When I Smile: A Book of Kindness

by Jo Witek, Christine Roussey (Illustrator)

Overview

From author Jo Witek and illustrator Christine Roussey, the bestselling creators of In My Heart, When I Smile is a picture book about all the things a smile can do.
 
Part of the Growing Hearts series!
 
One girl discusses the power of a smile and the many different smiles she gives to those around her throughout the day. There are soft, sleepy smiles that greet a new day; goofy smiles with her best friend; and even playful, supportive smiles, which help her sister when she’s feeling down. With charming text and bright full-color illustrations, this story shows the power and gift of a smile.
 
The Growing Hearts series celebrates the milestones of a toddler’s emotional development, from overcoming fears and expressing feelings to welcoming new siblings.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798887070803
Publisher:	Abrams
Publication date:	11/14/2023
Series:	Growing Hearts
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	30
File size:	19 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	2 - 4 Years

About the Author

Jo Witek is the author of the Growing Hearts series, including In My Heart, Hello in There!, Brave as Can Be, All My Treasures, In My Room, With My Daddy, My Little Gifts, and My Tree and Me. She lives in France. ; Christine Roussey is the illustrator of many books for young readers, including the Growing Hearts series, My Lazy Cat, My Stinky Dog, and My Funny Bunny. She lives in Paris.

Editorial Reviews

"Fans of the creators' In My Heart will smile on reading this one. Such a warm message might turn some frowns upside down."—Kirkus

From the Publisher

"Fans of the creators' In My Heart will smile on reading this one. Such a warm message might turn some frowns upside down."

Kirkus

2023-09-09
Fans of the creators'In My Heart(2014)and its related titles will smile on reading this one.

The ninth entry in the popular Growing Hearts series by this author/illustrator team is, unsurprisingly, another book about feelings, mostly positive ones. This book especially recalls My Little Gifts(2017): It presents a smile as a gift to oneself as well as to others. The narrator/main character (who appears to be well past the toddler stage) reflects on the many different types of smiles and their uses. A “breakfast smile” says good morning; a friend’s smile initiates an exchange of wacky facial expressions; a shy or nervous smile can be partly hidden by one’s hands; smiles can smooth social interactions and repair breaches between friends. En route to school, the protagonist is also the recipient of a smile from little sister Lili, and the narrator, who suffers from academic anxiety, needs that reassurance. Also, of course, a smile can express love. Smiling makes the narrator happy, and the last page asks an engaging question: “How do you feel when you smile?” Whimsical line drawings on a flat field are interspersed with saturated-color graphics; some drawings represent the siblings and their cat, while others are quite abstract. On every page, a big half-circle suggests a very generous grin.

Such a warm message might turn some frowns upside down. (Picture book. 4-6)

Kirkus Reviews