Here are 100 books that A Flood of Kindness fans have personally recommended if you like
A Flood of Kindness.
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I love to get kids fired up about true stories, using their imaginations and believing in themselves as future innovators, inventors, and creators. Crayola crayons inventor Edwin Binney's story is a fabulous springboard for exploring nature, color and creativity. I love to draw and make stuff just like Binney, so his story resonated with me. The more I researched, the more I admired how he listened to what people needed and looked to nature for inspiration. I am intrigued by the origins of everyday objects. Here are some books that inspired me when I was writing, and that have that fascinating a-ha moment that spurs on innovation.
Featuring ten inventions inspired by nature, this book explores how scientists, architects, and engineers can find innovative solutions right there, in the world around them. For example, the shape of the kingfisherās beak helped to design a quieter, speed-busting Japanese train, and the tiny Namibian beetle, a way to collect drinking water in the desert. At a time when people are increasingly disconnected from nature and our planet is endangered, these true stories are a fantastic and humbling reminder of how clever nature really is and what we can gain if we stop to look, listen and innovate.Ā
āYoung readers will be captivated by the contemporary inventors and inventions featured, and inspired to incorporate biomimicry into their own designs.ā āMiranda Paul, author of One Plastic Bag and Water is Water
Who's the best teacher for scientists, engineers, AND designers? Mother nature, of course!
When an inventor is inspired by nature for a new creation, they are practicing something called biomimicry. Meet ten real-life scientists, engineers, and designers who imitate plants and animals to create amazing new technology. An engineer shapes the nose of his train like a kingfisher's beak. A scientist models her solar cell on the mightyā¦
A gay retelling of the classic fairy tale--a scrumptious love story featuring ungrateful stepsiblings, a bake-off, and a fairy godfather.
Cinderelliot is stuck at home taking care of his ungrateful stepsister and stepbrother. When Prince Samuel announces a kingdom-wide competition to join the royal staff as his baker, the stepsiblingsā¦
I am a word gatherer. I can sweet-talk a phrase here and surprise a pun thereāfinding the words to hold a feeling. I revel in playing with words for the sheer joy of writing. My passion is cultivating the heart-to-heart writer/reader connection. A joy-bringer, my glass is always half-full. A former Poetry Day Liaison for OCTELA (Ohio Teachers of English Language Arts), a Teacher Consultant with the National Writing Project, educator, author, and poet, I share hope-filled stories and poems.
Lindsey McDivittās lyrical language and Charly Palmerās powerful illustrations go hand in hand drawing me into the storytelling of this picture book biography. I need to read books and be inspired by ordinary people who do extraordinary things. The story tells us how Nelson Mandela missed his wife and five children after being unjustly imprisoned for 27 years but continued his education during his years in prison.Nelson Mandela is an example for all of us showing the characteristics of leadershipācourage, love, understanding, patience, sacrifice, hard work, and a passion for freedom from an unjust apartheid system for non-white citizens.Ā His desire was for unity and freedom for everyone.Ā Nelson Mandelaās example gives us hope for the world.
KirkusĀ Starred Review: āBeautiful, informative, essential.ā School Library JournalĀ Starred Review: āHighly recommended for libraries that need titles about the ongoing global fight against racism.ā
As Nelson Mandela lived and worked under the unjust system of apartheid, his desire for freedom grew. Ā South Africa separated people by races, oppressing the countryās non-white citizens with abusive laws and cruel restrictions. Every day filled Mandela with grief and anger. But he also had hopeāhope for a nation that belonged to everyone who lived in it.Ā
From his work with the African National Congress, to his imprisonment on Robben Island, to his extraordinaryā¦
I am a word gatherer. I can sweet-talk a phrase here and surprise a pun thereāfinding the words to hold a feeling. I revel in playing with words for the sheer joy of writing. My passion is cultivating the heart-to-heart writer/reader connection. A joy-bringer, my glass is always half-full. A former Poetry Day Liaison for OCTELA (Ohio Teachers of English Language Arts), a Teacher Consultant with the National Writing Project, educator, author, and poet, I share hope-filled stories and poems.
The true story of the survivor treeāthe pear tree that survived the 9/11 attackāis tenderly told by Ann Magee. As a mom of a veteran, it takes me back to that time. After this tragedy, my youngest son enlisted in the National Guard and was eventually deployed. His motivation? āThereās all the more reason now,ā he replied. The treeās resilience represents the strength of our nation and its helpers. This picture book is a beautiful tribute to all first responders and gives us hope for the future.
āThis true-life fable about a tree that survived 9/11 commemorates the attack while evoking a resilient spirit and the healing power of nature." āCarole Boston Weatherford, author of Newbery Honor book BOX
āBranches of Hope is a tribute to resilience and hope, a gentle way to talk with our youngest readers about the memory of 9/11.ā āKate Messner, author of The Brilliant Deep: Rebuilding the World's Coral Reefs
The branches of the 9/11 Survivor Tree poked through the rubble at Ground Zero. They were glimpses of hope in the weeks after September 11, 2001.
Zeni lives in the Flint Hills of Southeast Kansas. This tale begins with her dream of befriending a miniature zebu calf coming true and follows Zeni as she works to befriend Zara. Enjoy full-color illustrations and a story filled with whimsy and plenty of opportunity for discussions around the perspectivesā¦
I grew up in a family of nature lovers and went with my parents and my brother on numerous nature hikes. These are my most precious childhood memories. I learned as a child to appreciate nature, I was fascinated by wild animals and inspired by the beauty of the natural world. As I grew up, I became more and more aware of how fragile the natural world is today and how important it is to protect it. This is one of the main motivators for me to create books for kids that will inspire them to love and respect nature.
What drew me first to this book were Cindy Derby's spectacular and unusual illustrations that are truly a celebration of wild nature. When I started reading, I was also drawn to the magic of Deborah Underwood's words and the perfect combination between words and pictures.
I identified with the feeling in the book that even when I'm inside, I can feel the outside. The outside in the book is constantly peeking in, when the main character of the story is insideāinside the house, inside school, inside the car.Ā When I finished reading the book I couldn't wait to go outside, to the adventures that await me out there.
From the New York Times best-selling author behind The Quiet Book comes a mindful contemplation on the many ways nature affects our everyday lives, even when we're stuck inside. Five starred reviews!
Perfect for fans of Joyce Sidman and Julie Fogliano, Outside In reminds emerging readers of the ways nature creates and touches our lives in homes, apartments, and cars, and is the perfect homeschooling tool to reflect on the world's connectedness.
Outside is waiting, the most patient playmate of all. The most generous friend. The most miraculous inventor. This thought-provoking picture book poetically underscoresā¦
After my dad died, I didnāt know where to turn. People felt uncomfortable talking to a seventeen-year-old girl about her dead dad. They felt even more uncomfortable talking to me about it one, two, ten years later. Still, I couldnāt, canāt, stop thinking about it. I turned, then, to books. These books made and make me feel seen. They arenāt about āmoving onā or āletting goā but the ways in which leaning into griefās deep well connects us to loveās true depths. These books are honest and pure, and if you donāt know what to say to a friend whoās mourning, let these authors speak for you.
Joy might not be the first thing you think of when
considering grief, but then maybe you havenāt read Ross Gay.
Gay understands
that joy exists because of grief, not as a counterbalance, but in a deeply
reciprocal relationship. As his father is dying, he presses their faces
together, and in his fatherās freckles, he sees seeds, a garden. It is just one
instance in this book where Gay recognizes that what grows from loss is love.
His book clarifies what I know to be true: that when we fall into the hole of
loss, we find ourselves in a deep well of love.
A collection of gorgeously written and timely pieces in which prize-winning poet and author Ross Gay considers the joy we incite when we care for each other, especially during life's inevitable hardships.
In "We Kin" he thinks about the garden (especially around August, when the zucchini and tomatoes come on) as a laboratory of mutual aid; in "Share Your Bucket" he explores skate-boarding's reclamation of public space; he considers the costs of masculinity in "Grief Suite"; and in "Through My Tears I Saw," he recognizes what was healed in caring for his father as he was dying.
I am a teacher, writer, mother, and grandmother who sees the debilitating effects of meanness and the healing effects of kindness daily. In case that isnāt reason enough for writingA Flood of Kindness, Iām also what some call āA Floodie.ā Like my characterās home flooded, so did mine. As devastating as it was, the kindness of others was overwhelming. I spent time with children whose homes also flooded. Aside from losing material things, it is easy to feel powerless. Like myself, I found that the children began their healing when they were able to give back, even in very small ways. I knew this had to be my book.
One of the things I love about this book is that Miller addresses the very true idea that being kind is not always easy. Often, we tell kids to ābe kind,ā but we donāt tell them how. In this book, the main character tries to help her friend, Tanisha, who spills grape juice on herself. But her initial attempts arenāt successful. The main character wonders what it means to be kind and knows that she can do small kindnesses. She thinks about how small kindness can be contagious and āspill out of the schoolā and go all around the world. As I wonder about the power of kindness to heal, this book makes me think about how wonderful it is that we can all help in our own small way.
2
authors picked
Be Kind
as one of their favorite books, and they share
why you should read it.
This book is for kids age
3,
4,
5, and
6.
What is this book about?
When Tanisha spills grape juice all over her new dress, her classmate contemplates how to make her feel better and what it means to be kind. From asking the new girl to play to standing up for someone being bullied, this moving and thoughtful story explores what a child can do to be kind, and how each act, big or small, can make a difference - or at least help a friend. With awardwinning author Pat Zietlow Miller's gentle text and Jen Hill's irresistible art, Be Kind is an unforgettable story about how two simple words can change the world.
An interdimensional mixer with angels and other beings brings unexpected trouble for Malachi and his friends in this smart and uniquely funny second book about the squad of teens from hell.
When an angel comes to his home to deliver a message, Malachi immediately knows whatās going on. The seraphā¦
Iāve always been fascinated by nature, even from a young age. My parents would set up easels for my sister and me to paint outdoors, and I havenāt stopped drawing since. I tend to focus on flora and fauna, making illustrations with subdued colors and intricate details. I love to create illustrations for books, and occasionally, Iāll write them, too. Often reflective of history, mythology, and folklore, my work captures an old-world feeling and a love of nature. In my spare time, you can find me in my garden or out walking my dog, Molly.
Dena Seiferlingās The Language of Flowers tells the story of Beatrice the bumblebee learning the language of flowers through the meadows she roams. As a fan of subdued colors, Seiferlingās illustration style drew me in, with soft lines and hidden faces within all of the featured blooms. The last two pages are an illustrated list of floral meanings, fantastic for children wanting to learn more about floriography, of which I am (very obviously) a fan!
An adopted bumblebee learns the language of flowers from her floral family in this enchanting picture book, inspired by floriography, that celebrates one of nature's most important relationships.
Deep within a magical meadow, some lonely flowers receive a very special gift: a baby bumblebee in need. The flowers name her Beatrice, they care for her and help her find her wings. And as she grows older, Beatrice learns the language of her floral family ā messages of kindness and appreciation that she delivers between them. With each sweet word, the flowers bloom until the meadow becomes so big that Beatriceā¦
I am no expert on kindnessāthough more than twenty years at Sesame Workshop, working on a TV show that focuses on kindness, may give me a slight edge. And I am not unfailingly kind, though I try my hardest. But I am passionate about nurturing this quality in children. At the risk of sounding naive, I feel that itās our last best hope of solving some of the worldās biggest problems.
Itās the perfect choice for anyone who wonders, āBut what can I do? Iām just a kid!ā The book is filled with kid-friendly, practical ideas of ways to be kind: offering a smile or a hug; sharing; letting someone else take the first turn; learning words in a new arrivalās language; and much, much more. Each page features work by another terrific artistāitās absolutely a visual feast for anyone who appreciates good illustration. The bonus is that sales of the book help raise money for a charity that assists refugees trying to make a new start. What could be better than feeling kind just for buying yourself a new book!
1
author picked
Kind
as one of their favorite books, and they share
why you should read it.
This book is for kids age
3,
4,
5, and
6.
What is this book about?
Imagine a world where everyone is kind - how can we make that come true? With gorgeous pictures by a host of the world's top illustrators, Kind is a timely, inspiring picture book about the many ways children can be kind, from sharing their toys and games to helping those from other countries feel welcome.
The book is endorsed by The Gruffalo illustrator Axel Scheffler one pound from the sale of each printed copy will go to the Three Peas charity, which gives vital help to refugees from war-torn countries. comes with a dust jacket
Iām a writer, illustrator, and champion of childrenās books, with approximately 90 titles published over the last 25 years. I use this experience to guide parents to quality picture books via my blog, Stories Worth Sharing, which aims to help parents nurture and connect with their kids through stories. I can trace this passion back to my childhood. Snuggled in my fatherās arms, weād explore fantastic places together ā like One Hundred Acre Wood, Busy Town, and Zuckermanās barn. Picture books are foundational in developing young minds. These selected titles put your child in someone elseās shoes and teach them to empathise with others.
This beautiful book blows me away. Itās an exquisite example of a picture book, where
words and pictures work hand in hand to tell the story. Everyone loves David, the boy
with the flowers in his hair. Heās the life and soul of the class. Until one day, something happens. Now David ā quiet and withdrawn ā is losing his flowers, petal by petalā¦
The Boy With Flowers in His Hair speaks to me on a personal level ā Iāve overcome
depression and recognise that feeling of losing your joie de vivre. Over the years, Iāve
also examined the ideas of what it means to be masculine. On both fronts, this book is
affirming. And it reminds me to be thankful for faithful friends.
A warm and powerful story that brings to life a pure and poignant friendship that children will never forget.
David is the boy with flowers in his hair. He's sweet and gentle, just like his petals. But when David's flowers begin to fall - a single petal at first, then every last blossom - his best friend never leaves his side. And through kindness and creativity, he even finds a way to give David his colour back... Beautifully illustrated, this story is about being there for someone when they're at their most vulnerable.
A hidden curse. A thoughtful daredevil. Is this youngsterās accidental plunge into the fantastical about to unlock a wonderful surprise?
Amy is eager for excitement. On the brink of turning twelve and discovering if sheās inherited her late dadās magic, the hard-working girl can barely wait to take a tripā¦
I know first hand the damage that bullying can have on children, It weighs heavy on your psyche, and emotional well-being. I was determined to find a way to teach children important values to fight the root causes of bullying. I found an old "sketch" and it was my "aha" moment. With continued tweaking, my bubbly hippo was born that I named Bentley.
Sporting his red running shoes, Bentley has become a positive role model for children. He represents resilience, friendship, joy, and kindness. We all grew up hugging a teddy bear, but now it's time for the World to Hug a Hippo. The books I've picked below inspire me and will help kids learn the value of kindness.
When children are raised with proper social skills and values, it reflects in their behaviour towards others. This is a story about
teaching proper manners and behaviors, and children will be able to identify and apply positive actions and kindness.
Henry learns the importance of manners when he wakes up one morning without them. Follow Henry as he goes through his day and watch his manners try to catch him.
