Because Amelia Smiled - Print

Because Amelia Smiled

By David Ezra Stein

A heartwarming, beautifully illustrated picture book that shows how one simple smile can ripple around the world, sparking kindness and connection.

This book will help you:

• Recognize how even small gestures – like a smile – can inspire joy and goodwill globally.
• Encourage children to understand the power of positive actions and empathy.
• Nurture a sense of connectedness and kindness in young readers.
• Foster discussions about the ripple effect of kindness in families and classrooms.
• Engage young readers with vivid, playful illustrations that reward close observation.
• Support emotional growth through accessible storytelling suitable for ages 3–7.
• Provide a joyful read-aloud experience that brings warmth and smiles to all.

Features

• A global kindness chain sparked by one girl’s smile.
• Whimsical, energetic illustrations using crayon, watercolor, and pencil.
• Rich, detailed visual storytelling with vibrant color and movement.
• A message rooted in “what goes around comes around,” presented in a fresh, uplifting way.

Soft cover 40pp
0.5cm H x 26.4cm L x 24.6cm W (0.2 kgs)
ISBN 9781536235777
Candlewick Press (2024)

[Allow 4-6 weeks]

Description

When Amelia skips down the street, her radiant smile unknowingly sets off a chain reaction of kindness that travels around the world – and ultimately returns to where it started.

This enchanting picture book highlights how even the smallest gesture can spark joy and connection in places we never imagined.

David Ezra Stein’s storytelling is at once playful and profound. His illustrations, layered in crayon, pencil, and watercolor, burst with life and detail – inviting readers to linger on each page and discover new, delightful surprises. From the bustling streets where Amelia lives to distant lands and varied moments of cultural expression, this is a vivid testament to how joy travels.

With warmth and lightness, the story models a beautiful vision: that kindness – no matter how small – has a ripple effect, touching lives across borders and generations.

Ideal for shared reading with children ages 3-7, this is a joyful, uplifting read that’s perfect for storytime, classrooms, and families who want to nurture empathy and global connectedness.

"A series of kindly acts comes full circle in this heartwarming, yet never saccharine story from Stein … Stein’s spreads are dense with coloured pencil and crayon lines and crammed with visual information … Night and day, light and shadow, groups of old and young people spending time together: it’s a satisfying portrait of the feast of life. Even youngest children will grasp the idea that good deeds and positivity beget more of the same." Publishers Weekly

About the Author

David Ezra Stein is an award-winning author and illustrator, celebrated for Interrupting Chicken, which received a Caldecott Honor, and Leaves, the winner of the Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award. His creative work is known for its warmth, wit, and richly detailed illustrations that resonate with both children and adults.