My Bag of Kindness

by Danielle McLean, Lisa Koesterke (Illustrator)

Overview

In this sweet story of sharing, a young narrator describes all of the objects contained in a treasured bag that help to spread kindness and good feelings to everyone.

Readers will meet a young narrator who describes the objects contained in a treasured bag. There is a teddy bear that helps comfort him whenever he feels sad. A pair of socks in the bag reminds him of the time at school when his teacher gave him a clean, dry pair of socks after a day of splashing in puddles. A box of crayons for his best friend, who enjoys drawing pictures with him. There’s a book in the bag from Grandma, who reads books to him. And a note in the bag from Mom, who reminds him to spread kindness to everyone he meets.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781664350236
Publisher:	Tiger Tales.
Publication date:	09/14/2021
Pages:	12
Product dimensions:	7.56(w) x 8.19(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	AD510L (what's this?)
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

Danielle McLean is a children's book editor who lives in South London, England. When she's not writing and editing children's books, she can be found in ballet class pursuing her other childhood dream.

Lisa Koesterke is a German-Australian designer and illustrator with a love of bright colors, quirky characters, and endless summer days. If she's not in her studio, you can find Lisa at the beach going for a swim and eating gelato.

Editorial Reviews

A child’s bag of kindness is full of simple ways to give and show gratitude.

In this board book shaped like a backpack, each item in the book reminds a child about an act of kindness or a moment of gratitude. The book’s irregular trim is designed such that it appears as if each item peeks out from the top of the backpack. There’s a pair of clean and dry socks a teacher gives the child after soggy puddle-play (“YOU ARE THE BEST!” the child tells the teacher in response); books that the child’s grandmother buys as a gift and shares; and a note from the child’s mother with a reminder to “spread…kindness far and wide!” The book’s shape and its cutout designs are visually appealing and will draw little readers in. The text is adequate; the rhymes do not consistently roll off the tongue when read aloud. The colorful illustrations feature geometric shapes: All of the faces have perfect circles for eyes and cheeks and triangular noses. The protagonist has brown skin, as do the brother and grandmother. The book’s theme is certainly a well-visited one, and this story does not provide a fresh take. That said, the concept of a “bag of kindness” works as a way to make an abstract concept approachable and digestible for a young child.

Predictable but worth sharing. (Board book. 2-4)—Kirkus

From the Publisher

2021-10-27
A child’s bag of kindness is full of simple ways to give and show gratitude.

In this board book shaped like a backpack, each item in the book reminds a child about an act of kindness or a moment of gratitude. The book’s irregular trim is designed such that it appears as if each item peeks out from the top of the backpack. There’s a pair of clean and dry socks a teacher gives the child after soggy puddle-play (“YOU ARE THE BEST!” the child tells the teacher in response); books that the child’s grandmother buys as a gift and shares; and a note from the child’s mother with a reminder to “spread…kindness far and wide!” The book’s shape and its cutout designs are visually appealing and will draw little readers in. The text is adequate; the rhymes do not consistently roll off the tongue when read aloud. The colorful illustrations feature geometric shapes: All of the faces have perfect circles for eyes and cheeks and triangular noses. The protagonist has brown skin, as do the brother and grandmother. The book’s theme is certainly a well-visited one, and this story does not provide a fresh take. That said, the concept of a “bag of kindness” works as a way to make an abstract concept approachable and digestible for a young child.

Predictable but worth sharing. (Board book. 2-4)

Kirkus Reviews