Each Kindness

When Ms. Albert teaches a lesson on kindness, Chloe realizes that she and her friends have been wrong in making fun of new student Maya’s shabby clothes and refusing to play with her.

This book has been included in WOW’s Kids Taking Action Booklist. For our current list, visit our Boolist page under Resources in the green navigation bar.

Featured in WOW Review Volume XIII, Issue 4.

Doctor Bird: Three Lookin’ Up Tales from Jamaica

Doctor Bird is one smart hummingbird! When he sees Mongoose stealing food, he drops a weather goofball on her house and really teaches that thief a lesson. When Mouse’s home is destroyed by a storm, Doctor Bird teaches him to keep his head up. And when Owl plans to crash a party dressed like Doctor Bird, Doctor Bird teaches him to be himself–and be proud of it. Presented in the rich storytelling tradition and lush colors of the West Indies, these three tales remind readers that it’s always best to look up when problems land at your feet. Jamaicans believe Doctor Bird has magical powers, and if you don’t believe them, just ask Mongoose, Mouse and Owl!

Mama Says: A Book of Love for Mothers and Sons

Gentle, but powerful life lessons spoken to a child, delivered with a mother’s immutable love. Teaches the universal importance of kindness, sharing, diligence, and faith, along with the importance of courage and a willingness to always try your best.

Beneath My Mother’s Feet

“Our lives will always be in the hands of our mothers, whether we like it or not.” Nazia doesn’t mind when her friends tease and call her a good beti, a dutiful daughter. Growing up in a working-class family in Karachi, Pakistan, Nazia knows that obedience is the least she can give to her mother, who has spent years saving and preparing for her dowry. But every daughter must grow up, and for fourteen-year-old Nazia that day arrives suddenly when her father gets into an accident at work, and her family finds themselves without money for rent or food. Being the beti that she is, Nazia drops out of school to help her mother clean houses, all the while wondering when she managed to lose control of her life that had been full of friends and school. Working as a maid is a shameful obligation that could be detrimental to her future — after all, no one wants a housekeeper for a daughter-in-law. As Nazia finds herself growing up much too quickly, the lessons of hardship that seem unbearable turn out to be a lot more liberating than she ever imagined.