A spare and cute book to introduce manners to young children. ( )

I happened to pull this book off the shelves by chance while attempting to grab another book. What drew me in was the title embossed on the cover, "The Nice Book", and the accompanying image- very simple yet very alluring. As it turns out, I found myself liking it for many reasons, notably its use of language, its illustrations, and it’s writing.

The language of the book highlights a simplicity within the text that is truly beautiful. The simple sentences and phrases help assist in the main idea of the book that being nice is not a difficult task and is as easy as sharing a few beautiful words. In addition, it is very clear and creates a rhythmic pattern page by page. I enjoyed the pages with the simple statements such as “giggle” and “cuddle” because they are friendly for all ages and the illustrations help add dimension.

The illustrations themselves are truly unique, as they are embellished finger paintings. I loved this feature because it really allowed the image pop from the page, giving a special flair to each page. I especially loved the image of the two birds who “get in a snit” because although each bird is composed of the same finger paint and arrangement, the expressions given by the two are very different and can easily tell two completely different stories.

The writing by Stein presents and engaging and well-developed style. He creates a variety of friendly animals that help depict how to treat one another while revealing rhyming advice, such as: "LOOK...but don't stare. If you have more than you need, SHARE." I liked this feature because the style pairs nicely with the language of the book: simple and rhythmic.
For when you need a friendly reminder to be kind, The Nice Book has your back, for it is a very “nice” book indeed. ( )

This is really fun to read to your child as you act out the nice actions inside. ( )

This book is all about being nice. It gives ideas of things to do to be nice and how to deal with problems when they come up. The pictures are colorful and childlike.

Animals express different ways of being nice and show affection toward one another. Qualities of nice animals on the end pages. ( )