This week we had the pleasure of sharing some kindness from the kitchen after picking wild dewberries and baking a batch of kolaches.
Turns out I baked a memory for these grandparents;
this thank-you text from their daughter fed my soul.
Kindness doesn't have to be great to be grand;
sometimes it's the littlest things that mean the most.
Today's wordless PPBF tackles cooking up kindness at school.
Title: I Walk With Vanessa
Author/Illustrator: Kerascoët
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade
Birthday: April 24, 2018
Suitable for ages: 4-7
Themes: empathy, compassion, kindness
Brief synopsis: When the new girl at school has an encounter with a cruel classmate, another girl notices and shows empathy, compassion, and kindness
by befriending her and offering to walk with Vanessa.
Opening page:
Resources:
Read a Publishers Weekly review {here}.
Get ideas for Kind Acts at this Passion For Kindness page {here}.
Download free kindness posters at Ripple Kindness {here}.
Listen to Episode 13 for a Kindness Podcast {here}.
Visit this Pinterest collection for Kindness Integration ideas.
Compare and contrast this wordless book with
Kathryn Otoshi's Draw The Line ...
or Henry Cole's Unspoken.
Make a bulletin board to put kindness on the wall.
Why I like this book: To be honest, I was kind of frustrated when I first opened the book and didn't find any words. I really wanted to know the story. And I really wanted there to be words. But the more I thumbed back through and paid closer attention to the pictures, the more excited I got about letting the students use the absolutely adorable illustrations to tell the story in their words. From their perspective. With their emotions. Brilliant!
I just shared it with a group of 4th graders
and they noticed something I didn't;
the book starts with a stark white background
(maybe it was snowing?)
and ended with kindness adding beautiful color.
Couple that with a bonus in the back of the book for children and adults on how to counter bullying behaviors with intentional acts of compassion and kindness and you've got a recipe for success.
Check out this kindness multiplier; it's the kind of story you'll want to read again and again. Then put on your kindness cape and come to someone's rescue, one kind act at a time.
Visit Susana Hill's blog for other PPBF picks.
I love the increasing number of picture books about kindness. This one sounds like a treasure as it allows kids to use their imaginations to tell the story. As always, I enjoyed your resources.
ReplyDeleteSweet post - in more ways than one!
ReplyDeleteLovely post and so blown away by the kindness stories that are appearing now. So cool.
ReplyDeletewhat perceptive kids, to notice the color coming in. That's pure poetry. Thanks for all the resources.
ReplyDelete