World Kindness Day
As I sat down at my desk to think about my top books to recommend for World Kindness Day (November 13th), I couldn’t think of one. Instead, numerous titles bombarded my mind like rushing water bursting through floodgates. Initially, I thought this was a bad problem to have. How would I be able to whittle down an entire tree of ideas into just a few static recommendations? But as I began to ponder this conundrum, I soon realized that this was not only a good problem to have—it was a great problem to have; kindness is ubiquitous in children’s books.
Take, for example, Should I Share My Ice Cream by Mo Willems. In this adorable and relatable book, Elephant faces the tough decision of whether or not to share his delicious ice cream cone with his best friend Piggie. As he contemplates the decision, he demonstrates empathy by discussing how Piggie might be sad, and if she is, he could share his ice cream to cheer her up. But, the ice cream cone melts! And what happens next is the most powerful part of the story; Elephant first screams that Piggie will not have ice cream, and lastly, he mentions that he will not have ice cream. Elephant shows that not only was he willing to share, but he also considered his friend’s feeling first. In the end, Piggie has somehow miraculously procured an ice cream and shared it with Elephant. So, all is good, and the story of sharing and empathy comes full circle.
From the Pete the Cat books to the Unicorn Diaries to the Diary of a Pug series, the authors emphasize how helping others for the greater good is such an invaluable concept. Pete the Cat almost always has an adventure that ends with enjoying an experience or food together. In the Unicorn Diaries, the unicorns often listen to each other and devise solutions to help each other out. And in the Diary of a Pug series, Pug and Bella often set aside some of their own wants to help others in need. The books, both individually and collectively, show readers the importance of friendship and supporting others.
Books such as Rick is Sick and Just Critters Who Care exemplify that one specific way to be kind is take care of others when they are sick. In the former book, Jack the rabbit takes good care of Rick by helping him get food and be comfortable in bed. In Just Critters Who Care, Little Critter gets a crew together to help his elderly neighbor with her yard when she is sick. Together, they clean up the yard and their neighbor is tremendously appreciative. These characters acted on their genuine care and compassion without expecting anything in return.
Kindness involves empathy, being friendly, generous, compassionate and considerate. All of the characters in these books are stellar examples of what it means to be kind and just how powerful it can be to help someone in need. These books can help remind us just how accessible kindness really is –whether we share an ice cream, help a sick friend, or even just smile or open a door for someone. Kindness is acting on empathy, which involves not just thinking about a situation but doing something about it. The action part isn’t always easy but it is the key to being kind.
If you don’t have a sick friend or an ice cream to share and you’re looking for tangible ways to act on kindness and generosity, consider helping out with Cocotree Kids. This organization is a nonprofit organization based in Massachusetts that focuses on providing new children’s underwear to at-risk youth in the state. Unlike toys and clothing and shoes, new underwear is rarely donated to kids in need despite it being essential to a child’s well-being. You can host a drive, volunteer, donate funds and engage with your community to help the greater good. Cocotreekids.org
For other great books about kindness and philanthropy, check out Kindness is My Superpower, Philanthropy Means Love, and We are All Philanthropists!