Bravery, compassion, and initiative go hand in hand in these concise, compelling stories.
Two dozen true stories encourage readers to choose kindness.
A brief discussion of the science of kindness, which touches on neurotransmitters and hormones, is followed by moving vignettes of real people responsible for extraordinary—or everyday but no less admirable—acts of goodwill. Some figures, like Harriet Tubman, will likely be familiar. Many others may be lesser known: Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld, who, in 1906 Germany, explained that love between two men should be just as accepted as that between a man and a woman. Sometimes, kindness determines the course of a life, as with Henri Durant, a Swiss merchant whose ideas helped launch the International Red Cross and Red Crescent movement; other examples focus on a single moment, such as a German fighter pilot’s refusing to shoot down an enemy pilot in World War II. The kindness of ordinary people is celebrated, like that of the residents of Gander, Canada, who hosted passengers from planes grounded in the wake of 9/11, or the volunteers all over the world who provided help in the wake of a tsunami, earthquake, and nuclear meltdown in Fukushima, Japan. Each chapter is followed by three thought-provoking questions, potential discussion catalysts. A quick look at “kindness stars,” like scholar and poet Rumi and philosopher Martha Nussbaum, closes out the book. The profiles are well crafted with intriguing, often inspiring details. Realistic full-color illustrations add to the appeal.
Bravery, compassion, and initiative go hand in hand in these concise, compelling stories. (glossary, references, index) (Nonfiction. 9-12)Pub Date: June 27, 2023
ISBN: 9780500653104
Page Count: 120
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2023
Like oil itself, this is a book that needs to be handled with special care.
In 1977, the oil carrier Exxon Valdez spilled 11 million gallons of oil into a formerly pristine Alaskan ocean inlet, killing millions of birds, animals, and fish. Despite a cleanup, crude oil is still there.
The Winters foretold the destructive powers of the atomic bomb allusively in The Secret Project (2017), leaving the actuality to the backmatter. They make no such accommodations to young audiences in this disturbing book. From the dark front cover, on which oily blobs conceal a seabird, to the rescuer’s sad face on the back, the mother-son team emphasizes the disaster. A relatively easy-to-read and poetically heightened text introduces the situation. Oil is pumped from the Earth “all day long, all night long, / day after day, year after year” in “what had been unspoiled land, home to Native people // and thousands of caribou.” The scale of extraction is huge: There’s “a giant pipeline” leading to “enormous ships.” Then, crash. Rivers of oil gush out over three full-bleed wordless pages. Subsequent scenes show rocks, seabirds, and sea otters covered with oil. Finally, 30 years later, animals have returned to a cheerful scene. “But if you lift a rock… // oil / seeps / up.” For an adult reader, this is heartbreaking. How much more difficult might this be for an animal-loving child?
Like oil itself, this is a book that needs to be handled with special care. (author’s note, further reading) (Informational picture book. 9-12)Pub Date: March 31, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5344-3077-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
IN THE NEWS
Playful, provocative, and packed with perspective.
Did Christopher Columbus really “discover” a new world? Did the Pilgrims invite the Wampanoag to a friendly First Thanksgiving? Is July 4 truly the nation’s birthday?
Readers familiar with traditional narratives of America’s founding are invited to interrogate those myths in this interactive exploration of early U.S. history. A strong introductory framework asks whose stories endure and whose have been erased from the history books, emphasizing that Indigenous peoples remain part of the present, not just the past. Each spread presents a common misconception, then asks readers to flip assumptions aside by lifting a partial gatefold that reveals the true story beneath. Well-sourced explanations elevate figures and communities often excluded from history books, including women, Black Americans, and Indigenous peoples. Bold colors, graphic-heavy layouts, and energetic illustrations that make creative use of historical photos and images break complex ideas into bite-size pieces that encourage browsing over linear reading. A timeline, speech bubbles, and lift-the-flap “True or False” quizzes reinforce the book’s core message: History is layered, debatable, and dynamic. Though the book’s busy, nonlinear design may prove challenging for some, on the whole it works very well as an engaging historical overview. The content assumes a foundational knowledge of early U.S. history, making it most suitable for older elementary readers, though some visual choices skew younger. Backmatter includes more historical information and background on the book’s creation.
Playful, provocative, and packed with perspective. (glossary, resources, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 9-11)Pub Date: May 26, 2026
ISBN: 9798888599082
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Barefoot Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2026
PERSPECTIVES
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
