Sharing a Smile

by Nicki Kramar, Ashley Evans (Illustrator)

Overview

In the spirit of Come With Me, this timely and charming tale about mask-wearing follows a little girl and her generous plan to find her own courage by helping those in her neighborhood find theirs.

In a changing world, little Sophie is feeling a bit worried. She loves being outside and playing with her friends in her neighborhood. But going outside lately means wearing a mask—something Sophie is still trying to understand. It makes her nervous when she wants to be brave. And after taking a closer look outside her window, watching her neighbors adjusting to this new normal, she realizes she isn’t the only one who feels a little scared.

Which gives Sophie an idea. With her grandpa’s help, she does something special for the people in her neighborhood. When Sophie sees her small acts of kindness spread, she realizes that with the help of friends in our communities, anyone can find their courage—and their smile.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534497856
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication date:	02/23/2021
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD500L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 18 Years

About the Author

Nicki Kramar has been an active part of children’s publishing for almost a decade. Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Nicki now lives in New York, New York, with her persnickety cat in an apartment overflowing with books.

Ashley Evans loves creating colorful, fun, and dynamic images. Born and raised in Queens, New York, she now lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her boyfriend and their daughter. When she’s not creating art, you can find Evans decorating cakes, enjoying her family, or catching a much-needed nap!

Editorial Reviews

03/15/2021

Dressed in a lavender T-shirt and overalls, Sophie, a Black girl with two dark braids, peers from the window beside her grandfather, also Black, who points out each of their neighbors wearing masks “to help keep everyone safe.” When Sophie notices that their white across-the-street neighbor, Jenny, looks scared, Grandpa’s words (“It can be hard to be brave when things change. That’s why we need our friends”) spur an idea to cheer the neighborhood, and the duo spend hours sewing custom fabric masks for their block. Evans uses a gentle color palette to depict an inclusive neighborhood, with a Black mail carrier and an older Latinx butterfly watcher, among others. Readers won’t come away with context for why the masks are being used, but this sweetly creative, community-focused look at the contemporary landscape is likely to inspire similar projects. Ages 4–up. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

2021-02-09
Sophie and her grandfather figure out how to make wearing masks easier for themselves and their neighbors.

Sophie, a small girl, is inside her home with her grandfather watching the world change. Both have brown skin and dark, textured hair. He explains to her that “We all have to wear masks to keep everyone safe.” All her neighbors and the mail carrier are now wearing masks, just like the Hara family has always done outside, even before the pandemic. Most people are doing the things they always do—gardening, riding bikes, and playing—but she cannot see their smiles. Grandpa says that change is hard, and friends can help. This gives Sophie an idea. They both stay up late, sketching and sewing, and the following day, they surprise the neighbors with personalized gifts to make the change easier. As Sophie grows from worry and confusion to understanding and helping, readers learn to name feelings they may be experiencing themselves. The people who live on Sophie’s street are racially and ethnically diverse, and her neighbors are friendly. The bright illustrations use clean lines, white space, and swaths of texture to depict a close-knit community of personalities who care for one another and commit to the common good. Powerful in its simplicity, this story contains lots of social and emotional learning in a small package. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 64.2% of actual size.)

Helpful and timely for children and their grown-ups. (Picture book. 3-9)

Kirkus Reviews