One Smile

{"hero_section": {"headline": "One Smile Changes Everything.", "subheadline": "Discover the beautiful ripple effect of simple kindness in this heartwarming tale."}, "the_vision": {"quote": "It was a smile he remembered very well\u2026 a smile that was changing the world.", "context": "This story beautifully illustrates how small, unnoticed acts of compassion can create powerful, positive chain reactions. It encourages children to see their own potential to influence others positively every day.", "conversation_starters": ["Who did Katie smile at first, and how did that smile change his day?", "Can you remember a time when a small act of kindness from someone made you feel better?", "How did the waitress's good fortune from the tire change lead to a wonderful surprise for her children?"]}, "therapeutic_guide": {"title": "For Cultivating Empathy and Connection", "core_utility": "Reinforces the concept of interconnectedness and the direct impact of prosocial behavior on community well-being.", "conversation_starters": ["If you were the sad man on the bench, what would you have needed most?", "How did sharing the stickers help both the boy and the girl in the doctor's office?", "What is one thing you can do today to start a chain of kindness?"]}, "visual_style_guide": {"mood_board": "Warm, Nostalgic, Gentle", "color_palette": ["#FFD700", "#4682B4", "#F08080"], "art_direction": "Illustrations should use soft watercolor textures and warm lighting, focusing closely on facial expressions to capture the emotional shifts of the characters."}, "social_share": {"instagram": "From a simple smile in the park to a life-changing job offer\u2014this book proves that kindness is the most powerful force in the world. Share the joy! \u2600\ufe0f #OneSmile", "hashtags": ["#RippleEffect", "#ChildrensBooks", "#KindnessMatters", "#EmpathyBuilding"]}, "reviews_and_awards": {"reader_praise": ["(77) 4.2 on Goodreads 92 ratings Even the smallest acts of kindness can powerfully impact the lives of others. This truth is beautifully demonstrated as we follow the far-reaching effects of young Katie's innocent smile. With this simple gesture, she ignites a circle of warmth that flows from person to person, touching the hearts and lives of people she may never even meet. Cindy McKinley's enchanting story, brought to life by Mary Gregg Byrne's exquisite watercolor illustrations, will warm your heart with its timeless message. Children and adults alike will be inspired to pass One Smile on to everyone they meet. Editorial Reviews From School Library Journal PreSchool-Grade 2-On the way to the bus, a little girl smiles brightly at a young man sitting on a park bench. He has recently lost his job and is feeling discouraged, but Katie's smile inspires him to start looking for a new one. The young man in turn helps a woman change her flat tire; the woman, feeling grateful, leaves a large tip for a waitress; the waitress uses the tip to buy food for a picnic for her children, and they invite another family to share with them; etc., etc., etc. In the end, Katie and the man are reunited when he has a new position as a mechanic and repairs her mother's car. This enables the child to attend her grandfather's birthday party. The purpose of the story is to show how even the smallest act of kindness can powerfully impact the lives of others, but the events seem manipulated. Also, the waitress's tip enables her to buy sodas, potato salad, fried chicken, and a soccer ball, which seems highly unlikely. While the full-bleed, full-spread pictures of Lisa and the people she meets are colorful and competently done, this is an additional purchase. Elaine Lesh Morgan, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Booklist K-Gr. 2. Here's a purposive story, but an effective one nonetheless. A little girl who is walking through the park with her mother gives a discouraged young man a smile and starts a chain of events that brings good feelings and goodwill to a whole world beyond her ken. The young man helps a woman change a tire. Later, feeling grateful, the woman leaves a waitress an extra-large tip; the waitress uses the money to buy treats for her children, which they share with a lonely girl. And so it goes, people of different races and ages being kind to one another until the benevolence comes full circle, and the young man who originally received the smile gets a job at a garage and is able to fix the vehicle belonging to the girl and her family. The watercolor illustrations are expansive and expressive, though sometimes the characters themselves are stiff. Adults looking for materials about values will find this a good place for primary-graders to begin discussion. Ilene Cooper Copyright \u00a9 American Library Association. All rights reserved Review I highly recommend this book. It is very well written and the illustrations are vivid and beautiful. -- Huntress Reviews You don t need much to change the entire world for the better. -- The Pay It Forward Foundation About the Author Cindy McKinley has always loved working with and helping children. An elementary school teacher, she has a Masters Degree in Reading from Eastern Michigan University. The inspiration for One Smile came from Cindy'\u0092s desire to show children the powerful blessings that can flow from a simple act of kindness. \"We often have no idea,\" she says, \"how our generous actions affect those around us.\" Cindy lives in Milford, Michigan with her husband Shawn, their children Jordan and Justin, and Mittens the family cat. An avid reader, she also enjoys photography, tennis, and volunteering as a tutor. Mary Gregg Byrne Mary Gregg Byrne's love affair with art began when she was a little girl. Although she is well-versed in a variety of crafts and fine arts, water color is her primary media. \"I love the beauty of water color,\" she says. \"It is alive. It creates with the artist.\" Inspired by the beauty of the human face, Mary especially enjoys painting people. \"I hope that my paintings can offer a moment of transcendence, a place of light and beauty,\" she says. Mary lives in Bellingham, Washington, where she enjoys watching the children play as her garden grows. Read less Product details Publisher \u200f : \u200e Illumination Arts Publishing Company Publication date \u200f : \u200e September 1, 2002 Language \u200f : \u200e English Print length \u200f : \u200e 32 pages ISBN-10 \u200f : \u200e 0935699236 ISBN-13 \u200f : \u200e 978-0935699234 Item Weight \u200f : \u200e 14.7 ounces Reading age \u200f : \u200e 5 - 6 years Dimensions \u200f : \u200e 9 x 0.5 x 11.25 inches Best Sellers Rank: #1,307,634 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #1,919 in Children's Short Story Collections Customer Reviews: 4.7", "\"Pay it forward\" There is a movement in the land that emphasizes \"random acts of kindness\". Much like the proverbial pebble thrown into still water, creating a series of ripples, any thoughtful gesture can have an effect on those around us. This is exactly what happens in One Smile, as a joyful little girl smiles at a discouraged young man sitting on a park bench. Little does the child know that her beatific smile will inspire the young man to start looking for a job. And so the story goes, the young man stopping to help a stranded motorist, the motorist leaving an extra tip for the waitress, the waitress taking her children on a picnic with the extra money, and so on. Everything comes full circle as the girl is able to attend her grandfather's birthday party. Her mother's car is ready for the birthday trip thanks to the young man at the garage who fixed it. And who might that now-employed young man be? Exactly. Using a simple story to illustrate a profound philosophy, the author plants a thought in the minds of young readers who can readily visualize the effect of this little girl's smile as she walks through the park with her mother. The author: \"We often have no idea how our generous actions affect those around us.\" The illustrations are rich, color-saturated images of everyday events, memorable because of the upbeat nature of the story. The illustrator: \"I hope my paintings can offer a moment of transcendence, a place of light and beauty.\" Children are naturally enthusiastic and One Smile affords parents an opportunity to reinforce this positive behavior. Concept and artwork are a winning combination in this uplifting children's book. The writing carries a clear message; combined with the brilliant watercolors, One Smile is an inspirational reading experience for youngsters. Coordinated with The Pay It Forward Foundation, the book includes a page of thoughtful questions for children to consider, relating positive actions to consequences, remembering each day to \"pay it forward\". Luan Gaines/2005. Love2Teach", "Highly recommended! One simple little smile, sometimes given without any thought at all, can start a ripple of happiness that will go on forever. This is the unmistakable truth that is so clearly authenticated in One Smile. This story is about little Katie who was happily skipping along in the park one sunny morning with her mother. They were hurrying to catch a bus because their van was in the shop for repairs. As Katie and her mother briskly walked past a park bench, Katie spied a young man sitting there who looked very sad. Katie had no way of knowing it, but the young man had just lost his job. Quick as a wink, she flashed him a brilliant smile. That beautiful smile, so freely given by this happy little child, seemed to light up his heart. Other people had passed him that morning without even noticing him; therefore, Katie's innocent smile, which was so unexpected, became his inspiration to start looking for a job. As the author carries us through the story, we see many acts of kindness unfold as others continue what Katie's innocent smile began. The young man stops to help a woman by fixing her flat tire. Later, when this same woman finished her lunch, she left an extra large tip for the waitress. And so it went as Katie's smile moved on and on in many different ways, and eventually even made its way back to help Katie in the story's heart-warming ending. Thus we see that all it really takes to change the world is One Smile. ***** I highly recommend this book. It is very well written and the illustrations are vivid and beautiful. In the back of the book the author has included a page that will help families think about things they can do together to help others. ***** Reviewed by Ruth Wilson."], "editorial_reviews": ["From School Library Journal:\nPreSchool-Grade 2-On the way to the bus, a little girl smiles brightly at a young man sitting on a park bench. He has recently lost his job and is feeling discouraged, but Katie's smile inspires him to start looking for a new one. The young man in turn helps a woman change her flat tire; the woman, feeling grateful, leaves a large tip for a waitress; the waitress uses the tip to buy food for a picnic for her children, and they invite another family to share with them; etc., etc., etc. In the end, Katie and the man are reunited when he has a new position as a mechanic and repairs her mother's car. This enables the child to attend her grandfather's birthday party. The purpose of the story is to show how even the smallest act of kindness can powerfully impa"]}, "author_bio": "Cindy McKinley has always loved working with and helping children. An elementary school teacher, she has a Masters Degree in Reading from Eastern Michigan University.\nThe inspiration for One Smile came from Cindy'\u0092s desire to show children the powerful blessings that can flow from a simple act of kindness. \"We often have no idea,\" she says, \"how our generous actions affect those around us.\"\n\nCindy lives in Milford, Michigan with her husband Shawn, their children Jordan and Justin, and Mittens the family cat. An avid reader, she also enjoys photography, tennis, and volunteering as a tutor.\n\nMary Gregg Byrne\n\nMary Gregg Byrne's love affair with art began when she was a little girl. Although she is well-versed in a variety of crafts and fine arts, water color is her primary media. \"I love the beauty of water color,\" she says. \"It is alive. It creates with the artist.\"\n\nInspired by the beauty of the human face, Mary especially enjoys painting people. \"I hope that my paintings can offer a moment of transcendence, a place of light and beauty,\" she says.\n\nMary lives in Bellingham, Washington, where she enjoys watching the children play as her garden grows.\n\nRead less", "product_specs": {}, "general_audience_layer": {"narrative": "Even the smallest acts of kindness can powerfully impact the lives of others. This truth is beautifully demonstrated as we follow the far-reaching effects of young Katie's innocent smile. With this simple gesture, she ignites a circle of warmth that flows from person to person, touching the hearts and lives of people she may never even meet. Cindy McKinley's enchanting story, brought to life by Mary Gregg Byrne's exquisite watercolor illustrations, will warm your heart with its timeless message."}}

Even the smallest acts of kindness can powerfully impact the lives of others. This truth is beautifully demonstrated as we follow the far-reaching effects of young Katie's innocent smile. With this simple gesture, she ignites a circle of warmth that flows from person to person, touching the hearts and lives of people she may never even meet. Cindy McKinley's enchanting story, brought to life by Mary Gregg Byrne's exquisite watercolor illustrations, will warm your heart with its timeless message.