When We Are Kind

July 15, 2020
Distinctive illustrations amplify a pointed moral lesson in this Native picture book for kids. An intergenerational Native family sits in a drum circle on the cover, suggesting the importance of cooperation and community that's elucidated in the pages that follow. What does it mean to be kind to your family, your elders, your environment, and yourself? In simple, repetitive language, Smith (who is of mixed Cree, Lakota, and Scottish heritage) explores how our behaving with generosity toward others makes us feel happy in return. By helping with laundry, walking the family dog, sharing with friends, and taking food to our elders, we learn that the gift of kindness involves giving and receiving. The first half of the book is constructed entirely on the phrase "I am kind when," while the second half uses "I feel." Strung together, the simple statements have the resonance of affirmations and establish a clear chain of connectedness, but there is no story arc in the conventional sense. What the book lacks in plot, it makes up for with its illustrations. Drawing on her mother's Din� traditions, Neidhardt prominently features Navajo hair buns, moccasins, and baskets; a panoply of Indigenous characters--including one child who uses a wheelchair--is featured in rich detail. A French edition, translated by Rachel Martinez, publishes simultaneously. A visual feast for families interested in seeing the Native world through small, kind deeds. (Picture book. 3-5)

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October 26, 2020
This gentle picture book extols the virtues of kindness in spare prose relayed through a first-person perspective. Smith (who is of Cree, Lakota, and Scottish descent) employs the refrain “I am kind when” throughout the book’s first half, showcasing different methods of helpfulness and generosity: “I am kind when I/ bring food to my Elders.” The second half, in phrases beginning “I feel,” emphasizes how the speaker feels when kindness is reciprocated: “I feel loved/ when my Elders are kind to me.” Streamlined digital illustrations by Neidhardt (who has maternal Diné heritage) portray an inclusive cast interacting, notably centering Indigenous families and characters of color in personal and communal activities—and encouraging readers to evaluate their actions toward others. Ages 3–5.