Cara's Kindness

by Kristi Yamaguchi, John Lee (Illustrator)

Overview

From the New York Times bestelling author Kristi Yamaguchi!

When you pass on some kindness, it might make its way back to you...

Cara the Cat is struggling with picking the perfect song for her new ice-skating routine. But when a friend in need turns up at the rink, Cara drops everything to

lend a helping hand. All she asks is that he pay it forward! Before long, Cara's kindness is passed all around…and might even make its way back home!

Kristi Yamaguchi is an ice-skating Olympic gold medalist and world champion who knows how to lend a helping hand! As founder of the Always Dream Foundation, Kristi helps promote early childhood literacy. Through her newest picture book, Kristi inspires children of all ages to pay it forward!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781492616870
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	10/04/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	25 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Following her figure skating victories at the 1992 Winter Olympics and World Championships, Kristi skated professionally for more than a decade. This past year, Kristi Yamaguchi’s Friends and Family TV special aired on NBC for the fourth straight year and she was a winner of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. Visit www.kristiyamaguchi.com.

John Lee is an animator who has worked on Up and Brave, and is currently a lead artist for Toy Story 4. He lives in Los Angeles.

Editorial Reviews

09/19/2016
Olympic figure skater and picture book author Yamaguchi (Dream Big, Little Pig!) introduces an ice-skating cat named Cara in a story that, unfortunately, hammers readers with its pay-it-forward message. Practicing her skating, Cara notices a glum-looking dog sitting on the sidelines and introduces herself: “Hi, I’m Cara. As in caring about why you look so down.” After Cara gives Darby some skating pointers, the dog shares his lunch with Pax the Polar Bear, who helps Marky the Monkey retrieve his ball from an icy lake, and so on, until the acts of kindness come full circle with Milo, a blind mole, composing and performing the perfect song to accompany Cara’s skating routine. Newcomer Lee’s background as an art director at Pixar is evident as he creates an appealing cast of big-eyed, anthropomorphic animals in gestural scenes with the feel of storyboard stills. Yamaguchi’s goal of encouraging thoughtfulness is a fine one, but the sugar-sweet dialogue and heavy-handed messaging never let the book be anything other than an instructional tool. Ages 4–8. Illustrator’s agent: LeighAnna MacFadden, LAM Creative. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi has mastered triple loops and double salchows, but picture books? In the New York Times best-selling author’s forthcoming children’s book, Cara the cat struggles to find the perfect song for her new figure-skating routine when a furry friend in need turns up at the rink. The mother of two’s tale not only encourages paying it forward, but a portion of the proceeds will also benefit early childhood literacy programs supported by the Always Dream Foundation. " — Star Magazine

"With a simple premise and sweet, rounded characters, Yamaguchi’s book should inspire preschoolers to help their friends. Kindness is contagious, after all." — Noozhawk, Lee Littlewood

"With a Pay-It-Forward-type message that even the littlest child can understand, author and Olympic medalist Kristi Yamaguchi shows kids that good begets good in this simple story. But that’s not the only message here: Yamaguchi’s characters also display patience and perseverance as well as inclusion, all with a gentle bit of humor inside the difficulties they encounter. Add beautifully vivid artwork from illustrator John Lee, and you’ve got a book that kids will love to page through as they hear the story read." — Bookworm Sez

From the Publisher

★ 04/01/2017
PreS-Gr 1—Cara, author Kristi Yamaguchi's young figure skating creation, is one caring cat. She reaches out to a frightened Darby the Dog and helps him learn to skate. When Darby thanks her, she replies, "No worries" and "Just pass on the kindness!" (the film's refrain). As a result, Darby shares his lunch with Pax the Polar Bear, and Pax retrieves Marky the Monkey's ball, and so on as animal friends with alliterative names benefit from the giving spirit. Cara realizes at the end that with "one good deed at a time," the kindness returns full circle back to her. The colorful illustrations by John Lee are brightly cheerful, but they receive only minimal animation, with swaying movement and repetitive waving. Narrator Susie Berneis voices each character differently, from Samantha the Skunk to Milo the Mole. The DVD might make a useful introduction to the idea of random acts of kindness. As Cara observes, "Caring makes a big difference." VERDICT Recommended for the youngest of children.—Lonna Pierce, MacArthur and Thomas Jefferson Elementary Schools, Binghamton, NY

School Library Journal