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53rd out of 93 books
—
205 voters
Because Amelia Smiled
Just try not to smile! A positively inspiring picture book from the creator of the Caldecott Honor–winning Interrupting Chicken.
Because Amelia smiles as she skips down the street, her neighbor Mrs. Higgins smiles too, and decides to send a care package of cookies to her grandson Lionel in Mexico. The cookies give Lionel an idea, and his idea inspires a student, who in turn...more
Because Amelia smiles as she skips down the street, her neighbor Mrs. Higgins smiles too, and decides to send a care package of cookies to her grandson Lionel in Mexico. The cookies give Lionel an idea, and his idea inspires a student, who in turn...more
Hardcover, 40 pages
Published
September 11th 2012
by Candlewick Press
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A sweet, tender story about how we are all inter-connected through a "butterfly effect" type of storyline. Amelia smile inspires Mrs. Higgins to bake cookies and send them to her son Lionel in Mexico. Lionel happy to receive the cookies, teaches his class a song about cookies, which inspires one of this students to become a teacher ... and the chain reaction of goodwill and inspiration continues across several other countries and eventually back to Amelia in the US.
The illustrations are gorgeous...more
The illustrations are gorgeous...more
For me to read a picture book to my husband, it has to be either very good or very bad. In the case of Because Amelia Smiled, it’s because it is very good. It’s the type of picture book that I also wouldn’t hesitate to read to my students who, at age ten, think they are far too old for picture books. Told in a circular style, where the ending leads back to the beginning, Because Amelia Smiled by David Ezra Stein is delightful fun. As are the inviting illustrations with their dynamic blend of cra...more
This is a sweet, circuitous story that speaks to the wide-ranging effects of an action, akin to the Butterfly effect. It's nice to think that a simple smile can trigger a string of events all around the world.
The illustrations are a bit fuzzy/scratchy for my taste, but overall, they are colorful and complement the story nicely. It's a fun story to read aloud and we really enjoyed reading it together.
I don't know how many times I have mentioned it here, but I have the oddest coincidences in my...more
The illustrations are a bit fuzzy/scratchy for my taste, but overall, they are colorful and complement the story nicely. It's a fun story to read aloud and we really enjoyed reading it together.
I don't know how many times I have mentioned it here, but I have the oddest coincidences in my...more
We love to group books: Books for reluctant readers. Books for new siblings. Books about bullying. As an ESL teacher, I look for another kind of grouping: books that tell their story similarly. For native-speaker students, a teacher looks to reading as a way to practice converting the inky shapes on the page into a sound the student recognizes as a word. My students are often excellent at decoding the sounds of a squiggle (sometimes bogglingly so - how did you manage to guess that -ough correctl...more
Grades K-3
As Amelia and her parents splash through the rain, Amelia smiles in delight. A glimpse of that smile through a window inspires a grandmother to smile herself and to bake a batch of cookies for her grandson who is teaching in Mexico. When Lionel receives the cookies, he shares them with his class and teaches them a song about cookies, which inspires one of his students to be a teacher, too. Sensacia creates a video of herself teaching a group of youngsters to kickbox and posts it onlin...more
As Amelia and her parents splash through the rain, Amelia smiles in delight. A glimpse of that smile through a window inspires a grandmother to smile herself and to bake a batch of cookies for her grandson who is teaching in Mexico. When Lionel receives the cookies, he shares them with his class and teaches them a song about cookies, which inspires one of his students to be a teacher, too. Sensacia creates a video of herself teaching a group of youngsters to kickbox and posts it onlin...more
We're all familiar with the chain reaction picture book, like If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. The idea is that because of one small action, a much greater one occurs at the end. Because Amelia Smiled is a bit of a twist on that trope. The chain reaction actually goes all over the world, and it doesn't get any bigger. It starts and ends with Amelia's smile, so it's circular, which is kind of cute. However, the around the world stuff is really, really random and kind of weird. It starts out with lit...more
A series of good actions is set into motion by the single positive act of Amelia smiling in New York City. This smile is seen by Mrs. Higgins, who smiles too and then thinks of her grandson in Mexico. So she makes him cookies, which he shares with his class along with a song about cookies in English. And because he teaches the class a song, one of the other students, a kickboxer, decides to be a teacher too and she puts some kickboxing tutorials on the internet, which are seen by a dance troupe...more
Feb 28, 2013
Joan
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
storytime readers, parents who want established writers and illustrators
I am not really a fan of Stein's style of illustration. I think it is too hard for kids to follow, and this one at least was too complicatedly colorful. The story, while sweet, was a bit far fetched, to put it mildly. I think Stein had a great idea but I didn't care for the execution of it. I would reach for "I Like Your Buttons!" over this one. That uses a simpler color scheme, is more concrete and real to the kids I think. It is the same type of story: the consequences of a small action and ho...more
First, I want to say that I loved this book. Even for an adult it is so inspiring. The story of how one little girls smile can influence so many people around the world, just makes you want to smile. I believe that this book should win an award alone on the storyline, but I really believe it should win the 2013 Caldecott Medal. The illustrations in this book are beautiful. David Ezra Stein forms his own style of illustration with this book. It was said that he illustrated this picture with crayo...more
This picture book with a positive message prompted me to think about the ripple effects our actions have and how one positive action (or even one negative action) can change the world. Dashing through the rain, Amelia smiles, setting off a domino effect as one person after another happens to take note of something pleasant and respond accordingly. For instance, a neighbor sees that smile and sends fresh-baked cookies to her grandson who is inspired to teach a song to his class. The reminder of h...more
Because Amelia Smiled is a sweet and simple story that shows how our actions can positively affect others. Amelia smiles on the street, and when her neighbor sees her smile, she remembers her grandson who is studying far away. She makes him cookies, and he shares them with his class. This goes on to spark an idea, and people all over the world end up being impacted by different events that all happened because Amelia smiled! This is a great example of paying it forward, and shows how kindness ca...more
You never know the effects of a smile, and even the dedication of this book encourages positivity: "To you: Pass it on!" The little girl Amelia smiles, and the effects spread to cities around the world, touching upon stories with just enough of the ridiculous ("caught on film by a TV crew that was doing a story on stray cats") that will keep it the kid appeal high and the treacly threat low. The illustrations are scruffy, urban, and happy, and my wish for them to be slightly brighter and cleaner...more
There are three reasons I love this book - in the following order:
1) The illustrations are amazing!!! I opened the book onto the main title page, and was completely caught up in the double-page illustration. (Of the title page!!!) There is so much going on. The world is colorful even though it is raining. There is movement in the pictures. Each picture is irresistible.
2) The story travels around the world, and includes people of all ages, colors and nationalities. This adds a level of significan...more
1) The illustrations are amazing!!! I opened the book onto the main title page, and was completely caught up in the double-page illustration. (Of the title page!!!) There is so much going on. The world is colorful even though it is raining. There is movement in the pictures. Each picture is irresistible.
2) The story travels around the world, and includes people of all ages, colors and nationalities. This adds a level of significan...more
What a difference a smile makes! Amelia's smile sets off a chain reaction of good things around the world and in the end an event her smile indirectly inspired brings her a smaile once again. GREAT read aloud! The formula the story follows is similar to the way the Numeroff If You Give a Mouse a Cookie book reads. Illustrations are pencil, crayon and watercolor and depict a variety of people who are ethnically diverse. Each two page spread offers a feast for the eyes with a wide range of details...more
There have been other children's books on the same idea, I can think of for instance The Rain Came Down by David Shannon, or the - in my opinion overrated - If You Give a Mouse a Cookie series. But two things make this one stand out: For one, the illustrations are absolutely delightful. They're kind of unique, very evocative, and some of the scenic ones from different countries made be think of postcards. The use of colors a little bit in the direction of The Hello, Goodbye Window, but more subd...more
In a pay-it-forward plot, Amelia’s smile starts a chain of events: cookies sent to Mexico, a kickboxing video inspiring an English Ballet club in Israel, a Parisien make-over for a band that results in Gregor proposing to Phyllis-the tight-rope walker-in Italy, which inspires the Pigeon Man to let his pigeons fly free over New York. Bringing the story back full-circle, guess what Amelia does when she sees them? Told with detailed, vibrant “Stein-line” illustrations (crayon on waxy labels transfe...more
A bit of "six degrees of separation," mixed with the impact on the other side of the world of a butterfly flapping its wings in an Amazonian jungle, and the joy of a little girl that is contagious. The illustrations in pencil, crayon and watercolor are full of energy, detail, color and motion. This brighter side of life doesn't capture the nuances of an adult view of life, but that's just fine for a children's book.
The illustrations are not my favorite style, but they're well done & I anticipate that kids will love looking at all the details. The story is simple and lovely and will have people of all ages thinking about trying to make someone else's day just a little bit better. I'm tempted to buy this for a couple of adult friends who are having a hard time but stay positive in spite of their frustrations.
An international cause-and-effect story how one girl's smile starts a chain reaction throughout the world. While the story brought to mind the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie series, the illustrations are very different - beautiful paintings done in color pencils, crayons, and water colors. Much different mood than the colored-in ink drawings in the mouse series.
This cyclical cause-and-effect book promotes positivity and paying it forward. The illustrations are soft yet vibrant, the story is heart-warming and easy to read, and children will experience small, happy changes occurring throughout the world, all because of one little girl's smile. One might almost refer to it as "the smile felt 'round the world."
Because Amelia smiles, Mrs. Higgins sends cookies to her grandson. This kindness inspires a smile and a gift, too. Pretty soon Amelia's smile has set off a string of kindness. The colors and movement of Stein's illustrations dance around reader as they're taken around the world to see the glorious effect of one good thing in this inspiring picturebook.
Grades 1-3. When Amelia smiles, the feeling of goodwill passes from one person to the next all over the world. Great starting point for a lesson about how our actions ripple into the lives of others. Pair with another "pay-it forward" themed book. Neat idea here for using in the classroom as a writing prompt-- showing cause and effect.
Playful and inspiring. A great book to spark discussion about how what we do in the world affects others. I can understand why the illustrations resonate with many readers, but they don't quite strike the same chord with me. I enjoyed some of the spreads, but some felt to crowded and jumbled for my eyes and brain.
Normally I love books that send a message of how our behavior affects others; one smile leading to another, or a kind act. This one just took it too such an extreme that I was surprised the story did not end with the entire world joining hands and sing “Kumbaya my lord” all because Amelia smiled.
what goes around comes around, in this case it is a smile that travels around the world. It starts with Amelia and then it goes from one person to another each doing something nice that makes someone smile and do a nice thing. Great for teaching kids to share their joy and be nice to others.
Loved this book!
The art is amazing, playful, and vibrant.
The connections throughout are believable but at the same time keep you guessing.
Dare you not to smile when you read this one!
Haiku Review:
What could your smile do?
Inspire? Delight? Catch on?
Could it change the world?
The art is amazing, playful, and vibrant.
The connections throughout are believable but at the same time keep you guessing.
Dare you not to smile when you read this one!
Haiku Review:
What could your smile do?
Inspire? Delight? Catch on?
Could it change the world?
David Ezra Stein’s book shows children the power of how we are all connected to people we know and don’t know. Everything thing we do has an impact on someone else. And, with the internet and social media, our actions within our global family becomes even more important. With Amelia her unknowing act of kindness spreads like wildfire around the world. Too often we see the negative and it is an inspiring message to share with children and adults. And Stein urges readers of his book to “Pass it on...more
"When he got back to his rooftop and let his pigeons out, he wondered if maybe somehow, wherever Grandma was, she could see them."
This is a lovely book. This idea has been on my mind a lot lately, the ways a person can impact the world, what that looks like.
This is a lovely book. This idea has been on my mind a lot lately, the ways a person can impact the world, what that looks like.
Was ready to be disappointed, but wasn't! While the 'small acts of kindness' message is in the background all the time, the strangeness of the details is what made me stop and take notice page to page. Kotz Gluberman decided he liked dancing after all!
A new take on the butterfly effect, or the spider web effect- particularly because so many of the characters generated change with physical activity, often dance. The global references are particularly appealing, especially since they circle back to Amelia.
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David Ezra Stein is an author-illustrator whose previous books include LEAVES, winner of an Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award. He lives in Kew Gardens, New York.
More about David Ezra Stein...
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Oct 31, 2012 06:41pm