Being Kind

This gift book, written by bestselling author Kobi Yamada and illustrated by Charles Santoso, explores how small, deliberate acts of kindness spread outward and brighten other people's days, including the day of the person who offers them. Its premise rests on the idea that ordinary words and gestures can carry real weight, and that everyone can lift others up, help them feel noticed and listened to, or coax a smile out of them.

The pictures follow a gentle sloth who reaches out a helping paw to a group of animal friends. Between the scenes, the book invites readers to slow down, pay attention to the chances they have to add compassion to the world, and begin that work with themselves.

The short lessons throughout are meant for readers of every age. They remind people that they matter, that their presence counts wherever they are, and that no one can be everything to everyone, though each person can be something meaningful to someone else. Another lesson encourages readers to speak to themselves with the same care they would show someone they love.