, neither willing to back down. The story humorously plays with perspective and shows how the same image can be interpreted in more than one way.

The story highlights an important part of cooperation, which is understanding and respecting different viewpoints. It shows kids that disagreements can happen even when everyone is looking at the same thing, and that listening and keeping an open mind are key to working well with others.

Price: $7.43 on Amazon, $17.99 on Barnes and Noble

4. The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt

A boy named Duncan opens his crayon box to find letters from each crayon. Each color complains about something, some colors argue with each other, while others just want appreciation. Duncan listens to their concerns and uses all the crayons in creative ways to make everyone happy.

The story shows that everyone in a group has unique strengths and needs. By listening to each “voice” and finding ways for everyone to be included, Duncan demonstrates empathy and problem-solving. It encourages kids to value differences and work together so every member can shine.

Price: $7.60 on Amazon, $17.99 on Barnes and Noble

5. The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza by Philemon Sturges

The Little Red Hen decides to make a pizza, so she asks her friends for assistance, but they all refuse. Undeterred, she shops, prepares, and cooks on her own. When the pizza is ready, her friends want to eat, and this time, she chooses to share it with them. The experience inspires her friends to help with the cleanup afterward.

The main lesson of The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza is that teamwork means sharing both the work and the rewards. Helping others is important, not just when it’s convenient. However, kindness and generosity can also inspire people to do better next time.

Price: $7.79 on Amazon, $8.99 on Barnes and Noble

6. The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

The Rainbow Fish is about a beautiful fish with shimmering scales. When a small fish asks for one of his shiny scales, he refuses and soon finds himself without friends. With advice from a wise sea creature, he learns that sharing his scales will bring him more happiness than keeping them all. He begins giving away his scales, making friends, and feeling truly happy for the first time.

It’s not about giving away everything, but about being kind and generous. When you share what you have, you build friendships and feel more connected to others.

Price: $17.75 on Amazon, $19.95 on Barnes and Noble

7. Elephant and Piggie: We Are in a Book! by Mo Willems

Gerald the elephant and Piggie the pig discover they are characters inside a book. They excitedly interact with the reader until Gerald realizes the book will eventually end. Eventually, they work together to think of a way to keep the fun going before the last page.

Gerald and Piggie share ideas, solve a problem together, and make sure both are included in the fun. Their friendship shows how cooperation can make experiences more enjoyable. The story also highlights that working together makes problem-solving easier.

Price: $7.34 on Amazon, $10.99 on Barnes and Noble

8. Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty

Rosie is a young girl who loves to invent using odds and ends. When her great-great-aunt Rose talks about her dream of flying, Rosie builds a flying machine for her. The invention doesn’t work as planned, but Aunt Rose celebrates it as a success because Rosie tried and learned from it. In the end, they work together to improve the machine.

The story shows how encouragement from another person can help an individual thrive. Her aunt’s support helps Rosie see mistakes as part of the process, not as failures. By working together at the end, they combine ideas and skills to make progress.

Price: $10.87 on Amazon, $19.99 on Barnes and Noble

9. What If Everybody Did That? by Ellen Javernick

A boy makes small choices, such as feeding the bear at the zoo or taking some frosting from a wedding cake, without thinking of their impact. Each time, an adult asks, “What if everybody did that?” and shows that small actions, when multiplied, can cause big problems.

The story shows that cooperation depends on everyone doing their part to keep things fair, safe, and pleasant for the group. It teaches that even small actions can help or hurt a community, and working together means making choices that benefit everyone.

Price: $7.14 on Amazon, $12.99 on Barnes and Noble

10. Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson

A friendly witch and her cat fly through the sky until the wind blows away her possessions. Along the way, they meet a dog, a bird, and a frog, with each returning a lost item and asking for a ride on the broom. When a dragon threatens the witch, the new friends work together to scare it away.

The story shows how kindness and helping others can build strong friendships. Each character contributes to solving the problem, and together they achieve what none could do alone.

Price: $6.39 on Amazon, $19.99 on Barnes and Noble

Tips for Using These Books

Research shows that parent-child book interactions during toddler years predict better vocabulary, reading comprehension, and motivation to read in elementary school [*].

When you read teamwork and cooperation books with your child, you're not just teaching social skills; you're also building language abilities and encouraging love for reading. Here's how to maximize both benefits:

Pause for discussion

Don’t rush through the story. Stop at key points to ask open-ended questions such as:

• “What do you think will happen next?”
• “Why do you think the characters worked together?”
• “How would you feel if you were in this situation?”

This helps children slow down, reflect, and think about the choices characters make. It also encourages them to share their own ideas, which builds their listening and communication skills.

Pair with cooperative activities

After reading, give children a chance to work together on something hands-on:

• Build a group puzzle
• Create a piece of art as a team
• Cook or bake a recipe together
• Play a team-based game outdoors

When kids experience the benefits of working together in a hands-on activity, the lesson sticks longer.

You can also use tools like these cooperation worksheets. These printable activities are designed to help children reflect on their teamwork skills and encourage them to work together on a project.

Relate stories to real-life situations

After reading, talk about times when they worked with others, such as:

• Cleaning up a room with siblings
• Helping a classmate with homework
• Playing on a sports team

Pointing out these moments helps kids connect the dots between the story and their own behavior.

Reinforce with praise

When children show teamwork, whether it’s sharing a toy, helping a sibling, or listening to a friend, acknowledge it right away.

Praise works best when it focuses on effort rather than fixed traits. Instead of saying, “You’re smart,” try, “I like how you worked with your friend to finish that puzzle,” or “You kept helping each other until you got it done.”

A study found that toddlers who received more effort-focused praise were more likely to develop a growth mindset at ages 7-8. They believed they could improve with effort, welcomed challenges, and figured out ways to do better [*].

These traits also help children collaborate effectively and work well with others to achieve shared goals.

The Bottom Line

Teamwork and cooperation don’t develop overnight, but after consistent guidance and practice. Books give children a way to see these values in action.

When paired with real-life opportunities to work together, these stories can help kids build skills they’ll use for life.

Explore our social skills worksheets to find more resources about cooperation and other important social skills.

References:

• Ece Demir-Lira Ö, Applebaum LR, Goldin-Meadow S, Levine SC. Parents' early book reading to children: Relation to children's later language and literacy outcomes controlling for other parent language input. Dev Sci. 2019 May;22(3):e12764. doi: 10.1111/desc.12764. Epub 2019 Jan 15. PMID: 30325107; PMCID: PMC6927670.
• Gunderson EA, Gripshover SJ, Romero C, Dweck CS, Goldin-Meadow S, Levine SC. Parent praise to 1- to 3-year-olds predicts children's motivational frameworks 5 years later. Child Dev. 2013 Sep-Oct;84(5):1526-41. doi: 10.1111/cdev.12064. Epub 2013 Feb 11. PMID: 23397904; PMCID: PMC3655123.