Amy masterfully takes a concept and reimagines how we look at it. We all know what kindness is but do we purposefully look for it everyday. Her lyrical picture book not only describes how the child hears kindness being enacted in her town but the back matters provides additional ways to search for kindness in our world that can often let hate be loud.

This book is so cute and so sweet! It's a perfect and reminder of how much it matters to be kind to everyone all the time. My four year old really enjoyed this one, and I did too!

✍🏻 𝘼𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧: Amy Ludwig VanDerwater
🎨 𝙄𝙡𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧: Teresa Martinez
🔢 𝘼𝙜𝙚 𝙇𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡: 4-8
📖 𝙋𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙨: 32

Thank you Magination Press!! This book is out in 6/13/23 - definitely check it out.

The Sound of Kindness is a wonderful children's book, noticing the sounds of kindness. It also describes kindness walks. I would recommend The Sound of Kindness. I received a free ARC via Net Galley and am voluntarily reviewing.

The sweetest thing ever ever!! Would love to buy a physical copy of it asap!

This is an educational book about kindness and what it looks like, with different situations that define and express it. The illustrations and color palette are astonishing! Super cute and absolutely recommend!!

3.5 to 4/5 from an adult perspective.
5/5 from a child perspective.

The "Sound of Kindness" takes us on a physical walk to hear and observe the ways in which simple actions create community with kind words. This is an excellent book for families and educators to use from preschool through elementary to encourage kids to be more observant and mindful about their own agency with kindness. One of my favorite features about the book is the "Reader's Note" at the end that helps the reader consider how to expand on the book with whomever is listening and provides variations on a kindness walk. It is wonderful.

I am a huge fan of the publisher Magination Press who generally has carefully crafted educational books on their publishing roster.

I was given a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.

This is a beautifully illustrated and nicely written children's book that teaches SEL (Social Emotional Learning), it would be a valuable asset to any child's library. Very sweet and thoughtful.

great book with beautiful illustrations too! about reminders to always be kind to everyone. I love it

In the world of chaos, a "walk of kindness" teaches us simple ways to express kindness to people and the nature around us.
A lovely book that conveys a simple yet important message which a reader's contribution of kindness can make a huge impact to the world.
Truly, wonderful!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

What a great way to show what kindness looks like and sounds like. This will be a great book to read and start a conversation with children on how they can see and share kindness in their community. The illustrations as a touch of whimsy in the best way.

We heard the sound of kindness when we listen to the day. We fill our world with kindness with the words we choose to say.

You and your child will go on a journey with words. With words of kindness. What does words of kindness sound like when you walk thru the city. We always need to be in conversation with our children on how we can be kind to others. The Sound of Kindness is a good start.

A Special thank you to The American Psychological Association and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

This title caught my attention ad a potential resource for summer reading, and boy did it deliver! The illustrations were vibrant and expressive, and showcased a diverse community. The kindness walk showcased many different ways of kindness can be expressed, including lots of words of encouragement. I love that the book included suggestions on how to model and notice kindness for caregivers at the end. This is definitely a title I want on my shelves to share with both children and caregivers.

An extremely sweet and beautiful book all about the small everyday acts and words of kindness that we lots of times go unnoticed. I loved the pops of colour that were eye-catching without being overwhelming and too bright, just perfectly fitting the "quiet" vibe of the story. I also really appreciated the reader's note talking about the kinds of kindness walks we can take. A definite addition to the collection!

What a great reminder how easy it is to do an act of kindness with the words we say. The story follows a father and child walking through the neighborhood and listening to the words of kindness in the neighborhood. I loved the pastel illustrations and appreciated the author’s note on how to practice this in our own community and our everyday lives.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A visually stunning book about kindness. The story follows a parent and child on a walk around their gorgeous, colourful town. On this walk, they pass many senarios where they hear little examples of kindness whether that be sharing, motivating a friend, or something as simple as an "I believe you".

I love how few words there are as it really makes the message that kindness doesn't always have to be a big gesture, something as simple as a couple nice words can make a huge difference, stand out.

I think that this easy to read, diverse, gorgeous book, should be a staple in every classroom, daycare, and library! I think it would be a great idea to have some pages hung up as posters around classrooms/libraries as well!

Thank you so much to Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, NetGalley, and the publisher for the eARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a digital advanced copy of this book! This is a sweet children's book about seeing kindness around you. A little girl and her father walk around town and observe kindness by listening for it. They see kindness in people helping one another, encouraging one another, and more. The illustrations were great and the message was wonderful. I really enjoyed this book!

This pretty book takes readers on a journey through many examples of how others can demonstrate kindness.

The Sound of Kindness
Stars 2.5

I love the idea of The Sound of Kindness and the fact a parent or sibling could plan a kindness walk to explore their environment. However, I feel the message gets lost in the execution. This is why I found this book less enjoyable and difficult to read.

-The text font sizing varies within the same speech bubble. Thus, making it difficult to read.

-The speech bubbles are colorful too, which makes them difficult to locate.

-The illustrations are busy; too many colors, people, and buildings. By making everything "extra," nothing stands out.

Overall, I love this story, and found the illustrations gorgeous at first. I found with each turn of the page the artwork became more complex, and distracted me from the actual story. My daughter is dyslexic, and she found the font very challenging to read. So, I would have ranked this book several stars higher if the text was more legible.

Thank you, NetGalley and American Psychology Association, for an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I think this book is perfect for early elementary classroom when talking about kindness. I think it could be great as an opening to start the conversation or even have the kids tally things they hear when walking around their school of kind words. Very cute!

A parent and his beloved child go on a walk together to discover the sounds of kindness in their neighbourhood.

They encounter scenarios where people are using words of friendship, gratitude, support, generosity, and love. When you listen for positive, affirming, encouraging words you can always find them if you are seeking them out.

Kindness is everywhere every day if you determine to find it. This heartwarming inspiring book highlights the importance of being an ambassador of kindness as you go through your life. Not only will you bless others but you yourself will be blessed. Kindness in our world matters in our families, friendships, and communities.

I love the illustrations and the beautiful positive message. At the end of the book the author suggests different types of kindness walks. I highly recommend "The Sound of Kindness."

This is a fantastic resource for talking about kindness. The book follows two characters as they walk down the street listening for kindness. This would be a great book to use when teaching children about kindness as it has some great examples. I wish that they had included some unkind words alongside the kind ones so that children could pick them out. It’s still a fantastic read and would be an excellent provocation for a kindness walk of your own. The book also promotes a positive outlook as all the words are kind. This teaches children to focus on the good. Illustration is bright and colourful. Highly recommend this book!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.