A small act of kindness can brighten someone’s day. Simple gestures such as a smile or lending a helping hand can be transformative.  There is also evidence that giving or receiving kindness is healthy for us. Treating others with kindness yields positive feelings, which can lift our moods and increase resilience and resourcefulness.  These healthy benefits also apply to children.

One book that exemplifies these positive feelings is the beautiful picture book, Sidewalk Flowers.  In this wordless book, a young girl is a giver of kindness for its own reward.  While walking in the city with her distracted father, she collects sidewalk wildflowers.  “Each flower becomes a gift, and whether the gift is noticed or ignored, both giver and recipient are transformed by their encounter.”  The girl’s sense of wonder reminds us how beauty is all around as long as we take time to look for it. The illustrations encourage storytelling and offer young readers the opportunity to share how their acts of kindness can make the world a better place. 

Conceived by poet JonArno Lawson and illustrated by Sydney Smith, Sidewalk Flowers “is an ode to the importance of small things, small people and small gestures.”