A gorgeously illustrated, cleanly written introduction to the art of kindness.
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)Pub Date: Dec. 24, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-984816-39-9
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 25, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2019
Wonderful, indeed
A love song to baby with delightful illustrations to boot.
Sweet but not saccharine and singsong but not forced, Martin’s text is one that will invite rereadings as it affirms parental wishes for children while admirably keeping child readers at its heart. The lines that read “This is the first time / There’s ever been you, / So I wonder what wonderful things / You will do” capture the essence of the picture book and are accompanied by a diverse group of babies and toddlers clad in downright adorable outfits. Other spreads include older kids, too, and pictures expand on the open text to visually interpret the myriad possibilities and hopes for the depicted children. For example, a spread reading “Will you learn how to fly / To find the best view?” shows a bespectacled, school-aged girl on a swing soaring through an empty white background. This is just one spread in which Martin’s fearless embrace of the white of the page serves her well. Throughout the book, she maintains a keen balance of layout choices, and surprising details—zebras on the wallpaper behind a father cradling his child, a rock-’n’-roll band of mice paralleling the children’s own band called “The Missing Teeth”—add visual interest and gentle humor. An ideal title for the baby-shower gift bag and for any nursery bookshelf or lap-sit storytime.
Wonderful, indeed . (Picture book. 1-4)Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-385-37671-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: June 5, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2015
An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to.
This simplified version of Diesen and Hanna’s The Pout-Pout Fish (2008) is appropriate for babies and toddlers.
Brief, rhyming text tells the story of a sullen fish cheered up with a kiss. A little pink sea creature pokes his head out of a hole in the sea bottom to give the gloomy fish some advice: “Smile, Mr. Fish! / You look so down // With your glum-glum face / And your pout-pout frown.” He explains that there’s no reason to be worried, scared, sad or mad and concludes: “How about a smooch? / And a cheer-up wish? // Now you look happy: / What a smile, Mr. Fish!” Simple and sweet, this tale offers the lesson that sometimes, all that’s needed for a turnaround in mood is some cheer and encouragement to change our perspective. The clean, uncluttered illustrations are kept simple, except for the pout-pout fish’s features, which are delightfully expressive. Little ones will easily recognize and likely try to copy the sad, scared and angry looks that cross the fish’s face.
An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-374-37084-8
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
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