Colorful illustrations and a delightful poem ask children to commit to being a bridge to love with everyone they meet. The book even has a "Bridge Builder Pledge" at the end that teachers or parents can print out and have children sign, as well as a glossary of activities for building bridges and learning how to be a conduit for kindness.

I love the opening of this book-poem: "When you wake up/ to a world of bad news,/ pack up your backpack/ and lace up your shoes. // You've got a job to do/ BE A BRIDGE." The book goes on from there to illustrate all the ways children can brighten the days of others, by being polite, by standing up to bullies, by welcoming new kids and inviting outsiders into your circle, by accepting difference, by listening when others speak, and by offering empathy when someone is in a bad mood. That last one is another of my favorite verses: "When a friend's mood turns story/ over a mistake made in art,/ saying 'That's happened to me before,'/ is a great place to start."

The illustrations show a diverse group of children of different races and religions and abilities (with one child in a wheelchair). Given how direct this book is in its instruction, it is probably best read to preschoolers or kindergarteners, children young enough to still be interested in adult advice about how to be in the world. Though honestly, everyone could benefit from following the advice in this children's story, including the advice that it's ok to be alone and that sometimes all we can do to help a friend is sit with them and hold space for their pain.

Thanks to Netgalley, Lerner Books, and CarolRhoda Books for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest review, which it was a pleasure for me to provide.

What does it mean to be a bridge? The authors explore the idea of connecting people and bringing them together in this delightful children's tale about friendship and differences.

The cast of characters throughout the book is beautifully diverse. There are kids and adults of all races and ethnicities illustrated. There is a young girl wearing a hijab and another child who uses a manual wheelchair. Children will see people of all shapes, sizes, colors, ethnicities, races, and with varying abilities in the world around them. Their naturally curious minds will want to know more about them and this book will show them how to connect to those who are different, embrace and befriend them beyond just accepting them.

This story was both entertaining and educational, which can be a tricky balance to maintain in a children’s book, and I will be suggesting it to teachers whenever possible. Incorporating important topics such as kindness, friendship, diversity and tolerance of differences into children's picture books is a tried and true way to teach an important life skill in a way that is fun. This would be an amazing addition for classroom libraries, counselling offices and more.

I love how the job of being a bridge is presented as a way to respond to "a world of bad news." The illustrations and text complement each other beautifully, and the whole communicates a powerful and much-needed message to children and their adults.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read read this book for free.

"Be a Bridge" is a fantastic book. It shows children to be kind to others, try to understand the differences of their peers, and celebrate each other's uniqueness. I love the diversity that is shown in this book. There are images depicting different races, religion's, and children with disabilities. This book shows that even children can do their part to make the world a better place just by being kind to others. It also shows that sometimes it's impossible to know the right thing to say when a friend is struggling or in pain but that's ok. It helps just to be there for them and be willing to listen to them if they want to talk. I highly recommend this book as it is a great example of how people should be loving and supportive no matter what.

i love EVERYTHING about this book. it is beautiful both wordly and visually. the topic this book brought up is so basic yet important especially for kids. because good manners and habits shall be accustomed from an early age.

A beautiful and inclusive book in verse. I loved the message of being a bridge to help other people feel comfortable in new situations. The illustrations are diverse and inclusive of all races, genders, and abilities.

Be a Bridge by Irene Latham and Charles Waters is a gorgeously illustrated book with a message that all can benefit from. The text is fun and engaging. Even in digital format I can tell that the illustrations will be amazing in a printed format. The cast of characters throughout the book is quite diverse. There are kids and adults of all races and ethnicities. There is a young girl wearing a hijab. There’s a student who uses a manual wheelchair. I can see this book being an excellent addition for a child’s home library or a classroom library. In fact I’ve already suggested that my friend who’s a first grade teacher consider adding it to her classroom library once it’s released. The authors also include a listing of additional books and activity ideas to reinforce the concepts described in the book. There is also a Bridge Builder Pledge that kids can sign. The authors also provide a link for a downloadable version of the pledge which would be perfect for classrooms or similar groups.

This is a gorgeous book! I loved the poetry/rhyme in the text, and the illustrations--I could look at them all day. I'm definitely adding this one to the school library collection. I would use this one for story time read-aloud. A very wholesome book about seeing yourself in community with others.

Be a Bridge is a beautifully illustrated and moving story. I love all the ways it shows children that their actions can help brighten other peoples days. It's important that children know how to include one another and accept each other for who they are. This book had many different illustrations that I can use in my toddler class.

I really enjoyed the use of praying in this book. There are some children who are not going to understand the reasonings behind it. I think it's important to share different spiritual, cultural, and beliefs within children books. The more you expand advanced topics in children books, the better children can understand how to respect them.

The very first page "Love is the bridge between you and everything" immediately drew me in!

This was such a wonderful book that I think everyone shod read! My main goal as a parent is to raise a child that is kind. This book does a great job showing all the little ways you can be kind to someone, and how everyone can do something. This book was simple and easy to understand, but very cute and important. My three year old really liked and we read it twice in a row! This is definitely a book is like to own. I also really appreciated the extra actives, and pledge at the end! I will definitely be recommending this book to my fellow mom friends.

Thank you Lerner Publishing Group / Carolrhonda Books for a digital copy of this book! This book is due for publication 8/2/22.

💙 Mommy (@that.bookmom) and Ronan (@thatbookkid) approved ✅

As a parent, it’s becoming increasingly challenging to navigate all of the conversations that need to be had with our kids. The world feels like a whole lot. I so appreciated the simplicity of this book’s message and found it resonated with my children, too. There is a philosophy, or even a mantra, here that clicks for kids. The idea of being the bridge - how straightforward, how metaphorical. This book is a great conversation starter for kids under the age of 6. I especially appreciated the additional recommended reading at the end.

This picture book is about building bridges, bridges of love and community. The book is full of beautiful art of children helping, being there for, and being friends with other children, while the words explain different ways to do those things. At the end of the book, there are also some bridge building activities, as well as some other book recommendations on the same subject (both which were great touches!)

I'd definitely recommend this one to anyone with young children. It would also be a great one for preschool libraries!

*I was given a copy of this title via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

What a great kids book about friendship! This would be the perfect addition to any kindergarten classroom or childhood home, as this is a story all about the importance of community and strength through connection. I loved it!

Absolutely heartwarming and a book I wish I had access to as a child myself.

As soon as I saw a Muslim girl on the cover of this book I knew I had to read it. As a Muslim woman myself I hope my children's future will include books with characters of all backgrounds.

The art is beautiful and I truly appreciated the diversity. The font and text size works great with everything.

Just pure serotonin, highly recommend!

I love this children’s picture book on how to ‘Be a Bridge through acts of kindness!’ As a Healthcare Provider, we had to attend classes on how acts of positivity create rippling affects. I found that the concept greatly improved the attitude in the hospital. I’m grateful that you are publishing a children’s book on this topic as children who learn these lessons will make the world a kinder place.

The opening phrase “Love is the bridge between you and everything,” is a powerful and loving concept that should be taught to every child. I enjoyed the rhyming formatting of the story. The various examples of being kind and encouraging in every situation takes the ‘Golden Rule’ to the next level.

The illustrations are bright, vibrant, cheerful, and fun. Children ages 4 – 9 will greatly benefit from this book. It could be integrated into a social studies module in the classroom thus making the classroom a more peaceful learning environment. The book would also be a nice addition to any household. As another thought, the concepts of this book could be used in a in a picture book for gifting to a friend.

Additionally, I feel that the references, activities, and pledge at the end of the book, will aid in implementing the concepts discussed.

I am grateful for this book as I feel the message will make the world a better place, one reader at a time.

I want to thank Authors Irene Latham and Charles Waters, Illustrator Nabila Adani, Carolrhoda Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this Advanced Reader’s Copy. This is a voluntary review, and all comments and opinions are entirely my own.

This was okay. I appreciated the diversity of the characters. The illustrations were bright and colorful and it has a good message. But it could be easily mistaken for a picture book

This is a beautiful book for children with a great message. This book shares wonderful values through word and illustrations. I love the representation and diversity in the pictures and the lesson all kids should be taught.

I love this book so much that I am preordering a copy ASAP. This book gives wonderful examples of connecting with others using the metaphor of a bridge. Kids will love this book too because of the amazing art and rhyming. The end of the book has a pledge that kids can say and/or sign and resources for how kids can be a bridge. I need a print copy of this in my classroom and at home, too.

Love is a bridge between you and everything. - Rumi

That opening quote struck me; it is true that love connects us with those around us, either people or things that we care about.

This book is so heartwarming, especially to me because of my medical issues. I tend to be in a corner where no one notices me but in this book it shows how people should approach others with respect, kindness and love.

I hope everyone reads this 🥺❤️

The illustrations in this book were phenomenal! The variety of cultures, skin tones, attributes and abilities created such a vast array of characters in the story. The writing in the book was great and my young reader and I enjoyed the underlying message of the story. We did wish it was a bit longer though.