Stories for Growing
Cover of Be KindAges 3 to 8
Empathy

Be Kind

Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Jen Hill

Ages 3 to 8
About this age guidance

Kirkus: 3–8; Publishers Weekly: 3–6

The age tag follows Kirkus: Be Kind. Other sources may suggest different ages. This is audience guidance, not an independent reading level.

Selected for a preschool kindness reading list.

An unsuccessful attempt to comfort a classmate leads a child to think more carefully about kindness.

Good forBeing unkindNoticing other people’s feelings

Recommended by Happily Ever Elephants

Find at Bookshop.org Find on Amazon

Choose your preferred shop and check the edition there. These are standard links; no affiliate commission is earned in this preview.

What children see in the story

Primary interpretation: empathy. Moments 1 and 2 support noticing distress and revising an attempted response. The imagined actions should not all be described as completed deeds.

Why it’s on these shelves

Empathy
Tanisha spills grape juice on her dress and classmates laugh. The narrator notices how embarrassed she is, tries to comfort her, and when that doesn’t work thinks harder about what kindness takes.

Why pick it up?

The ending is open: it imagines kindness spreading rather than proving every social problem has been solved.

A note for parents

Kirkus questions the limited voice given to Tanisha, while Publishers Weekly praises the child’s independent reflection. Preserve that difference rather than claiming unanimous approval.

Where this recommendation comes from

Happily Ever Elephants

Selected for a preschool kindness reading list.

Read Lauren Bercuson’s recommendation
Sources and review status

We have checked source descriptions and drafted the value mapping. We have not personally reviewed the full book. The value labels, situation assignments, and parent notes remain provisional.

Publisher or literacy resource · Original recommendation

Our explanation of the value fit is separate from the original reviewer’s judgment. Their inclusion here does not imply an endorsement of Stories for Growing.

Another good example

Browse more values