A perfect picture book for sending positive messages for children to enact. I would teach this book with joy and pride.

A short book focused around one of lifes most simple and yet important lessons. "When we are kind" is a book that encourages children to be kind to others and to themselves. This book has simple sentences that outline easy ways that we can be kind in our day to day activities. The illustrations are lovely and focus on native people which was beautiful and refreshing to see.

The words were relatable and easy to understand. The accompanying illustrations bring life to the words and make them memorable. Kids would easily grasp this concept and I think this book would be a great addition to any classroom bookshelf.

I recieved a digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

When We Are Kind is a simple, but essential book that younger children should read. I love how there are specific examples of how to be kind and why you should be kind. With only one sentence on each page, this book is perfect for beginner readers.

Very cute and timely book. Simple but sweet message and great illustration. Great for beginning readers.

When We Are Kind encourages children to be kind to themselves, their family, friends, the earth, and animals, along with giving kids ideas on how to be kind. It also discusses the emotions kids feel when they are kind or when someone is kind to them, such as happy and comforted. The illustrations by New Mexican artist Nicole Neidhardt really pulls the book together. I especially love what I interpreted to be New Mexico landscapes- open blue skies, corn, an adobe house in one scene- and the accurate Native American influences present throughout the book, such as dreamcatchers, pottery, moccasins, and traditional drums. I loved the diversity throughout the book; most scenes revolve around a Native American or First Nation family, but one scene at school features a child using a wheelchair as well as several children of different skin tones. One of the terms used in the book is “elders,” which is an English word, of course, but is also a nod to the respect of ancestry which is so prevalent in indigenous homes.

Another thing I appreciate is When We Are Kind is written in two addition languages- French, which makes sense because Monique Gray Smith is Canadian; but also a bilingual English and Diné, or Navajo, translation. Diné, while one of the most prevalent Native American languages still spoken, is sadly becoming less common. Today, there are fewer than 170,000 speakers of Navajo in the United States, or less than .05% of the American population. Because of that, I am very enthusiastic about a book that celebrates such a special language that is not only vitally important to Navajo culture, but also served our country during wartime.

Overall, I strongly recommend When We Are Kind for any families who want to expose their children to Native American culture, whether Native American themselves, or those who have not exposure to it. This wonderful book celebrates Native culture, kindness, respect for others, which would make a great addition to any young child’s library.

Thanks to NetGalley and Orca Book Publishers for the opportunity to review this book for free in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Monique Gray Smith and Nicole Neidhart for making this important book a reality.

This was an absolute pleasure to read-- wonderful illustrations of diverse friends and family illustrating universal kindnesses-- extra-long walks for the dog, helping our elders, being with our families. Perfect for story times toddler and up, a great way to start conversations about ways we can be kind to our loved ones. Orca continues to publish beautiful books I'm proud to suggest to patrons.

I loved this book so much. It tackles the wide definition of kindness and the many ways it can be shown in a way that even the smallest kids can understand. A lot of us adults could use the reminders, as well! The diversity featured in the book is wonderful. Highly recommended!

When We Are Kind is a thoughtful and short story about how to be kind to others and ourselves. It focuses on being respectful and inclusive, as well as taking care of yourself. There are many feeling words used throughout, so this would be a good book to include for counselors or others working with children on expressing feelings. It is also inclusive of several cultures and disabilities.

This is a gorgeously illustrated book that has a simple message of kindness and finding those acts of kindness in our everyday lives. I loved the simple message, and the many examples of being able to reach out to others' around us, through helping out, sharing, and only taking what you need from the earth. The illustrations are varied, detailed and I love the views of the different characters (kids seeing reflections of themselves in the illustrations). This would make a great mentor text for upper elementary, especially in September when you are building community and practicing skills like being grateful. I will be buying this for my classroom when it comes out in September. A big thank you to NetGalley and Orca Book Publishers for the online advanced copy!

Today, I got the privilege of reading “wнeɴ we αre ĸιɴd” by Monique Gray Smith. This children’s book will be out in October 2020.
In “wнeɴ we αre ĸιɴd,” Smith shows kids ways they can be kind with words and pictures.
What makes this author’s book different than other young reader’s books about being kind is that the pictures feature children from various walks of life and different ethnicities. Each page is a range of people who don’t all look alike. Therefore, this book is perfect for a classroom or home library, for kids to see that it’s okay to be different.
As an Educator, I can see myself reading this aloud to my elementary school students. Ms. Smith’s book is perfect for a social/emotional class or family conversation.

“When We Are Kind” is a beautifully diverse and inclusive story about respecting and loving others. The illustrations were really sweet and showcased a wide variety of people both young and old. This would be a great story for young readers to learn about different ways they can be kind to themselves, those in their life, and the world around them. Additionally, this book is a great way to expose children to different kinds of people, such as those wheelchair bound, in a way that helps normalize it. Overall a very “kind” book!

A beautiful book about kindness, respect, and thankfulness. I especially love that it includes being kind to oneself and the earth being kind to us, as types of kindness that one can experience. Add this title to any emotional intelligences collection.

This book is such a wonderful thing to read to your kids especially now. The content and the pictures are just so sweet and I recommend this book to anyone looking for a kind book to show the kids in their lives.

This book is nice short and sweet and to the point. I love the examples of kindness depicted in the book. The use of Indigenous peoples also is another highlight for me! There aren’t many books that represent that group of people. I would read this in my classroom and I would suggest it to the school counselor. I think this is a really good young children’s book. I would recommend it to pre k -3 grade teachers.

When We Are Kind is a heartfelt story about the importance of kindness.

BIPOC children and families are not represented enough in children's books, especially picture books. I really appreciate this book for featuring children and families of color. The illustrations are beautifully crafted.

I appreciated this book's emphasis on kindness not only to others, but also the importance of being kind to the environment. I love how this book also touches on self-love and self-respect, a message often not heard enough by children.

I read this book to my two-year old son, and enjoyed every message on every page. Thank you so much for the ARC!

Kindness is such a wonderful subject. What I liked about this book, besides the pictures, was that included in kindness to others, there was kindness to yourself, and kindness that the earth provides. That particular page sparked conversation with my seven year old when he wondered about "How the earth is kind to us?" It was a great point to make to him that the earth does indeed do us a great kindness in providing for us.

The pictures were great to look at as well. It is such an oddly specific thing, but I really loved the flowers... The illustrations of the family showed kindness in action.

Short, sweet, and powerful! Teaches kids about various types of kindness. In my classroom, we learn to respect and support each other. Our world needs more kindness. This picture book will help spread the message, "Be Kind!"

This is a lovely little book for young readers that could help foster discussions around what it means to be kind (and also how we feel when we are kind and others are kind to us). In today's world, these are important messages suitable for all ages.

The illustrations depict mostly Indigenous children, which is nice to see. But that doesn't mean that this book can't be enjoyed, appreciated, and learned from by children of all backgrounds.

While the text and messaging are simple, they're also nice and clear. That makes perfect sense. Kindness shouldn't be difficult.

Overall, this is a nice book, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to other readers. It would also make a great classroom read with some follow-up discussion about kindness.

A lovely thoughtful book that would be a great for anyone and any age. I found this a wonderful well illustrated book.

If you get away from the fact you can’t go anywhere, this is a nice book for families. The book has nice exercises and so much information. The illustrations were so so,

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

As with all of Monique Gray Smith’s words, this book brings a calming sense of warmth. The illustrations are soft and joyful, with a diverse mix of adults and children. The colours and situations in the images reinforce a message of peace and community.