Thank you to NetGalley and Orca Book Publishers for sending me a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

When We Are Kind is a beautifully simple story with great illustrations and a clear message about being kind to yourself, the planet, and the people around you. It’s a great story to read aloud (I’m already thinking it would be a great addition to our library’s story time) and to use as a stepping stone to ask more questions. What does kindness look like? What everyday examples can be acts of kindness? How can you show kindness to others and the planet? How does if feel to be kind to yourself, or when someone is kind to you?

While I enjoyed When We Are Kind, I do wish there had been a resource page with next steps for parents (or educators or librarians) wishing to continue the conversation beyond the story.

Thank you again to NetGalley and Orca Book Publishers for the privilege of reviewing an ARC.

I have always said that my only wish for my children is that they grow up to be kind. However, trying to teach kindness to small children is not as easy as it seems. Being a good role model is a start. </p>
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<p>When We Are Kind is a wonderfully simple story that shows and teaches children to be kind. The story provides every day examples with beautiful illustrations. I read this story with my nearly 3 year old and she loved the book... asking to read it more than once.</p>
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<p>However, as this was an ARC from Netgalley, we did read this on an iPad and the format was a bit out of order, however we were still able to read each page.</p>
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<p>This is a brilliant book and one that I do hope to add to my children's library once published. </p>
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This book is perfect for the current climate. My kids loved it and as a mom I loved how it made kindness seem as simple as it really is. The pictures are beautiful and the message is clear.

I enjoyed this children's book and read it to my kids. The illustrations grasped their attention and the words are short enough to keep a toddlers attention. This book is perfect for children! Definitely will be recommending this book to my fellow teacher friends.

Sweet and beautifully illustrated. I definitely want this for my library! (And my personal collection)

A very sweet book to teach children that it feels good to be kind to others, just as it feels good when others are kind to you. Lovely illustrations that include diverse people, written by an indigenous Canadian author.

The world is a better place When We Are Kind.

Monique Gray Smith teamed up with Nicole Neidhardt to create this appealing book for young children. It is a primer, information on a necessary skill for their lifekit - the power and breadth of kindness. Together through art and words they touch on the many facets of this universal power in life, ably ensuring their message is accessible and fully understood by the youngest (and oldest) of us.

This book was chosen for my "grandma reads" session today, and there was great interest in differences and similarities in the subject matter. The characters show a variety of types of people, while the main group reflects the Navajo heritage of the illustrator, a point of great interest in my crew of listeners. (Look at the cool mom drumming!) Their comments and engagement as I read showed they grasped the message: kindness paves a path of inclusivity in a way and with an immediacy that no other behavior accomplishes as completely. When asked what other points they had picked up in the read, the older kiddos brought up the foundational theme that practicing kindness best starts at home.

The vote for our review: 5 stars!

A nice, simple picture book about being kind and receiving kindness. I like the illustrations a lot: people of different genders with different skin tones. One person is using a wheelchair on a page, which I appreciate seeing in a book that's not about disability. But my favorite part of this book are the last pages, because the text is about how kindness makes the reader feel. For example, "I feel respectful when I am kind to myself". I don't recall many of the picture books about kindness including multiple pages about how kindness can impact you, in particular, being kind to yourself. I would definitely recommend this to patrons.

What a beautiful book! I will be ordering multiple copies for my library — perfect for parents and teachers asking for books about kindness and empathy, and as an alternative text for Thanksgiving. I love the way this book invites dialogue and reflection. It begins by talking about simple acts of everyday kindness. It expands Inward and outward, addressesIng the importance of kindness, not just toward others, but oneself and the world too. It also invites readers to notice how they feel when others are kind to them. It encourages children to be kind to friends, family, self and the the earth. It ends by affirming our interconnectedness. The illustrations are stunning and inclusive; the text is simple and accessible for all ages.

This book allows children to explore & relate to the many different types of kindness - taking care of others as well as oneself. It would be easy to invite a discussion of other ways to be kind to others (including animals, the environment, etc), and how others are kind to you. Wonderfully diverse illustrations.

A sweet and simple picture book on why kindness matters. With Neidhardt's beautiful illustrations, Monique Gray Smith's message shines. Perfect for read alouds and younger grade levels.

Wow, I love When We Are Kind! It sends an excellent message to children and shows them that it is easy to be kind if you make a conscious effort to do so. Each page is beautiful and families of all races and nationalities are represented. I can not wait to read this book to my students when we get back to school. I definitely want a physical copy to have in my classroom. This is truly a wonderful children's book!

I'm a big fan of Monique Gray Smith's previous picture books, My Heart Fills With Happiness and You Hold Me Up, so I was very excited to see that she has a new picture book coming in September. I am incredibly pleased to have the chance to read this early, and I am thrilled to say that it surpassed any expectations I had.

This picture book absolutely delivers on its title, and then some. With messages about taking care of the people around us and taking care of ourselves, this book couldn't be coming at a better time. It demonstrates ways to be kind and the ways kindness, both given and received, can make us feel. It is a powerful little book, and incredibly touching. I think some of the lessons are ones that adults could take to heart as well. We learn to look after our family and friends, our Elders, our environment, and ourselves, and we learn that doing those things can be emotionally rewarding on its own.

This is my first time experiencing Nicole Neidhardt's work, but these illustrations are beautiful and do a wonderful job of driving the messages home. They really add to the mood and tone of the story, and her work here definitely gives us a glimpse into communities that children can see themselves in. I look forward to seeing more of her incredible work elsewhere.

When We Are Kind is a fabulous little book, and I can't recommend it enough. The story and style is appropriate, even necessary, for readers of all ages. No children's bookshelf should be considered complete without it. Writing this book is a kindness the author has done for us all, and the greatest kindness we can do ourselves is to read it and heed its meaningful words.

A lovely picture book that is perfect for babies and toddlers. The illustrations and themes are diverse and inclusive, filled with Indigenous representation. Can't wait to share with the kids!

When We Are Kind is going to be my new favorite children’s book. I cannot wait to buy a physical copy of this. The message is beautiful and so powerful: it shows children they have agency, should feel empowered to use their kindness to treat the earth, our families and elders, our friends and our animals with respect, comfort that we can treat ourselves with kindness and that we feel joy when we treat others kindly and are, in turn, treated kindly by others.

The message of the book is that, by treating the world and all of its inhabitants - including ourselves - with respect and love, we’re reminded of the intricate connections between all of us. This book is peaceful to read, and embedded within it is a quiet message that kindness is revolutionary and we all need to be part of that revolution.

The illustrations also take this book up a notch. We see families and friends that are actually reflections of the people who surround us: rich Indigenous traditions, diverse skin colors + bodies that are differently abled, young children + elders, families of all types coming together to enjoy the beauty and bounty of the earth and the communities we create.

This book is stunning, empowering, and the definition of an inclusive book that will show children of all backgrounds and identities that they are valued and worthy of representation in literature.

Thank you so much to Orca Book via NetGalley for this advance copy. This review is unbiased.

Another phenomenal book from Monique Gray Smith. Nice message of kindness with wide varieties of families and people.

I received an e-ARC of this book from Monique Gray Smith and Orca Book Publishers through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really liked this book. The messages in this book are delivered in an easy to understand statement that children of all ages will be able to relate to. I liked that the author included both sides of the kindness coin, I am, and I feel. This would be a great book to add to classroom and home libraries as we could all use a little more kindness in our lives.

What is kindness?

This book goes over all the qualities of kindness that children can partake in, such as helping ones family, sharing with others, and taking only as much from nature as one needs.

And it isn't only the child doing kind things, but others doing kind things for them. Feeling grateful when the earth is kind, feeling loved when their elders are kind, and how good you feel when you are kind to yourself.

Good picture book to read with a child, as you discuss the different acts of kindess found in the book.

But most of all, we need to be kind because we are all related.

Wonderful message for children, and adults as well.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

Thank you to Orca Book Publishers and NetGalley for the e-ARC to read and review!

Simple but effective - incredibly important to the conversations today, "When We Are Kind" is a celebration of kindness. The book shows through cozy-good, colorful illustrations why it's important to always choose kindness and be respectful: it creates happiness within ourselves and others. I also love depictions of self love by being kind to one's self. "When We Are Kind" is a great story for kids with positive messages for all ages. Kindness is an infinite circle: it connects us all into one big "related" community.

This book is simple yet packs a big punch about the ways of showing kindness. Very inclusive and earth conscious, this book will be a great read aloud in the classroom when learning about other cultures and ways to show kindness.