One Smile
The Vision
“It was a smile he remembered very well… a smile that was changing the world.”
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.
Therapeutic Guide
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?
About the Creators
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's desire to show children the powerful blessings that can flow from a simple act of kindness.
Visual Style
Mood: Warm, Nostalgic, Gentle
Reviews & Awards
Editorial Praise
- “Here's a purposive story, but an effective one nonetheless... Adults looking for materials about values will find this a good place for primary-graders to begin discussion. —Booklist”
- “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”
- “While the full-bleed, full-spread pictures of Lisa and the people she meets are colorful and competently done, this is an additional purchase. —School Library Journal”
From Our Verified Readers
- “As an educator I find this book very useful and engaging for my Kindergarten students. It teaches valuable lessons for children and adults.”
- “Very nice book with beautiful water color illustrations, and a story tells the giving-forward impact one smile can make!”
- “It's a GREAT message, so I'll keep the book in rotation for my daughter's library.”
- “I have read this to every class I have ever taught!! It is a story of 'paying it forward'.”
- “A warm smile when you're feeling down works wonders. A little girl's friendly smile starts the pay-it-forward story of how a tiny act of kindness can work wonders throughout a community.”
- “This lovely book not only inspired us to do something nice for someone who might need a lift (we drew pictures and wrote notes and sent them to elderly relatives); it made all three of us cry 'happy' tears.”
- “One Smile can take you on many adventures from the first smile to the last. A little girl smiles at a sad man and starts a happy day for many people.”
The Vision
“It was a smile he remembered very well… a smile that was changing the world.”
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.
Therapeutic Guide
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?
About the Creators
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's desire to show children the powerful blessings that can flow from a simple act of kindness.
Visual Style
Mood: Warm, Nostalgic, Gentle
Reviews & Awards
Editorial Praise
- “Here's a purposive story, but an effective one nonetheless... Adults looking for materials about values will find this a good place for primary-graders to begin discussion. —Booklist”
- “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”
- “While the full-bleed, full-spread pictures of Lisa and the people she meets are colorful and competently done, this is an additional purchase. —School Library Journal”
From Our Verified Readers
- “As an educator I find this book very useful and engaging for my Kindergarten students. It teaches valuable lessons for children and adults.”
- “Very nice book with beautiful water color illustrations, and a story tells the giving-forward impact one smile can make!”
- “It's a GREAT message, so I'll keep the book in rotation for my daughter's library.”
- “I have read this to every class I have ever taught!! It is a story of 'paying it forward'.”
- “A warm smile when you're feeling down works wonders. A little girl's friendly smile starts the pay-it-forward story of how a tiny act of kindness can work wonders throughout a community.”
- “This lovely book not only inspired us to do something nice for someone who might need a lift (we drew pictures and wrote notes and sent them to elderly relatives); it made all three of us cry 'happy' tears.”
- “One Smile can take you on many adventures from the first smile to the last. A little girl smiles at a sad man and starts a happy day for many people.”