I know first hand the damage that bullying can have on children, It weighs heavy on your psyche, and emotional well-being. I was determined to find a way to teach children important values to fight the root causes of bullying. I found an old "sketch" and it was my "aha" moment. With continued tweaking, my bubbly hippo was born that I named Bentley.
Sporting his red running shoes, Bentley has become a positive role model for children. He represents resilience, friendship, joy, and kindness. We all grew up hugging a teddy bear, but now it's time for the World to Hug a Hippo. The books I've picked below inspire me and will help kids learn the value of kindness.
This is a wonderful story about self-confidence, self-esteem, and being kind to ourselves.
It is easy to want what others have and oftentimes comparing ourselves brings about negative emotions.
This story teaches us to embrace our differences and accept ourselves as we are.
Johanita is a young girl of African descent who does not like her hair. She has short, tight, kinky curls but wants hair like other girls at school because she believes it will make her more beautiful.
When she goes to the mall with her mother one day, Johanita discovers a salon full of wigs. She proceeds to try on different wigs and wears one to school each day to match with her 'twin'. After a new girl starts school, Johanita discovers that beauty comes in many forms and it isn't your hair that makes you beautiful. 'Hair Peace' was…
An entertaining and educational series where our friendly polar bear continues on his adventure teaching children about climate change and how being responsible and caring for our environment and the planet is a form of kindness that we all benefit from.
Driven from his melting Arctic home in search of food, Captain Polo once again takes to the ocean in his trusty boat. Little does he know about a hidden stowaway with a secret agenda...
"Must read. Fantastically enjoyable graphic novel with an eco-conscious theme - educational and thought-provoking for children and adults alike...[ ]..every bit as enjoyable as other contemporary and classic graphic novels." - Reedsy Discovery
Picking up from the previous books in the series, Pole to Pole sees the now well-seasoned globetrotter Captain Polo back on the ocean waves falling into one adventure after another. After nearly getting…
An adorable book for younger children to learn proper values that help to spread kindness to all including themselves. Teaching kids to be nice, caring, and considerate will help them identify ways of being kind to their family, friends, and those around them.
These charming Wee Bees characters help children learn valuable lessons about caring, loving and being kind to one another. Each unique bee will reveal how they use their "good attitude" in their everyday life.
Being kind is not only doing something, but kindness is also knowing when you are not ready or responsible enough to care for something like a pet. Oftentimes we think of ourselves and our wants and overlook our capabilities and responsibilities.
So many children think puppies are so cute, and they desperately want one, not truly understanding the responsibility that comes along with it. This novel is about a little boy who was one of those kids who desperately wanted a puppy, or so he thought. He learns the cost of having a puppy, both financially and physically. Teachers, parents, and students will find an extension activity at the end of this novel that tie Reading, Language Arts, Writing, and Math together with one story. Students are asked to find the total amount this family spent, research specific breeds, and calculate…
When children are raised with proper social skills and values, it reflects in their behaviour towards others. This is a story about
teaching proper manners and behaviors, and children will be able to identify and apply positive actions and kindness.
Henry learns the importance of manners when he wakes up one morning without them. Follow Henry as he goes through his day and watch his manners try to catch him.
Bentley and his friends are en route to the Annual Fair when they hear a fuss at the back of the bus. A crowd has gathered around Toby the elephant, pointing fingers, and making fun of him when the bus finally stops, his glasses are taken from him.
Surprised at this behavior Bentley assures Toby that this will be dealt with. Spending the day at the fair, A cry for help is heard in the distance.
Will Bentley and the others offer their help? Or should they just keep on searching for Toby's glasses?
A sensitive and difficult topic to discuss, children will learn about peer pressure:
different types of bullying
the importance of being kind
that they have a voice and can be heard
how to be a good friend.
I’m an OB/GYN, passionate about adventuring beyond what’s expected. This has led me to pivot multiple times in my career, now focusing on writing. I’ve written a play, The Post-Roe Monologues, to elevate women’s stories. I cherish the curiosity that drives outer and inner exploration, and I love memoirs that skillfully weave the two. The books on this list feature extraordinary women who took risks, left comfort and safety, and battled vulnerability to step into the unknown. These authors moved beyond the stories they’d believed about themselves–or that others told about them. They invite you to think about living fuller and bigger lives.
Tap Dancing on Everest, part coming-of-age memoir, part true-survival adventure story, is about a young medical student, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor raised in N.Y.C., who battles self-doubt to serve as the doctor—and only woman—on a remote Everest climb in Tibet.
The team attempts a new route up the East Face without the use of supplemental oxygen, Sherpa support, or chance for rescue. When three climbers disappear during their summit attempt, Zieman reaches the knife edge of her limits and digs deeply to fight for the climbers’ lives and to find her voice.
Tap Dancing on Everest: A Young Doctor's Unlikely Adventure
The plan was outrageous: A small team of four climbers would attempt a new route on the East Face of Mt. Everest, considered the most remote and dangerous side of the mountain, which had only been successfully climbed once before. Unlike the first large team, Mimi Zieman and her team would climb without using supplemental oxygen or porter support. While the unpredictable weather and high altitude of 29,035 feet make climbing Everest perilous in any condition, attempting a new route, with no idea of what obstacles lay ahead, was especially audacious. Team members were expected to push themselves to their…
