Note: I received an F&G of this book at an ALA conference. ( )

A young girl is the target of unkind words in this picture-book from author/artist team Trudy Ludwig and Mike Curato, and her resultant hurt and distress is seen by one of her peers, who offers comfort. This one act of kindness sets off a series of other acts, eventually leading to great things. A junkyard is cleaned up and made into a community garden; a group of friends grow, harvest and eat the bounty of this garden; and the young man whose actions sparked the initial distress, makes his sincere apology. In the end, the narrative demonstrates to us that one act can be very powerful indeed...

Having enjoyed other titles from both Ludwig and Curato - Ludwig's The Invisible Boy, Curato's Little Elliot series - I picked up The Power of One: Every Act of Kindness Counts with some anticipation. Although I did not find it as emotionally involving as I had expected to do, given how terribly poignant The Invisible Boy was, I did appreciate the theme of the story, and the inclusion of the author's note at the rear, about building kindness in one's own community. Judged on narrative alone, this would have been a solid three stars - a worthy theme and a good message, but not brilliantly done. That said, the artwork from Curato is so gorgeous, that my reading pleasure was significantly increased. The lovely color palette, the beautifully expressive characters, the way the scenes move from grayish to more colorful, depending upon the emotional register - I really enjoyed these illustrations! Overall, a worthwhile read, one I would recommend to picture-book audiences looking for stories about kindness. It could be paired with Kerascoët's I Walk with Vanessa: A Story about a Simple Act of Kindness, or Pat Zietlow Miller's Be Kind. ( )

This thought-provoking title plants the seeds for taking action in one’s community. With simple sentences and wordless pages, this title conveys the message that every act of kindness counts, or one person can make a difference in the world.
The end of the book contains a larger message to the reader(s) about acts of kindness that are simple and straightforward. Additionally, the author suggests other books and websites explore the idea of kindness. This title would be great for a Girl Scout daisy leader introducing her troop to take action projects. ( )

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