Hi! Katje here.
Whoa, it’s been a while since I posted! I am so sorry. I got super wrapped up in a bunch of things. In October I was double-booked with a Barefoot table at the 4th Annual Health and Wellbeing for Children, Youth, and Adults with Developmental Disabilities Conference and volunteering at the Vancouver Writers’ Fest, and since the start of November I’ve been super busy with events and getting ready for the Christmas season!
Speaking of, I’ll be at the Fort Langley Merry Little Christmas Shop tonight, 5:30-9pm, at the Fort Langley Community Hall on Glover. Check the Events page for more info, then come on by and talk to me about putting together an Advent Book Calendar for your favourite reader this holiday season.
Hope to see you there!
Today is World Kindness Day, so I wanted to talk about some books that feature kindness and generosity.
The Boy Who Grew Flowers
This story is about a boy with an unusual talent and an unusual family. When he meets a girl in his class who wants to dance but has trouble because of her legs being different lengths, he uses his family’s talents and his own to make her a special pair of shoes so she can go to the dance. One of my favourites!
The Girl With a Brave Heart
When Shiraz loses her ball of red yarn in her neighbour’s yard, she has to complete tasks for the older woman to get it back. But Shiraz knows that what the woman asks for is not what she really wants, and instead of smashing all the dishes, cutting off the woman’s hair, or burning her yard and killing the plants, Shiraz cleans the kitchen, brushes the woman’s hair until it’s lustrous, and weeds and tends the garden. For her kindness, the woman rewards her: her inner beauty is made to shine through permanently.
Mama Panya’s Pancakes
This story is reminiscent of Stone Soup — when Mama Panya and her son, Adika, head to market to get supplies for making pancakes, Adika invites everyone he sees to share with them that night! Mama Panya is worried she will not be able to feed everyone, but when people arrive they each bring something, and there is more than enough food to go around.
The Snow Queen
When a shard of magic glass enters Kay’s heart and turns him cold to his loved ones, making him leave to join the wicked Snow Queen, his best friend Gerda sets out to rescue him. She is aided by the kindness of many strangers, and when she finds Kay again it is through love and kindness that she helps him come back to himself. A beautiful re-telling of this classic story, with gorgeous illustrations.
Happy World Kindness Day! What acts of kindness will you be practising today?
-Katje