12 Days of Kindness

ISBN: 9780525514169

G.P. Putnam's Sons
Penguin Random House
with Illustrations by
Junghwa Park

Available as an audiobook (with spoken narration and song!)

Booklist
Looking for an original sing-along with a familiar tune? "The Twelve Days of Christmas" turns into a dozen kindnesses that kids can practice every day. And what might those be? Hugs for sure. Smiles, gifts, salutations, sharing, encouraging words, and helping hands are all included. The rhyming text reinforces the lyrical pace, and children will quickly pick up the words as they add on each kindness and repeat the others, ending with the refrain "a hug that's warm and true." Each left-hand page introduces a new kindness, while the opposite page shows a line drawing of the others, the words, and a colorful cameo of the new one. By the twelfth one ("good-night kisses"), children should be able to sing and remember the whole song for some fun reprises. The imaginative details, illustrated warmly in watercolor, colored pencil, oil, and gouache, show children making valentines, taking out trash, finding treasures in nature, thanking community helpers, and enjoying family time. Use this for Thanksgiving or any time when kindness is a theme to elicit warm responses.

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