A Good Deed Can Grow

by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman, Holly Hatam (Illustrator)

Overview

Discover the ripple effects of doing a good deed in this interactive picture book about the importance of kindness.  

A good deed can grow like a seed. . . . 

Join a loving community as they work to create a better world. Whether planting a garden or visiting a sick friend, picking up litter or playing music at the senior center, kind actions—no matter how big or small—can spread like a ripple, impacting the lives of others for the better.  

Jennifer Chambliss Bertman’s inspiring text and Holly Hatam’s joyful illustrations celebrate how anyone, young or old, can make a difference. It all starts with a good deed.

A Miami Herald Best Children's Picture Book about Kindness
A Canadian Children’s Book Centre Best Book for Kids

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316351133
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	02/07/2023
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	506,088
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jennifer Chambliss Bertman is the author of the New York Times bestselling Book Scavenger series as well as Sisterhood of Sleuths. She holds an MFA in creative writing and has worked in a variety of roles with children and in publishing. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Jennifer now lives in Colorado with her family. She invites you to visit her at jenniferchamblissbertman.com. 

Holly Hatam is the illustrator of the New York Times bestselling Dear Girl, and Dear Boy, as well as Unicorns Are Real!, Made by Maxine, and Jack (Not Jackie). She loves hugging trees, drinking tea, sniffing books, music, animations, and most importantly, unicorns. She invites you to be transported into her magical world by visiting her on Instagram: @hollyhatamillustration. 

Editorial Reviews

04/24/2023

Positivity pulses through the pages of this picture book about the effects of kind and thoughtful actions and the many ways one might spread good in the world. Noting how a kindness gradually emanates from its source, Chambliss Bertman’s simile-laden text likens a good deed to a seed, a ripple on the water, a sunbeam, and a smile: “A good deed/ can grow like a smile.// A smile that calms worries and nerves,/ warms hearts... //or welcomes you home.” Hatam’s bustling mixed-media scenes display an intersectionally diverse community in which a brigade of grinning young people do nice things: visiting a sick friend, reading at the senior center, cleaning up litter, and planting a community garden next to a gigantic gray factory belching waste. While the lines acknowledge that some problems can feel too big to solve, this read offers a sunny emotional reset to inspire do-gooders. Ages 4–8. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for A Good Deed Can Grow:
A Miami Herald Best Children's Picture Book about Kindness
A Canadian Children’s Book Centre Best Book for Kids

"The book shows how performing a single act of kindness has the potential to trigger a chain of further kind actions that can have a significant impact on the world, similar to how a seed can grow into a dandelion and spread or a drop can cause ripples across a lake. The images depict a range of individuals engaging in kind actions such as picking up litter, sharing lemonade, leaving messages with chalk, and visiting a sick friend. These visuals are intended to prompt the audience to be more considerate and compassionate."—The Miami Herald

"Positivity pulses through the pages of this picture book about the effects of kind and thoughtful actions and the many ways one might spread good in the world.... While the lines acknowledge that some problems can feel too big to solve, this read offers a sunny emotional reset to inspire do-gooders."—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher