Kindness Makes Us Strong

by Sophie Beer

Overview

This bright book by the creator of Love Makes a Family celebrates acts of kindness big and small.

Kindness is a friendly hello. A roaring cheer. A quick boost. Kindness is what makes us strong! This joyful board book shows various children as they extend kindness in all kinds of situations: on the playground, at lunchtime, on a bike path, and on a neighborhood street. This sweet preschool read-aloud shows the way kindness helps build friendship and community.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781984816399
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	12/24/2019
Pages:	26
Sales rank:	35,933
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	AD140L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 Months to 3 Years

About the Author

Sophie Beer completed a dual degree in Law and Creative Industries with distinction at Queensland University of Technology, but found the whole law thing completely wrong for her and now works primarily in children's and editorial illustration. Reveling in color, shape, and texture, she lives by one simple rule: Art should never be boring. When she's not illustrating and writing, she thinks a lot about plants, animals, music, and books.

Editorial Reviews

★ "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 . . . A gorgeously illustrated, cleanly written introduction to the art of kindness." —Kirkus, starred review

★ "Gestures big and small, from offering comfort to sharing, are shown in this ode to community building . . . Cheery artwork features a diverse group of children." —School Library Journal, starred review

From the Publisher

★ 2019-08-26
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)

Kirkus Reviews