Shop the Muse: World Kindness Day Book Picks

by Shelby Smith

November 13th is World Kindness Day, a day that promotes the importance of being kind to each other, to yourself, and to the world around you. Compassion for others is what binds us all together, and it is through kindness that we can overcome the issues that divide us. Kindness is a fundamental part of the human condition which bridges the divides of race, religion, politics, gender, and location.

World Kindness Day was first introduced in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement, a coalition of non-government kindness organizations from around the world. 

Today, we are featuring two books from Shop the Muse that can help you make the world a kinder place!

Be Kind by Naomi Shulman, Illustrated by Hsinping Pan

Ages 5+

In a world where people spend more time engaging through screens than in real-life interaction, showing basic human kindness can feel like a lost art. Be Kind offers children aged 5 and up simple, actionable things they can do in their daily lives that help them cultivate kindness toward others and grow into people with the capacity to make the world a kinder place.

In Be Kind, kids learn that kindness is a quality that can be expressed in ways other than merely being “nice,” including standing up for someone or something, engaging in a community, showing compassion toward other beings, and expressing gratitude. With joyful illustrations and kid-friendly writing, this idea book serves as a delightful, easy-to-read collection of 125 concrete activities kids and their families can pick and choose from and act out in their daily lives, whether it’s being the first person to say good morning, offering compliments, shoveling an elderly neighbor’s driveway, learning to say hello in different languages, or sending a card to someone — no special occasion required. On every page, Be Kind empowers kids to make the world a better, kinder place, one action at a time.

2019 Mom’s Choice Award Gold Winner
2020 NAPPA Award Winner

Available from the Douglas Family Art Centre for $16.95 +HST.

100 Ways to Make the World a Better Place by Karen Ng and Kirsten Liepmann, Illustrated by Mona Karaivanova

Ages 7+

This hands-on book gives children the what, the how and the why to understanding the biggest challenges in the world — one child, and one action, at a time!

This interactive activity book shows children that they can help to make the world a better place. Divided into three sections — people, community and planet — each chapter is devoted to one of 12 specific challenges the world faces, from extreme poverty and universal education, to jobs and diversity, to clean energy and environmental conservation. Based on the “learn, think, act” teaching framework, it provides background information, fun activities and ideas for how to help solve each challenge. The goal is to pique children’s curiosity about the world’s challenges, engage their sense of responsibility, and empower them to do something — a perfect recipe for creating engaged global citizens!

With over 100 puzzles, games, craft activities, experiments and tips, authors and activists Karen Ng and Kirsten Liepmann seek to invite and encourage children to make a difference in their communities and the world. Throughout the book, children are introduced to keywords, concepts and basic information, broken down into manageable pieces and explored from a child’s point of view. Covering science and social studies, this book provides a perfect jumping-off point for conversations about the environment, citizenship, local and global communities, economics, social justice and community involvement. Packed with curriculum-compliant activities, it could easily be tied directly to a classroom unit, with the class doing the activities together or as assignments on their own.

Available from the Douglas Family Art Centre for  $12.99 +HST.

Did you know?

The Sultana Gold Mine was the largest of the mines on the Lake of the Woods, and between 1890 and 1906 produced over $1million dollars in gold.