A sweet book showing people of all ages what kindness sounds like. I like that it didn't just show kindness, but used kind words. We need to think about the words we choose to use. Wonderful for a K-2 classroom. The illustrations are lovely, as well.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Magination Press for the opportunity to read The Sound of Kindness.

A child and its parent walk the neighborhood where they find kindness everywhere. This beautiful book is a must read for everyone.

This was gorgeous. The illustrations were so bright and colorful and welcoming. And the story! It was such a great reminder to readers of any age that kindness surrounds us if we just stop and listen. And, as always, I love the end of every Magination book that gives you tips on how to take the message of the story into your every day.

I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy from NetGalley. While I would like to provide an honest review of the book, my Kindle copy did not display the images and text coherently, and this contributed to a poor reading experience. However, the illustrations are lovely and feature diverse characters. I would like the opportunity to review this in print form. 4/5 content but would order the print rather than digital copy.

A child asks, "How does kindness talk?" An adult says that they can take a walk and learn what kindness sounds like by listening. They encounter many instances of kindness, thoughtfulness, and friendship as they walk through the neighborhood. Whether it is offering to help carry groceries, letting someone else board the bus first, or encouraging students in a dance class - there are kind words of all sorts. The illustrations are done in soft colors with the characters in more vivid hues when they are the focus of the scene. The rhyming text leaves plenty of room for discussion and exploration.
Back matter includes a note to readers about how much easier it is to notice kindness or to act kind when we are intentional about it. There are suggestions for how to conduct a variety of kindness walks: a quiet walk, a nature walk, a memory walk, a literary walk, and a pretend walk (using imagination). There are also details about the author, illustrator, and Magination Press itself. There are also details about the author, illustrator, and Magination Press itself. This title is perfect for sharing with a class or other group, or to explore one on one with a child.

Such a great children’s book! A great message, inclusive, & beautiful illustrations. This is a book I would purchase to read to my daughter & would highly recommend it to all families and educators!

A very bijou text shows a father and child the many acts of kindness they can spot on a walk through their town – encouragement leaking from a ballet school window, offers of sharing, statements of intent to help mend, see the girl safely riding her bike, and of friendship. With the idea that you won't see it if you won't look for it, the end-matter suggests we should do the same, mindfully trying to witness such positive experiences all around us. This is, then, highly optimistic, but certainly not unpleasant. And while it's not telling us to stop being kind, it's not putting all the onus on the young reader to shape the mood of the world, either – it's suggesting there is enough goodwill out there to keep the spring in our step. One can but hope.

I loved how this book demonstrated some simple actions and statements that can show and share kindness to others. I particularly appreciated the usability of such an intentional action as *looking* for these types of things when walking with children. We all can learn so much by observing the world around us!

The Sound of Kindness is a very refreshing and much needed story. We follow along as a grown up and a child are going for a walk. As they go they find all of the ways they hear kindness around them. They listen for the words that can show kindness in many different situations.
This was a great story and one that needs to be shared. The story was simple yet had amazing writing that gets the point across in such a beautiful way. The illustrations have a peaceful and soft feeling to them that fit the story perfectly. The story shows us how easy it is to show kindness. This story is needed in our chaotic world as a reminder of the importance of love and kindness. In the back of the story are extras to help continue the story in real life. I loved the memory “walk” telling memories of life together. I also adore the literary “walk” as we go through poems and stories looking for ways to show kindness and love.
You are going to love this little adventure. It is worth sharing with family and perfect for sharing in a classroom.
I received this story as an ARC but I will be buying to share with our family.

This cute children's book teaches about an important concept: kindness. The beautiful pastel illustrations help tell a story of a kindness walk where the characters look and, as the title suggests, listen for kindness. I think this would be a great book to help adults introduce this topic with young readers. I would recommend this book for children in the age 3-9 range. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book!

I received this book for free. This does not impact my review in any shape or form.

The Sound of Kindness, by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, is a children’s book about finding compassion all around us, even though we might not see it at first. It’s a small, simple book, but it carries important lessons within minimalistic phrases. From neighbors greeting neighbors, to strangers helping others in need, to even friends sharing a simple conversation, VanDerwater is incredibly poignant with turning everyday interactions into teachable moments for kindness and empathy.

Similar to How Much Love Can a Heart Hold? by Angela Panayotopulos, I can see both children and adults delightfully reading this. Teachers and students can benefit from this book by emphasizing socio-psychological development, especially for students who have had delays in social skills due to COVID-19. It also encourages kids to practice mindfulness by paying attention to the environment around them, whether it be the classroom, or at home, or even in the real world, where everyone’s gone crazy with blaming, victim shaming, and chaos. It’s a skill not many adults possess, but this book certainly lays the foundation.

I enjoyed how VanDerwater made such lessons into an enjoyable rhyme that I could see myself humming to. The illustrations gave me a calm I didn’t realize I needed; the cover, of course, helps. As such, I would give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.

I choose this book because of the title and that it would complement the summer reading program this year.
A simple picture book showing people surrounding us with kindness in everyday life. All you have to do is Listen.and also be part of it by what we do and say.
Love the theme of this book and the reader’s note sharing the things we can do with our children to promote/notice this special sound.. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this special book. We do need more kindness in this world.

A beautiful, lyrical book about the sounds of kindness that can be heard on a day to day basis in the world around us.,

This is a sweet little book, very easy for little ones to comprehend what phrases to use to be kind. The illustrations are too cute and the rhyming is a cherry on top. We love this story. I would say 0-2 is the target age group.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I love the simplicity of this book and can’t wait to use it in my classroom to spark conversations about kindness during our school day.

'The Sound of Kindness' by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater is a book that follows a father and child as they explore their neighborhood looking for the sound of kindness. The author has encapsulated the essence of kindness by providing beautiful illustrated visuals of our daily lives, keeping it appealing and pleasing to the eyes of the readers. With minimal text and beautiful pastel images, the author has also included virtues like gratitude, generosity, helpfulness, love and care.

The 'Reader's Note' at the end acts a guide for parents and educators on how to look around and listen to the sound of kindness. As a mother to two children, I found this book extremely helpful in introducing kindness to my 2.5 year old. My elder son, aged 7.5years loved the illustrations and found it relatable to his daily life. Now, we have been listening to the sound of kindness everywhere and not only this practice has helped him to pause, see and reflect his surroundings, but also has helped him to see the positives around him.

Although this book falls under children's book category, I strongly recommend it to older people - parents, grandparents and educators too.

Thank you NetGalley, American Psychology Association and Magination for sending this book in exchange for a honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it to my children.

#TheSoundofKindness #NetGalley

Really enjoyed this book. The Sound of Kindness by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater

Child and care giver going through the neighborhood listening for sounds of kindness. Few words, big message. We decided to do this first, my husband and i and than with our grandchildren. What an amazing experience. I recommend after you read this book to try it.

This was a lovely rhyming story that I will be able to use in primary classes. It is easy read, easy listen and lots to talk about in the pictures. I particularly liked the idea for parents and teachers at the end of the story for how to promote kindness in day to day life

The Sound of Kindness is a book with few words but a very important message. Told with a rhyming text, mostly in speech bubbles, a child and their caregiver go on a neighbourhood walk, listening for examples of kindness. The illustrations richly support the text, showing many examples of kindness. The back matter further explains how focusing on the positive is so empowering. It also gives further ideas for looking and learning about kindness. This book would be an excellent inspiration for a SEL unit on kindness in any classroom. It would also be an effective start to a drama lesson. Parents would find this book equally helpful to read with children to help them see the good in their communities and contribute to it as well.

What a beautiful (and very giftable) book. The illustrations are relaxing and engaging. I hope the paper copy is as vibrant as the digital one I read.

As for the message, it's such a simple idea, but one we need to continue to remember:

If you focus on the good, that's what you will hear. If you open yourself to kindness, kindness will find you.