Because Amelia Smiled

"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 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 show more 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 like how this book explains how one thing can make a huge difference and impact many lives. I think it helps grip young readers attention because they want to know the next situation that Amelia's smile affected. The vocabulary in the book is rich, and the illustrations are dynamic.

Ages- 3-5
Source- Pierce College Library

I haven’t been reading many picture books in recent months, but I’m really glad I read this one.

The pictures are wonderful. They sophisticated and fun, and I think they’re beautiful. I love the colors, the details, and the art style, which is reminiscent of the Impressionists.

The story is maybe a little too simplistic, but it does illustrate a fine point, and I did smile at the end, and I enjoyed the story. It’s definitely one I’d recommend for enjoyment and for lessons about how we’re all interdependent and that everything we do can have a greater influence on others, and ourselves too. (It’s a sort of version of the Butterfly Effect.) I also appreciated how there are scenes from around the world.

For me, it worked on show more every level. I found it very entertaining and emotionally touching.

I wish this book had been out when a friend had her daughter Amelia over 22 years ago. It would have made a great gift. I think Amelia Bedelia were the only Amelia books we could find at the time.

4 ½ stars 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 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 show more spur more and more kindness, which could eventually make its way back to you! show less

This is a book about the chain of effects a small smile can have. In New York, Amelia smiles at a woman which makes the woman think of her grandson in México. She sends him cookies and he shares them with his class and teaches them a song. Because he taught his class a song, a student decided to become a teacher and started making online instructional videos. A girl in England saw the video and performed the moves at a recital in Israel. A boy in the audience then decided he like dancing and danced his little brother to sleep that night. Because the baby slept all night, their neighbor got a good night's sleep and took her band to get their hair done in Paris. The band gave a free show and an old man heard and was reminded of a girl he show more has always loved. He took flowers to her in Italy and asked her to marry him. She was caught on film celebrating and throwing roses by a TV crew. A woman on New York sees her on TV and begins a scarf of roses on the subway for her niece. An old man watches her knot and remembers his grandma. When got home he let the pigeons out wondering if his grandma could see them. Amelia sees the pigeons and smiles. A wonderful book for ages 3-8.
(Pierce College Fort Steilacoom library) show less

This is a wonderful book that can help show children how even our simplest actions can affect the world around us. Amelia smiles, which causes Mrs. Higgins to bake cookies for her grandson, which causes, etc. etc... Each act of kindness triggers another one, as we follow that original smile all over the world, from New York to Mexico to Israel to Italy, and back to New York where Amelia smiles again. The illustrations have a casual crayon/colored pencil look to them, but not without detail. We see rich and vibrant settings, with loving families and diverse cultures. This would be a wonderful book to share with pre-K/early elementary students as a read-aloud. Students could try to guess where the picture takes place, looking for clues show more about differences in art, dress, or weather. It is also a great book for demonstrating simple compassion, and how our actions indeed create a better world. show less

Amelia smiles and it causes a neighbor to smile, which cause a chain of effects that create positivity not just in her community, but throughout the world. This book represent a lot of diversity and also features colorful and bright pictures that will keep children interested in the journey of Amelia's smile.