Handbooks for Little Humans: Integrity by Zanni Louise. Illus. by Jingting Wang

Integrity is important. It helps us to make good decisions.
And making good decisions means we feel good about ourselves.

Integrity is not an easy word to explain to young children but with the thoughtful examples shared - Have you ever given up your bus seat even though your legs are tired? Have you ever picked up litter that wasn’t yours? Or owned up to squiggling on the carpet? – children will begin to grasp the idea.

The first concept discussed in the book is about values that are important: respect, honesty, helpfulness, tidiness, fairness, manners, loyalty, hard work and keeping promises. This provides a valuable opportunity for discussion where children can add their own. From these values, children learn that values guide their actions and how they might respond to different situations. Examples are given throughout to help further encourage understanding of the concept of integrity and importantly, that integrity does not necessarily need to be rewarded, it can happen when a good decision is made.

The vibrant and engaging graphic novel style scene centred on the finding of a packet of dropped jellybeans, beautifully demonstrates the concept of integrity. It may lead to a perfect teaching/learning moment when children could create their own artwork to share with others about a situation that involved integrity.

Handbooks for Little Humans: Integrity is the fourth book in this new series and joins Handbooks for Little Humans: Inclusion, Handbooks for Little Humans: Confidence and Handbooks for Little Humans: Compassion. Two further books will also be published in 2026: Handbooks for Little Humans: Fairness and Handbooks for Little Humans: Friendship.

Themes: Survival Guide, Meaningful Conversations, Emotional Literacy, Integrity, Decision Making, Values.

Kathryn Beilby