Mini-Book Review: Grow Kind by Jon Lasser PhD and Sage Foster-Lasser

The book Grow Kind by Jon Lasser PhD and Sage Foster-Lasser follows a sweet tale about the ways the main character, Kiko, learns and shows ways to be kind using gardening as a metaphor. The book takes the reader through a diverse community members with different emotional and physical needs. We see Kiko, show inclusion, understanding, and thoughtfulness while giving and sharing of her harvest.

This book has an overall “feel-good” feeling and it’s accentuated by its bright and vibrant illustrations. At the end of the story, there are a number of resources for parents-caregivers and educators with tips ways to foster kindness and empathy.

One of my favorite parts was when Kiko was excited to show her garden with her older sister one early morning. However, her sister was not yet awake and her parents stop her from waking up her sister, reminder her that teens need a lot of rest. The parents are showing Kiko (as well as the reader) that a way to show kindness is by respecting others need for rest. Then Kiko says, “I played fetch with Chico outside and waited for her to wake up.” Come to think of it, this is also a reminder to be patient, something that comes difficult for adults and kids alike.

I would recommend this book to parents-caregivers that want to include social-emotional books to their library. It’s a darling inclusive story about showing compassion and considerate to others.