Kindness Is Cooler, Mrs. Ruler

by Margery Cuyler, Sachiko Yoshikawa (Illustrator)

Overview

When a kindergarten class gets rowdy, Mrs. Ruler knows just what to do.

She’s about to teach a new golden rule:
KINDNESS IS COOL!

Soon the entire class is doing so many good deeds that their kindness bulletin board barely fits their classroom!

From clearing the table after dinner, to helping the elderly, one kindergarten class is proving that kids really can make a difference.

Count along with Mrs. Ruler’s class. Can all their good deeds really add up to 100 acts of kindness?

Acclaimed picture book author Margery Cuyler will inspire children of all ages to have a heart and save the world!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780689873447
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication date:	06/26/2007
Edition description:	Repackage
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	97,760
Product dimensions:	9.75(w) x 11.50(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	460L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Margery Cuyler has written stories ever since she learned how to write. A children’s book editor and author for more than twenty years, she now devotes most of her time to writing. Her many children's books include 100th Day Worries, illustrated by Arthur Howard, and The Biggest, Best Snowman, illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. Margery lives with her family in Princeton, New Jersey, in a house that’s said to be haunted by a ghost!

Sachiko Yoshikawa is the illustrator of such books as No T. Rex in the Library by Toni Buzzeo, Kindness is Cooler, Mrs. Ruler by Margery Cuyler; Shout: Little Poems That Roar! by Brod Bagert; and What is Science? by Rebecca Kai Dotlich. She has also illustrated the pop-up book Sammy's Suitcase by Lisa Rojany-Buccieri. Sachiko lives in Washington.

Editorial Reviews

Cuyler has coined a catchy refrain and opts for lingo that is casual and hip. But the comedy of classroom chaos is most entertainingly rendered by the illustrator, Sachiko Yoshikawa.
—The New York Times

Sara London

K-Gr 2
Mrs. Ruler is an unusual teacher: she often talks in rhymes, she wears a ruler in her tall hairdo, and she disciplines children by having them perform acts of kindness. When students ask to participate, she turns her assignment into a class project, and they eventually complete 100 acts of family, school, and community kindness (all listed at book's end). Unfortunately, this story does not measure up to Cuyler's usual high standards, and Mrs. Ruler's singsong speech is annoying. Furthermore, the text often seems preachy. For example, the teacher offers wisdom such as, "A slice of nice makes a mile of smile" and "Good deeds fill needs." The plot is a bit contrived: just when David, a reluctant participant, is looking for good deeds to perform in order to catch up with everyone else, he is presented with an opportunity to rescue the class gerbils. Done in bright hues that reflect the tale's upbeat tone, the cartoon illustrations are playful and inviting. They feature an endearing group of students from different ethnic backgrounds. An additional purchase that may fill a need in some libraries.
—Barbara KatzCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Kindness is cool, but it's unclear whether this purposive effort will really encourage young listeners to commit good deeds. Like all children, the kindergartners in Mrs. Ruler's class occasionally misbehave. When five of them transgress on a single day, she holds them back from recess and asks them to consider changing their behavior. With one exception, they comply and find that being kind is so rewarding that soon the whole class pitches in. The awkwardly placed text is occasionally difficult to read, particularly when placed against darker colors, and the small font does little to improve matters. Mrs. Ruler regularly speaks in rhyme, which can get tedious while her students' words consist mainly of a listing of their (decidedly random) acts of kindness. Skewed perspectives, bug-eyed, round-headed children and large swathes of bright, flat color give the illustrations energy and contemporary charm. The appealing pictures, expansive double-page spreads and positive message will likely ensure a wide audience-but a tad more creativity would have been welcome. (Picture book. 5-7)

Kirkus Reviews