Village Living Magazine - MIDTOWN - February 2019

PARENTING
HOOKED ON BOOKS
Teach Kids to Sprinkle
Kindness like Confetti
BY JOANNE SALLAY
EDUCATION COLUMNIST
I
love the popular saying, ‘Sprinkle kindness like confetti.’
It’s also a teacher favourite, popularly displayed on
classroom doors (including at my son’s school). While
the month of February is famous for love and friendship,
it is also host to Random Acts of Kindness Day on the 17 th
of February.
In my opinion, children can never experience too much
kindness. While there are countless ways to encourage
empathy, compassion, and thoughtfulness, I believe books
are great tools to reinforce and celebrate these themes.
Here are 4 sweet suggestions that will inspire kindness:
Dr. Seuss’s You Are Kind:
Featuring Horton the Elephant
By Dr. Seuss
AGES
3-7
This tiny book has a big message told by Horton the
elephant: “A person’s a person, no matter how small.”
It’s a great intro for little learners about the qualities of
kindness, and it’s also a wonderful gift for fans of the
Dr. Seuss kindness classic, Horton Hears a Who!
I Walk with Vanessa:
A Story about a Simple Act of Kindness
By Kerascoët
AGES
4-8
This unique children’s book is told without words, and
entirely with pictures. It follows Vanessa, the new girl
in school, who experiences bullying and loneliness. A caring
classmate at school notices and with a simple act, influences
a positive change. The back of the book also outlines helpful
tips about bullying for both children and adults. It’s a feelgood
story that promotes how a supportive bystander can
make a difference by making kindness contagious.
Cara’s Kindness
Written by Kristi Yamaguchi, Illustrated by John Lee
AGES
4-8
This picture book is perfect for illustrating the pay it
forward message to children. Fun fact: the author is
ice-skating champion Kristi Yamaguchi. In this story, Cara
is one caring cat, and it will come as no surprise that she
likes to skate. She also strives to pass on kindness to her
friends. Her positive attitude inspires other good deeds until
ultimately, returning full circle to Cara. This pick is ideal for
Random Acts of Kindness Day and all-year long.
Wonder
Written by R.J. Palacio
AGES
8-12
Wonder, with its core message to “choose kind,” has a
permanent space on my bookshelf. I have featured it
before, but given the nature of this issue, I wanted to share
it with you again. This chapter book follows the personal
journey of fifth grader Auggie Pullman, who was born with
a facial deformity and hopes to be treated like a regular kid.
For readers who want to delve deeper, the original is also
followed by three equally special companion books.
JOANNE SALLAY is the President of Teachers on Call, an award-winning home tutoring service with over 30 years of experience providing
one-on-one instruction in all subjects and grades. Visit Teachers on Call at teachersoncall.ca
30 VILLAGE LIVING MIDTOWN