Don't Be Naughty...Be NICE!

Since this is the time of year when kids generally try a little harder to be nice, why not encourage them with books? Today.com’s perfectly timed article, “6 Books for All Ages That Will Teach Your Kids to Be Nicer Human Beings,” has some great suggestions. All three of the picture books--A Sick Day for Amos McGee, The THANKFUL Book, and Each Kindness--are ones that I know and love. A Sick Day for Amos McGee, especially, always leaves me with a case of the warm fuzzies. Check out these books now to prevent your little one from finding a spot on The Naughty List, and keep them in mind for other times during the year when your child could use some encouragement to behave a bit more lovingly. What are some of your favorite books that promote kindness?

A Determined Friend

Philip C. Stead is the author of A Sick Day for Amos McGee, a book that won a little award called the Caldecott...have you heard of it?  It also just happens to be one of my favorite picture books. Ever.  Stead has gone and done it again.  His earnest prose and simple old-manish characters (Can I say that? Yes, let's call them that. Old-manish: characters with old names, warm hearts and just the slightest hint of a paunch) have won me over again.  This time he also shows that he is a masterful illustrator in his own right (no small feat when compared to the sheer perfection of his wife's illustrations for Amos).  Stead's own art style is a gorgeously messy combination of pencil sketches and acrylic paint.

His story follows Vernon the toad (see, old-manish name) who, upon finding a bird who doesn't speak, "but is also a very good listener," decides that his new companion must be lost and in need of a friend to help him find his way home.  Full of whimsical details like a teacup-turned-boat, this journey will speak to adults as well as children.  The story could be used with preschoolers and kindergartners to spark discussion about what it means to be a good friend, but adults will likely appreciate it for its deeper message.  A true friend is like Vernon, patient, determined, and willing to help you find your way home, even if that journey requires venturing out "into the great unknown."

Snail Mail

Even in this age of email, text, and skype there is still something special about the ritual of opening the mailbox and finding a letter with your name on it, especially if you are a child. Have your child practice writing and storytelling skills by composing a letter or drawing a picture for a friend or relative. Hint: choose someone that you know will write back, so that you can check the mail together in anticipation.

Last week I received a delightful note from one of my former storytime girls in which she “reviewed” a book I recommended to her. The book, A Sick Day for Amos McGee, is about a thoughtful zookeeper and his sympathetic animal companions. The pencil sketches are startlingly beautiful and the relationship between Amos and his friends is filled with subtle humor and the quiet kind of love that comes from knowing just what to say to a friend in need.  It comes highly recommended from a certain story-lover I know.