There are many ways children can show kindness to others-human, animal, young, and old. With art from nine celebrated children's book illustrators including Rebecca Bender, Suzanne Del Rizzo, and Wallace Edwards, this lavishly illustrated book will invite frequent re-reads to examine the joyful and inspiring illustrations. In a series of thoughtful questions, the text reminds readers of the impact they can have through everyday actions and words. From simply saying "please" and "thank-you" to helping, comforting, and protecting others, A World of Kindness goes beyond mere platitudes and politeness to examine, in a kid-friendly way, the most powerful of social interactions.
About the Author :
Suzanne Del Rizzo is the award-winning author/illustrator of My Beautiful Birds and Birds on Wishbone Street, and the illustrator of several other books for children. Suzanne's dimensional illustrations use polymer clay, acrylic, and other mixed media to bring rich texture and imagination to her books. She lives in Oakville, Ontario.
Brian Deines is a fine artist and the award-winning illustrator of over 20 children's books, including A Bear in War, Bear on the Homefront, The Road to Afghanistan, and On a Snowy Night. Dragonfly Kites, part of a trilogy written by Tomson Highway, was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award for illustration and the Ruth & Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award. A graduate of the Alberta College of Art, Brian lives in Toronto, Ontario with his wife and daughter.
Kim La Fave is a multi-award-winning illustrator and designer in paint, pencils, or digital media. His honors include the Governor General’s Literary Award for Illustration, the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award, the Ruth Schwartz Children’s Book Award, and the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator’s Award. A graduate of the Alberta College of Art, Kim also honed his skills in Toronto and New York before returning to British Columbia where he now lives with his wife and family.
A folk artist and award-winning illustrator who trained at the Ontario College of Art and Design, Tara Anderson is known for her lively and humorous illustrations of animals. Her books include the illustrated novels Harvey Comes Home, Harvey Holds His Own, and Sapphire the Great and the Meaning of Life, the holiday picture books Pumpkin Orange, Pumpkin Round and Easter Morning, Easter Sun, and the award-winning Nat the Cat Can Sleep Like That. Tara shares a farmhouse in Tweed, Ontario, with her husband, her young daughter, and several cats.
Manon Gauthier is a graphic artist who made the leap to picture book illustration in 2006. After her first book was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award for Children's Literature, she dedicated herself entirely to illustration, and to giving presentations and art workshops in schools across Quebec. A flexible artist, Manon works in many media, including gouache, pencils, and paper collage. She lives in Montreal.
Author/Illustrator Rebecca Bender is best known for her award-winning Giraffe And Bird books. Her illustrations also grace Slug Days, Penguin Days, and Peach Girl. Rebecca graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design with the medal for illustration and is now an art director and designer. She lives in Burlington, Ontario, with her husband and three children.
François Thisdale’s work blends traditional drawing and painting with digital imagery. He is the illustrator of The Stamp Collector, which is on IBBY Honor List, and That Squeak, an honour book for the IBBY Canada Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Picture Book Award. Missing Nimama won the TD Canadian Children's Book Award. François lives in Montreal, Quebec.
Wallace Edwards is a beloved children's book author-illustrator whose vivid imagination has transformed the world of animals and strange creatures for a generation of children. A graduate of the Ontario College of Art, he is a popular guest speaker at conferences and literary events. Wallace's awards and shortlists include the Governor General's Award, the IRA Children's Choice Award, and the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award. Wallace lives in Yarker, Ontario.
Dean Griffiths is a popular picture book artist with more than 25 titles to his name. His many awards include the Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Book Prize for Maggie Can't Wait, the Chocolate Lily Award for Ballerinas Don't Wear Glasses, and the Rainforest of Reading Award for Bad Pirate. Dean lives in Duncan, British Columbia, with his daughter.
Review :
Praise for A World of Kindness
A CBC Books Top Ten Bestselling Canadian Book for over 20 weeks!
2018 ILA Literacy Daily "Conflict: Awareness, Understanding, and Resolution" selection
2018 Resource Links "The Year's Best" selection
2018 CBC Books The Next Chapter "7 great book recommendations for young readers" selection
2018 CBC Books "Books of the Year: Wendy Orr's favourite book of 2018: the picture book A World of Kindness" selection
2018 Houston Family Magazine "It's a New Year...Find More Kindness and Forgiveness and Time to Foster Friendships" selection
2018 49th Shelf "Picture Books are for Everyone: A Holiday List" selection
2018 49th Shelf "Kids Books on Kindness" selection
2018 49th Shelf "Back to School Books" selection
"A tool to spur kindness conversations..."—Kirkus Reviews
"It's clear that the world would be a better place if we approached one another with empathy and kindness....The child-friendly questions posed and the scenarios depicted [in A World of Kindness] provide food for thought and discussion about the importance of taking action. Ultimately, young readers may realize that kindness starts with one small act, rippling outward to touch others and improve the world."—ILA Literacy Daily, "Conflict: Awareness, Understanding, and Resolution"
"Every page of this book has a unique style of artwork....The settings and children featured in each scene reflect a diversity of cultures....Every child (and parent) could benefit from this book."—Resource Links
"The real strength of A World of Kindness is its art...each illustration in its own way and style authentically highlights the joy of kindness...Preschool and Kindergarten teachers will find that A World of Kindness makes a lovely companion to now-classic picture books on kindness such as Have You Filled a Bucket Today?"—CM Magazine
"Kids receive a fine primer on how simple acts of kindness towards each other make a difference not only in the lives of strangers and acquaintances; but in the world around them....Very simple concepts and lovely drawings excel in clarifying the concept and various ways it can empower a child, in particular, in a highly recommended survey all collections should have."—Midwest Book Review
"This modest book is a fabulous introduction to kindness and an excellent conversation starter at the beginning of a school year. Regardless of age, color, what we look like or who we are, this book models what kindness looks like for all living creatures. Teaching good manners, accepting differences, talking about making others feel good are all exemplified here in simple text with vivid gentle pictures."—Youth Services Book Review
"We rated this book: 4.5/5...the illustrations are quite lovely, and they come in a range of styles using a variety of mediums...I appreciate the book's simple approach to a concept that can be somewhat amorphous. The questions and illustrations give kids concrete examples of what kindness can look like and encourage them to pause to consider their own actions and the effect they have on others. All that together with the fact that the book's proceeds benefit a good cause make this one not to miss."—Manhattan Book Review
"A series of simple, yet meaningful, questions, posed by the editors of Pajama Press, ask children how they can demonstrate empathy and kindness toward others."—Canadian Children's Book News
"A World of Kindness is a nicely illustrated picture book that shows children how they can be kind to others....[This book] is aimed at children 3 – 6 years old, but the message it contains is for everyone."—Our Windsor
"The ideas are simple, but they're also transformative and profound, and the depth and diversity of illustrations on this book provide another layer of richness, making A World of Kindness a deeply meaningful read."—Pickle Me This
"The text of A World of Kindness is endearing and straightforward, and will work well with young preschoolers and children in primary grades. But it's the illustrations, some from already published works and some original art, that will carry the message. Children will see kindness in the hugs, the sharing, and the love that seasons these pages....[A]t its heart, A World of Kindness is a compendium of beautiful messages in words and art to help make our world, starting with our youngest readers, a place of graciousness and goodwill. With such benevolence, this picture book will triumph with purpose."—CanLit for LittleCanadians
"A simple introduction to kindness and gives children concrete examples of how they can show kindness to others. I highly recommend this beautifully illustrated book. I will be using it in my character education class. It is a valuable book for elementary school classrooms."—Oregon Coast Youth Preview Center
“[A] beautiful book…each page features the artwork of a different illustrator. Students enjoyed the variety and spent time analyzing the illustrations.”—Teachers Books Readers
"Learn how to be kind through this colorful book....With each page illustrated by a different artist, the reader can enjoy many different ways of looking at the world, and this subtly shows how each person is unique as they share a kind act."—Children's Book & Media Review
"The questions are asked of young readers, and the illustrations inspire quiet conversation about the many ways we can show kindness to others...Empathy and kindness can be severely lacking in these divisive times, and we can often look to children to show us the way."—Sal's Fiction Addiction
"[T]his picture book is more attuned to making its simple, important, strong messages/sentiments known, and thus would likely function well in preschool or elementary classrooms for further discussion and exploration...The themes in A World of Kindness also allow for the book to be effectively paired and examined with similarly-themed picture books such as David Ezra Stein's The Nice Book, Pat Zietlow Miller and Jen Hill's Be Kind, or All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold and Suzanne Kaufman."—Fab Book Reviews
"The pictures are well chosen to convey the actions, and show diversity. A great addition to any collection."—Canadian Bookworm
"The messages, which include being kind to animals, helping those younger than you and saying sorry when you are wrong, makes it a cute and beautiful book."—Book Time
"I'm always on the lookout for new ways to talk about kindness with my students. This book is perfect for starting a discussion....This is a perfect book for reading aloud. After an initial read through, educators could talk about one page a day and have a wonderful discussion. It's also a great book for studying different styles of illustration and what makes them effective."—That's Another Story
