Summary

I Walk With Vanessa

a Story About a Simple Act of Kindness
This simple picture book, which is told entirely without words, provides the reader with the inspiring, powerful message that a small act of kindness and caring can grow into much more. The book is also about bullying – an issue which, unfortunately, is all too familiar to many children. When Vanessa, a new student at the local elementary school, has trouble making friends and becomes the helpless target of the school bully, a classmate notices and feels badly about it. She wonders how she can help. The next morning, the classmate invites Vanessa to walk to school with her. Soon they are joined by more and more students, who also stay to play with Vanessa on the playground and sit with her in school. The bullying quickly stops. The classmate’s simple act of being kind, empathetic, and standing up for what is fair - instead of being a mere bystander - changes the entire school for the better. It’s interesting to note that Vanessa is one of the few children of colour in the school … and it’s also interesting to discover that this story is based on a true incident. Because this story is told without words, but is beautifully illustrated with lots of detail, young readers can work out for themselves what is happening and why. The author’s name, “Kerascoet”, refers to a French husband and wife team. ** Recommended for ages 4 to 8 years. ** Reviewed by Sally Hengeveld, Stratford Public Library.