Kindness Makes Us Strong

September 15, 2019
Kindness is a skill, and this book is the perfect way to practice it. Each double-page spread begins with the sentence stem "Kindness is...," which is then followed by illustrated examples of children caring for the peers, adults, and animals around them. In this follow-up to Love Makes a Family (2018), Beer populates the pages with children who practice a range of skills, from simply saying hello to being patient. She masterfully pairs fairly abstract ideas, such as offering comfort and reaching out, with pictures that elucidate the term in child-friendly situations, such as a preschool musical performance or playing dress up. The rhythmic, repetitive text makes this book an excellent read-aloud as well as a fun and rewarding choice for children who are beginning to read independently. The vibrant illustrations blaze with movement and light and, perhaps most importantly, are peopled with diverse characters with varied skin colors, hair textures, ethnicities, and abilities (one child has a prosthetic leg, another uses a wheelchair, two wear glasses). The curated examples are empowering: Each example of kindness is an action that a child can take independently, without adult supervision, and regardless of ability status. Furthermore, because they all take place in child-friendly settings such as playgrounds or classrooms, they can be easily related--not to mention applied--to real life. A gorgeously illustrated, cleanly written introduction to the art of kindness. (Board book. 1-4)

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