Tag Kind

Kind

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Kind
Jess McGeachin
Allen & Unwin

‘In this book you’ll find / Many kinds of things / Some have slippery scales / Some have feathered wings. // But kind is more than type / Kind is how to care / For creatures that you meet / And places that we share.’ Thus begins the beautifully illustrated, rhyming narrative that urges readers to show kindness to all living creatures and to our precious planet.

Making each spread a joy to explore, the author takes us first on a tour of the animal kingdom and presents flutterers, weavers, animals with shells, fish, the horned, the waddlers, owls and more, including some of the most spectacular. Every creature illustrated is clearly labelled with its Western common name; and each kind has a four lined verse that reads aloud well: ‘ Be kind to those who glitter / In gold and blue and green / There’s treasure in the world / That sometimes goes unseen’.

Having presented us with that wealth of wonderful creatures, Jess McGeachin moves the kindness focus, first to the planets, particularly Earth, and finally having gone large, he comes back small to remind readers that we humans are part of nature and we need to treat other people kindly too.

It’s good to see the author’s carefully considered afterword includes recognition that many of the animals depicted have names in the languages of the First Peoples who shared the land with them.
This is a book to add to family shelves and primary school collections.

Kindness / Moo-Moo, I Love You

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Kindness
Helen Mortimer and Cristina Trapanese
Oxford Children’s Books

This is one of the publisher’s new ‘Big Words for Little People’ series that aims with carefully selected ‘feature’ words embedded in a short narrative,, to help young children develop an understanding of how by means of words, they can best deal with their emotions and first experiences.
Kindness starts with a welcoming word – ‘hello’ perhaps and a welcome smile to help newcomers feel at ease.
Sharing,

Giving, Understanding (especially another person’s feelings), Listening, Helping, Caring (for the natural world as well as other people and ourselves), Being thankful, Loving (by reaching out with kind words and actions), Taking turns, being Thoughtful, showing Kindness are each given a double spread illustrating the action with stylised youngsters and a brief descriptive text.There’s also a final spread giving helpful guidance to adult users and a short glossary.

A useful addition to a preschool setting for both personal, social and emotional development, and language development, or for family use.

Moo-Moo, I Love You!
Tom Lichtenheld and Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Abrams Books for Young Readers

What a delectably adorably moo-vingly mood-uplifting way to tell your little one how mooch you loove them, is this moo-cow monologue (almost) directed at her little moo (who actually has the last word – or actually, four words).

Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s word play is crazily comical and exuberantly expressed, becoming even more comical when combined with Tom Lichtenheld’s thickly outlined cow characters clearly relishing being in each other’s company as they share their love of pizza, popcorn and farm hu-moo-r;

the adornment of their residence so it morphs into a moo-seum …

and a moo-se moo-ve-ment. Ma moo even states her readiness to launch herself loo-nar-wards to express her fondness for her little moo.

This crazily moo-ving manner in which a moo-ma shows her infant moo how much it’s loo-ved could also work as a valentine, especially if your partner’s into word play and you think they’d find it a-moo-sing.

Kind

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Kind
Alison Green & 38 illustrators
Alison Green Books

With a foreword by Axel Scheffler, this book about kindness has been illustrated by 38 ‘kind’ artists (including Axel) all of whom donated their work for free in aid of the Three Peas charity.

‘Imagine a world where everyone is kind. How can we make that come true?’ are the opening lines and what follows are a host of suggestions for fulfilling that dream which almost every single human being would love to come true.

Most of what’s suggested are easy, everyday acts such as smiling at somebody, listening to people especially when they’re feeling sad, hugging a lonely person; offering a hand to hold to someone who is frightened or worried, or helping someone in trouble.

by Pippa Curnick;                    by Barbara Nascimbeni

Stories can help make others more cheerful be they listener or teller and it’s vital to ensure nobody feels left out or uncared for.

top LHS by Moni Port, bottom LHS by Anke Kuhl: top RHS by Philip Waechter, bottom RHS by Jörg Mühle

I’ve had a kindness jar like the one suggested in some of my classrooms and I know how fast it can get filled up; and acts of kindness can be directed towards animals as well as humans.

Everyone needs to be given the opportunity to shine – after all we’re all good at something.

by Sarah McIntyre:               by Benjamin Chaud

There are occasions however, when extra kindness is required – maybe towards a newcomer, or somebody who is trying to learn our language whatever that may be and it’s always good to learn some important words in their language too. Then there are those who have overcome tremendous odds in leaving their own country which is no longer safe and travelling to find a safe haven elsewhere – let’s listen to their stories but only when they’re ready to share them. Meanwhile toys and creative acts can be shared; and people might need accommodating so it’s wonderful to invite them in …

by David Barrow:             by Marianna Cop

An open mind and an open heart are what’s required similarities and differences notwithstanding. Who knows, if everyone tried just that little bit harder, something extraordinary might happen; now is the time to start. What will you do – today? And tomorrow? And …

We all need constant reminders in the current climate, no matter what part of the world we live in.

I’d absolutely love to be able to show every single one of the awesome illustrations in this celebration of kindness but I’ve only been able to include a few as examples in a book that’s bursting with inspiring suggestions and positivity.

The final spread is devoted to the work of Three Peas a charity that gives crucial practical help to those who have had to flee their war-torn countries and seek a safe haven elsewhere. (£1 of every copy sold goes to the charity).

What a terrific book to share over time with a class, perhaps using a spread or illustration as the starting point for the day and should you exhaust the ideas herein, children could suggest their own perhaps together making a follow-up book or picture gallery spreading throughout an entire school.

Meanwhile I’d like to see a copy of this in every home and classroom, after all children are the future.