Kindness Grows

All about friendship, each page juxtaposes the difference between fostering friendship and tearing them down. Anger, harsh words and actions, and not being there for your friends creates a crack that widens and separates friends, while on the other hand, “with every kindness that we care to show, Something good and magical will begin to grow.”Die-cut pages emphasize these differences. On one side a tree (representing friendship) thrives alongside kind and friendly acts and on the other a crack (conveying hurt and damage) widens. Both the tree and crack grow as the book progresses, until the two sides merge when the children around the sprouting tree reach out “to spread the seed of friendship and touch somebody’s heart,” mending the crack and growing stronger together in kindness. This artistic read focusing on kindness hosts beautiful illustrations, elevated further by the addition of die-cut pages to further illustrate the message Teckentrup shares on kindness and friendship. While the text rhymes well, the cadence is slightly off and the text feels a little preachy. A lovely book, but possibly a read more appreciated by parents.