Choose Kindness

Ruth Ohi's characteristic warm and gentle storytelling, paired with her sweet, comforting art, is the perfect vehicle for conveying the message that is the title of the book. One of many books in the pandemic that encourages readers to embrace mutual care and support, Choose Kindness features adorable anthropomorphised woodland animals as they journey through the forest on their way to school.

Choose Kindness opens with a young Bunny who is "feeling small, not wanting to leave bed at all", although we don't know why and never find out why Bunny feels the way he does. Bunny’s dad rouses him from bed, and Bunny bravely, "barely" gets out of bed, eats breakfast, and gets dressed. Bunny's dad gives him a hearty hug and an "I love you" send-off to school, and Bunny leaves with a smile on his face, ready to take on the day.

Ohi's text doesn't consistently incorporate rhyme, but, whenever she introduces a new character, she uses a couplet that describes the character’s state of mind. Bunny first meet Beetle who tugs at its parent's antennae as the harried parent juggles a baby in its arms. Beetle is "basically bored", and he "wiggles..woggles," and "feels ignored." Bunny cheers up Beetle by diverting him with a game to fly to the moon, and the two zip off down the path toward school, leaving a relieved beetle parent behind.

The same formula of meeting new pals on the way to school repeats itself with Marten, who is "feeling left out / shy and nervous, full of doubt", Wren, "who loves ballet" and erroneously dressed up in sleepwear because she "thought it was Pyjama Day", and Lemming, "who forgot her lunch" and "has nothing to snack on, chew or crunch". Beetle think Marten's hiding place is great, drawing him out to join them on their walk to school. Wren's humiliated feathers are soothed when Marten comforts her, declaring her outfit is a "great idea", negating the sidelong glances and snide snickers of two other animals near them. Wren goes on to share her kale with hungry Lemming. Each animal receives kindness and, in turn, passes on kindness to the next person they meet in a natural, nondidactic way.

The last friend the group meets is Bear who is "lost in thought" and "can't remember what he forgot". He's working on his masterpiece in the classroom, and Bunny and their friends arrive and offer to help the absent-minded pal hang it up. The next spread shows Bear's handiwork: a beautiful banner with the message "CHOOSE KINDNESS" against a backdrop of cheerful flowers and a rainbow. It's the exact message that Bunny, Beetle, Marten, Wren, and Lemming have heeded throughout their journey to school. No matter how small their actions were, "each and every" child "made a difference" that day. The ending continues the chain of kindness, extending it to the two little friends who had mocked Wren's pyjama outfit earlier, as Lemming invites them to join in on the impromptu celebration they have in the classroom under the shining banner of kindness.

Ohi's simple narrative pairs well with her whimsical art, reminiscent of Kevin Henkes', creating a safe, reassuring, and welcoming space for children to explore again and again. While the characters do not undergo change or learn to practice kindness consciously, the message still clearly resounds. Finally, the story features no adults dispensing wisdom but has the children engaging in kind acts all on their own. Altogether, Choose Kindness is a very welcome addition to any school or public library or home story-book collection as it would complement other titles that espouse similar themes and encourage discussion on the choices everyone can make to brighten the lives of others.