Practicing Kindness by Alicia Smith is a children’s book centered on social-emotional learning and the small choices children make throughout a typical school day. The story follows Ms. Smith and her students through recess, lunch, playtime, art, music, story time, and dismissal. The book shows kindness in action through sharing, patience, listening, apologizing, problem-solving, and thinking about another person’s feelings. For example, Lauren returns a shovel after realizing Makaylah is already using it, and Willie agrees to stand behind James after a disagreement about being the line leader.

I liked how recognizable the situations are for young children. Wanting a certain seat, getting upset during play, teasing a classmate, and having trouble transitioning from one activity to another are all moments children are likely to understand. The characters don’t simply hear adults tell them to “be kind.” They get chances to make better choices themselves. When James realizes that teasing Lauren about her Lego dollhouse has hurt her feelings, he apologizes and encourages her instead. Later, the children compliment each other’s art projects, showing how kindness can be expressed through simple words as well as actions.

The illustrations add a cheerful, energetic feel to the picture book and make the classroom routines easy to follow. The children are shown running outdoors, building in the sandbox, working with blocks, painting, dancing, listening to a story, and lining up at the end of the day. Their facial expressions often help communicate what’s happening emotionally, especially during disagreements or moments of excitement. The sandbox illustration, for instance, shows Makaylah looking unhappy while Lauren has the shovel, then shows the two girls smiling together after they solve the problem. Other spreads use bright classroom settings, colorful toys, art supplies, and movement to keep the pages visually active. The pictures also feature a diverse group of children, which gives the classroom a warm, inclusive feeling.

Practicing Kindness brings its examples together by having Ms. Smith point out that the children have practiced kindness through listening, teamwork, patience, and helpfulness. The book also includes a note for parents explaining social-emotional learning and offering discussion questions about empathy, helping others, strengths, and what kindness looks like. That makes the story useful both as a read-aloud and as a starting point for conversations at home or in a classroom. It’s a practical, encouraging book that gives children concrete examples of how kindness can look during the ordinary parts of their day.

Pages: 54 | ASIN : B0H66Y2B4P