A Good Deed Can Grow, timeless appeal and a thinking, read-aloud book

Currently, I’m in a long-term contract with a middle school, thus it’s been a while since I read a book aloud to elementary school audiences. Those great read-aloud books have a strong purpose when their read to those early elementary ages. The books calm them down, get them to think, learn some of the basic traits that make us all better people and provide talking points for kids that want to share or give examples. A Good Deed Can Grow is that kind of read-aloud book. It’s an illustrated book whose premise is clearly listed in its title, but one whose execution might often miss the point.

There are some signs around my town that drivers see. They say something like ‘What good will you do today’, ‘Do a good turn daily’, ‘Keep on trying’ or something like that. Yeah, if you want to be glib then you’d pass them and say to yourself something mildly clever. But then, you’d think about it as you get a block or two past the sign and realize that the message was 100% positive and it’s something that you should do.

A Good Deed Can Grow is a phrase that could be printed on a yard sign and displayed near those sayings also. It’s an early elementary school premise that those ages need to see and hear about in an illustrated book. It’s also a premise that can be easily ridiculed by those who should’ve learned the book’s lessons long before they’re uttering smart-aleck things about its nature.

The text in the book sometimes rhymes and other times offers contrasting words that drive home the point.  They’re placed in various positions across each page and are paced at an easygoing presentation that allows young audiences to think about things in their world, as they’re enjoying the book.

They’ll see pictures of kids planting seeds and then follow along as that physical plant seed becomes a metaphor for being kind. Children are sharing on the beach, being nice to each other in town, helping out senior citizens, and more. As each page moves along there are floating hearts, which could easily be mistaken for leaves, that go throughout the book.

The illustrations are bright, loaded with movement and the pages have enough detail to where clever kids will be able to point out and talk about various elements. They can look for someone helping another child, instances of conservation, and so forth. They’re charming illustrations that speak to those young elementary school ages, but obviously aren’t the baby ones that they might be used to in their board book.

A Good Deed Can Grow is a great read-aloud book. If you’re reading it when the kids are going to sleep then it’s a great, good night book. It also has that timeless appeal where no character is using a digital device and all of the people are living in a classic, timeless world that we all wish existed a bit more in today’s reality.

A Good Deed Can Grow is by New York Times bestselling creators Jennifer Chambliss Bertman and Holly Hatam and is available on Christy Ottaviano Books, an imprint of Little Brown Books for Young Readers.

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