Kid Lit Village Review: When We are Kind

Hello Readers! It’s been a long time since my last Kid Lit Village book review. I’m happy to do a review for WHEN WE ARE KIND by Monique Gray Smith and Nicole Neidhardt. It is published by Orca Books.

As a nature preschool educator in British Columbia, Truth and Reconciliation and connection to land are both important to me. One of my program goals is to weave in more indigenous ways of knowing and being. That makes me go looking for books like this one. I want to help readers connect to land and indigenous people. I want our preschoolers to be grateful for the people in our lives and the world around us. I want to provide inclusive education and books like this can help me do that.

This book focuses on kindness between family and friend with an emphasis on indigenous people and people of colour. It is a great starting point for talking about kindness and making connections with family, classmates and friends. The artwork is beautiful and I love how it celebrates sharing of food and activities outdoors, like drumming. I enjoy reading it to my preschool class and talking about ways of being kind and how that makes us feel. I love it that both the author and illustrator are from Victoria, British Columbia.

Thank you for stopping by Kid Lit Village blog. Please support all our Kid Lit Village authors in whatever way you can. Leave a comment here, request their books from the library, or post a review!

If you’re curious about books by Cynthia Mackey and Paula Nasmith, please subscribe to my newsletter.