Every morning when I drop my almost 4 year old daughter off at preschool I tell her, “Listen to your teachers, be kind to your friends, and have a great day!”. I’ve always felt that it’s never too early to talk with our children about what kindness is, and how we can show kindness to others.
I recently had the opportunity to review a new children’s book called “The Cool Bean”. The book is about a group of school friends who are (you guessed it!) beans! Each bean in the group of friends is different, just like you and me. The story begins with a group of bean friends hanging out together. Over time, the main character bean no longer fits in with his friends who are now “cool beans”. Main character bean becomes sad and loses confidence in himself. Then, when he’s having a super tough day, the “cool beans” show acts of kindness towards him. Their kindness helps him to feel more accepted, and regain confidence. The “cool beans” show that being cool also means being kind. The book provides a great platform for engaging children in conversations about kindness, empathy, what it really means to be “cool”.
Macaroni Kid Kansas City Kansas - Leavenworth had the privilege of hosting “The Cool Bean Storytime”, a kindness themed storytime, at a local children’s resale store. We welcomed a sweet group of children and their caregivers, and I read The Cool Bean aloud to the group. Afterwards, I talked with the kids and asked them to share about a time they made a difference by doing something kind for another. We followed storytime up with some fun “cool bean” sensory play, and a craft where each child made a “cool bean” self portrait, so we could see how even though we are all different, we can play with and be kind to each other. It was a really great storytime, and I had a great discussion with many of the parents about how a book like this is definitely something they need to keep in their home library.
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The Cool Bean is actually the third picture book from the #1 New York Times bestselling creators of The Bad Seed and The Good Egg, Jory John and Pete Oswald. Each book teaches young readers important lessons to live by. The Bad Seed reminds us that positive change is possible for all of us. The Good Egg reminds us of the importance of self-care and accepting those who we love, even if they may be a little rotten. The Cool Bean is available now at a bookstore near you, or you can purchase online here.
If you’d like to host a The Cool Bean storytime of your own, the book publisher has some great printable storytime activities you can find here!
This is a sponsored review, however the views expressed here are my own.
