I Walk with Vanessa: A Story About a Simple Act of Kindness

When a young girl sees the new child at school being bullied, she is disturbed, and not sure what to do. Thinking it over at home, she is struck with an idea, and the next morning she shows up at Vanessa's door, determined to give her some company on her walk to school. The other children in her social group join in, and soon their number is swelled by other pupils as well, until almost everyone but the bully is walking with Vanessa...

A wordless picture-book that works beautifully as an exploration of bullying and how to respond to it, I Walk with Vanessa: A Story about a Simple Act of Kindness is the first title I have read from author/illustrator Kerascoët, a pseudonym for husband and wife team Sébastien Cosset and Marie Pommepuy. show more The story itself is sweet, and the artwork appealing. There were scenes that reminded me very strongly of the work of Australian picture-book creator Bob Graham, which is high praise in my book. Recommended to anyone looking for new children's stories addressing the themes of bullying, kindness and inclusion, as well as to anyone who enjoys wordless picture-books. show less

This book is about a theme that I like to focus on in my book list that I'm teaching. The simple acts of kindness that tie people together can change someone's life. It can truly help someone to live the life that they desire to have, accepting themselves and knowing that they are accepted by those around them. When the main character decided to walk with Vanessa, she showed her that she is valuable and cares for her well-being. The color scheme changed from dark to bright tones, reflecting the mood of the characters, and the expressions on their faces help the reader understand their emotions. This is a very real case-scenario, in which many students feel isolated from others and become depressed, not knowing that they can easily "come show more out" with a simple conversation. show less

This story is powerful and demonstrates how it only takes one person to stick up for what is right. Vanessa is the new girl and feels secluded. She even gets bullied. One girl keeps a close eye on her and one day walks with her to school. The rest of the school follows in support of her. I enjoyed the solidarity and bravery that Vanessa's classmates demonstrate by walking her to class. I also appreciated the diversity; Vanessa is one of a few black girls even though there is a variety of all different types of student of color and looks throughout the story. This book is perfect to demonstrate acts of kindness to students and to read to students entering a new environment.

This book follows a young girl who is alone and does not have many friends. At the beginning people avoid her and even bully her, but then everything changes when she wakes up the next day and a classmate walks to school with her. Slowly more and more people walk to school with them and the little girl now feels a lot better and not as lonely. What I like about this book is its simplicity. It is very easy to follow even with out words. This would also be a great book to share at the beginning of the year since it allows students to get a quick lesson on how they should always involve other classmates, as this book sets a great example.

I gave this book 5/5 stars because as a teacher, it could be used in different ways in the classroom as an instructional tool or as an interesting book to share with others. The main reason why I gave “I Walk with Vanessa” such a high score is because of the different components that are shown throughout the book, even though it has no words. Such components allow students to think critically about the story setting, setting a problem, and coming up with a solution. I also think this is an excellent choice of book because of the strong message it creates in regards to bullying and how it is shown in school. In addition, this book can also create different meanings because it has no words, therefore students can easily create their show more own storyline. For example, English Learners might feel identified with Vanessa and feel compassion for her bullying situation. Overall, I loved this book and I plan to use it in my future classroom with my future students. show less

I gave this book a 4 out of 5 stars because despite being wordless, it portrays a powerful message about kindness. Vanessa, an apparent new student, arrives to the school completely unwelcomed and even bullied by one student. Another student at the school notices, and it really bothers her. The next day, she decides to take a leap into kindness which actually ends up causing a chain reaction--kindness is spread throughout the students. The author/illustrator did such a great job with the illustrations that the emotions were powerfully displayed without the need for any words. For example, at the end of her first day, when Vanessa is being bullied, you can clearly see and feel how hurt she is. Again, when the little girl decides to walk show more with Vanessa the next day, you can see and feel the joy Vanessa is feeling. I also liked the fact that the illustrations featured a diverse range of students. There were children of different ethnicities naturally featured throughout the book, the way they should be. The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is because I didn't like the lack of adult involvement. Throughout the entire story, neither Vanessa nor the children that observed her being bullied went to an adult about the situation. I think it's important to point out to children that if they ever are being bullied, they should go to an adult. I wish the book would have somehow incorporated that. show less

A sweet book with a very important and always relevant message. The only reason I didn't give it the full five stars is beause I would have liked to see the bully get some sort of comeuppance. I realize that the overall message was about reaching out to others and showing compassion when they need it most. But it still would have been nice to see him be dealt with, if only to prevent him from bothering anyone else.