When We Are Kind Review

When We Are Kind by Monique Gray Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When We Are Kind encourages children to be kind to themselves, their family, friends, the earth, and animals, along with giving kids ideas on how to be kind. It also discusses the emotions kids feel when they are kind or when someone is kind to them, such as happy and comforted.

The illustrations by New Mexican artist Nicole Neidhardt really pulls the book together. I especially love what I interpreted to be New Mexico landscapes- open blue skies, corn, an adobe house in one scene- and the accurate Native American influences present throughout the book, such as dreamcatchers, pottery, moccasins, and traditional drums. I loved the diversity throughout the book; most scenes revolve around a Native American or First Nation family, but one scene at school features a child using a wheelchair as well as several children of different skin tones. One of the terms used in the book is “elders,” which is an English word, of course, but is also a nod to the respect of ancestry which is so prevalent in indigenous homes.

Another thing I appreciate is When We Are Kind is written in two additional languages- French, which makes sense because Monique Gray Smith is Canadian; but also a bilingual English and Diné, or Navajo, translation. Diné, while one of the most prevalent Native American languages still spoken, is sadly becoming less common. Today, there are fewer than 170,000 speakers of Navajo in the United States, or less than .05% of the American population. Because of that, I am very enthusiastic about a book that celebrates such a special language that is not only vitally important to Navajo culture, but also served our country during wartime.

Overall, I strongly recommend When We Are Kind for any families who want to expose their children to Native American culture, whether Native American themselves, or those who have not exposure to it. This wonderful book celebrates Native culture, kindness, respect for others, which would make a great addition to any young child’s library.

Thanks to NetGalley and Orca Book Publishers for the opportunity to review this book for free in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Monique Gray Smith and Nicole Neidhart for making this important book a reality.

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