David Ezra Stein

"Amelia’s smile, brought on by a rain shower and seen by a neighborhood grandmother, catalyzes a cheery chain of happy consequences.

The ripple of resultant good acts (the grandmother makes her grandson cookies, he teaches his class a song about cookies, one of his students then decides to become a teacher...) travels from New York to Mexico, England, Israel, Paris, Italy and finally back to New York. This streaming story, with its lively artwork and satisfying page turns, allows even young show more readers to see the interconnectedness of people, the effects of open-hearted deeds and the contagion of happiness. Indefatigable linework (in pencil, water soluble crayon and watercolor) encourages readers to explore every corner of the page, from every angle. Energy zigzags across the illustrations, showing each teeming locale, rendered jaggedly and joyfully. Such dizzying inclusion makes sense in a book about how we’re inextricably bound together in this kooky world, but readers might feel adrift in these busy, sometimes murky pictures. There’s little variation in color saturation and therefore no visual relief or fixed point of focus. Stein manages to expand and reduce the world at once, jumping across wide oceans, countries and continents while connecting the teeny-tiny lives of individuals. When the chain of smiles comes full circle, returning to Amelia and making her grin, readers smile too.

A playfully profound picture book that does its part in passing on good feelings. (Picture book. 4-8)" www.kirkusreviews.com show less

I happened to pull this book off the shelves by chance while attempting to grab another book. What drew me in was the title embossed on the cover, "The Nice Book", and the accompanying image- very simple yet very alluring. As it turns out, I found myself liking it for many reasons, notably its use of language, its illustrations, and it’s writing.

The language of the book highlights a simplicity within the text that is truly beautiful. The simple sentences and phrases help assist in the show more main idea of the book that being nice is not a difficult task and is as easy as sharing a few beautiful words. In addition, it is very clear and creates a rhythmic pattern page by page. I enjoyed the pages with the simple statements such as “giggle” and “cuddle” because they are friendly for all ages and the illustrations help add dimension.

The illustrations themselves are truly unique, as they are embellished finger paintings. I loved this feature because it really allowed the image pop from the page, giving a special flair to each page. I especially loved the image of the two birds who “get in a snit” because although each bird is composed of the same finger paint and arrangement, the expressions given by the two are very different and can easily tell two completely different stories.

The writing by Stein presents and engaging and well-developed style. He creates a variety of friendly animals that help depict how to treat one another while revealing rhyming advice, such as: "LOOK...but don't stare. If you have more than you need, SHARE." I liked this feature because the style pairs nicely with the language of the book: simple and rhythmic.
For when you need a friendly reminder to be kind, The Nice Book has your back, for it is a very “nice” book indeed. show less

A bear experiences his first autumn and winter in this lovely picture-book examination of the changing of the seasons from author/illustrator David Ezra Stein. Concerned when the leaves begin to fall, our ursine hero at first attempts to replace them on the trees, but when he eventually gets sleepy he uses them to line a cave in which to hibernate. When he awakens again in the spring, he discovers new leaves budding, and joyfully welcomes them to the world...

Pairing a simple text of no more show more than a few words per page with bright, autumnal illustrations, Leaves offers a sometimes humorous, sometimes sweet look at a young bear's first experience with the changing seasons. Young children will no doubt be able to identify with the bear's confusion and concern, when faced with this change, and will find his joyful realization that the leaves will grow again in spring quite reassuring. As an autumn lover I preferred the scenes set in that season, from a visual perspective, although the artwork was appealing throughout. Recommended to picture-book readers looking for seasonal titles for younger children, perhaps ages two through five? show less

Because Amelia smiles as she skips down the street, her neighbor Mrs. Higgins smiles too, and decides to send a care package of cookies to her grandson Lionel in Mexico. The cookies give Lionel an idea, and his idea inspires a student, who in turn inspires a ballet troupe in England! And so the good feelings that started with Amelia’s smile make their way around the world, from a goodwill recital in Israel, to an impromptu rumba concert in Paris, to a long-awaited marriage proposal in show more Italy, to a knitted scarf for a beloved niece back in New York. Putting a unique spin on "what goes around comes around," David Ezra Stein’s charmingly illustrated story reminds us that adding even a small dose of kindness into the world is sure to spur more and more kindness, which could eventually make its way back to you! show less