Review by Booklist Review
Mrs. Bloom reads to her class of young rabbits the Aesop's fable about the mouse who removes a thorn from a lion's paw. Minna immediately understands that the moral is about kindness; other kids also weigh in. Mrs. Bloom is pleased because she is assigning a Kindness Project, in which her students will do something kind and make a picture of it. Minna performs many small kindnesses, but she doesn't know which one she should illustrate. Finally, she makes a small quilt of pictures, which prompts her classmates to make their own quilts--which are joined to make one large kindness quilt. Then, other classes join in, and the quilt grows to take up the big bulletin board in the hall. Wallace's familiar illustrations, created in found paper, markers, colored pencils, and crayons, have a simple three-dimensional charm that always appeals. But here, it's the idea behind the story that will attract attention. Parents and teachers will find myriad uses for this book, with its gentle message and practical approach to making a better world. --Ilene Cooper Copyright 2006 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-In this, the fourth book about Minna and her friends and family, the young rabbit and her classmates learn about kindness. The story begins with Mrs. Bloom reading Aesop's "The Lion and the Mouse" to her students. After discussing it, she instructs them to perform an act of kindness, draw a picture of it, and then share the details about it with the class. Minna performs many acts of kindness and cannot decide which one to use for her project. In a burst of creative genius, she decides to create a quilt featuring a number of them. Her classmates love the idea and continue to piece together a classroom patchwork. The enthusiasm then spreads to the whole school. As the project grows, so does the quilt, taking over a bulletin board and moving onto a hallway wall. The cut-paper collage illustrations are sure to keep young children's interest, especially as youngsters try to discern all of the many projects featured in the squares. Wallace's illustrations include origami, recycled paper, markers, crayons, and colored pencils. Teachers will want to share this title with everyone in their school community.-Maren Ostergard, Bellevue Regional Library, WA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Inspired by their teacher's reading of ""The Lion and the Mouse,"" Minna and the other bunnies in her class draw pictures of kindnesses they've enacted, which they then compile to make a paper quilt. The flagrant message of altruism is delivered without a bit of subtleness in the overly long text. However, the book's illustrations, including origami and cut-paper collage, are winsome. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Wallace's art is wonderful: fancy- and found-paper collage, markers and pencil make Minna's bunny family and classroom glow with pattern and shape. The text in this one, though, is a little goopy. Minna's teacher reads them the Aesop fable of the Lion and the Mouse (the essence of which is recounted and illustrated). The class decides to practice kindness, and Mrs. Bloom says they will celebrate with a "Kindness Project." Minna finds kindness in her family's helping in Community Clean-Up Day, in sharing soup with a neighboring family, in reading to her little brother. She makes a series of pictures about these acts and pieces them together. Mrs. Bloom puts all of the class's pictures of kindness on the bulletin board and makes a kindness quilt, which grows and grows. The philosophy gets a little slippery, too: Is it kindness to do your chores without being asked? If you do a kind thing so you can make a picture of it, is it still kind? Possibly too much burden for a pretty package. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
