The Kindness Machine

The wonderful message about kindness is shown through a teacher in a second-grade classroom as he helps his class recognize that they have a superpower: empathy. I love the creative illustrations, and the fact that this was written by a second-grade teacher makes the lesson and characters feel even more authentic. I especially loved the focus on "love yourself" and "be a chef" (in order to try varying amounts of each ingredient and mixing them together).

This would be a fabulous first-day of school read-aloud, perfect for school counselors, librarians, and teachers to have on hand. I highly recommend the Kindness Machine and love the message that the author includes as a preface as well.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who works with children!

Mr. Wilson, a teacher in second grade, can't wait for his class to begin because he has a very important interactive lesson to share with his students. When the kids arrive they encounter a mysterious new machine that their teacher has designed to teach them about kindness and that will convince them that kindness is their new superpower.

This creative, innovative and fun teaching method will direct kids to be kind to one another in their classroom and beyond. He convinces each student that they are indeed "Kindness Machines" personified! How cool is that? They can go forth out of school and be ambassadors of kindness wherever they may go.

The illustrations are colourful and enrich the positive inspiring message. If you have to choose to be something... ALWAYS... be kind! I highly recommend this book.

In a Nutshell: A cute story with a simple yet powerful message.

Story:
Mr. Wilson is a second grade teacher who is known for his imaginative inventions. One day, he walks into his class with something huge draped with a sheet. On uncovering it, the surprise is revealed to be a “kindness machine.” (Not a spoiler; the title should tell you what was underneath the sheet! 😉) Mr. Wilson uses this machine to explain to the children how to implement kindness in their daily routine and make it their superpower.

While the idea of such a big machine to explain some simple ideas sounds grandiose, the impact it will have on little kids is undeniable. Each suggestion is so straightforward and practical that any child (and adult) can incorporate these suggestions easily. What I especially loved was that one of the points spoke about being kind to yourself. That’s something so many of us forget; that we need to take care of ourselves as much as we do for others. The author is a second-grade teacher and it is very clear that she has put her expertise and her experience to good use in this story.

The illustrations are simple and cute, and more importantly, inclusive. They complement the story perfectly without outshining it.

I am not too sure about this but based on the visual cues, I think the font used in the story is a dyslexia-friendly font as it has bold letters at the start of each sentence and is more weighted than usual fonts. If yes, well done!
There are discussion questions at the beginning of the book for three specific reading points: before, during, and after. These are amazing and will definitely add to the impact of the book and its moral. (I was stumped on one of the questions: “what does it mean to be kind?” So easy to ask, so tough to answer!)

Much recommended to all little readers who want to make the world a better place with kindness.

4.5 stars.

My thanks to Purple Butterfly Press, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), and NetGalley for the ARC of “The Kindness Machine”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.