Baby Be Kind

by Jane Cowen-Fletcher

This gentle board book gives toddlers a brief tale of friendship that models examples of how to be kind.

A brown-haired child with a puppy waves at a redheaded boy in overalls: "Say hi to your friend." The brown-haired child feeds the pup while the redheaded child holds its leash ("Be kind to your pup"), and when the redheaded boy gets tangled in the leash and trips, the other child gets him to his feet ("When someone falls down, help them up"). A humorous scene shows the toddlers and the pup in sunglasses under an orange beach umbrella; the children hold sippy cups and the dog's water dish rests nearby ("Share cool when it's hot").

The author-artist connects scenes of activities that will be familiar to toddlers while also giving them language to describe what's happening between the friends. The finale is sure to inspire readers and toddlers to respond in kind: "Give a great big hug, and you get one, too!" A feel-good board book that's spot-on for its toddler audience.