A Small Kindness - Hardcover

McAnulty, Stacy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0762495227 ISBN 13: 9780762495221

Publisher: Running Press Kids, 2021

Synopsis

Teach the importance of goodwill with this impactful picture book with a solid pay-it-forward message to encourage kindness in young children—from the award-winning author of Excellent Ed and Sun! One In a Billion.

It was like a game of tag, with one small act of kindness spreading throughout a small community of kids and teachers alike. Award-winning children's book author Stacy McAnulty packs a powerful punch with minimal text, providing a sweet message about all the small ways one can be kind. Illustrator Wendy Leach creates a diverse cast of characters while using color as a visual cue to how kindness is able to spread, even in a small community like a school. Overall, A Small Kindness is sure to speak to this new generation of children and their parents.

About this title

About the Author

Stacy McAnulty is a children's book author, who used to be a mechanical engineer, who's also qualified to be a dog therapist (is that a thing???), a correspondent for The Daily Show (why not), and a Green Bay Packer coach (totally!). She has written dozens of books including her debut middle-grade novel, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl , a Junior Library Guild Selection, and the 2017 Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Honor book Excellent Ed, illustrated by Julia Sarcone-Roach. She's also authored the chapter book series Goldie Blox, based on the award-winning toys, and The Dino Files. When not writing, Stacy likes to listen to NPR, bake triple-chocolate cupcakes, and eat triple-chocolate cupcakes. Originally from upstate New York, she now lives in Kernersville, NC with her 3 kids, 3 dogs, and 1 husband.

Wendy Leach was born in the heartland of the United States and has very stubbornly stayed put. She currently lives in Overland Park, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City. She loves that she is ten minutes away from her favorite Caravaggio painting and five minutes away from a walk in the creek with her family.

Reviews

PreS-Gr 1—On the first day of school, a classroom full of nervous students turn trepidation into joy by practicing small acts of kindness. The day starts with the school depicted entirely in sepia tones alongside the text, "It was like a game of tag." One child, Alice, appears in full color, piquing reader interest and curiosity. As Alice begins the chain of kindness with a smile directed at Lucas, the colors spread from person to person, with a shimmering trail of rainbow colors. Alongside the colors, the expanding kindness brings smiles and a shift in attitude. The acts are all simple: a compliment, holding a door, making someone laugh. A teacher and janitor are included. In the end, the kindness circles back to Alice, the school fully colored, with the text, "It was like a game of tag. And everyone won." The simplicity of the story makes it accessible to children, who will understand the direct effect of acts in changing an environment. There is a range of skin colors—pale to brown—and two children have visible physical issues. VERDICT Recommended for purchase as a solid addition to the "starting school" shelf as well as for the frequently requested topic of kindness.—Clara Hendricks, Cambridge P.L., MA

Edition details

• Publisher: Running Press Kids
• Publication date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0762495227
• ISBN 13: 9780762495221
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Leach Wendy
• Number of pages: 32