The Jelly Donut Difference
Sharing Kindness with the World
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- $6.99
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
"This earnest story of being a good sibling, neighbor, and friend may inspire readers to find ways to be generous in their own lives." ― Publisher's Weekly
The sweetness of making new friends―and making treats to welcome new neighbors―are central themes in this wonderful picture book on how the smallest kindness can make a jelly donut difference.
After their new neighbor shares the story of growing up in Poland, sibling rivalry is repurposed into sibling teamwork, and Leah and Dexter work with Dad to make paczkis, the jelly-filled treat from Poland the twins deliver later that day.
With illustrations that will make you crave your own paczkis, The Jelly Donut Difference by award-winning author Maria Dismondy carries a message of sibling rivalry, the power of community, and inclusion.
This book comes with a free Reader's Companion, complete with discussion questions, lesson plans on story mapping, and five tips for children to share kindness with the world. Download your copy directly from the publisher's website.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Dismondy introduces twins Dexter and Leah, who squabble with each other but extend kindness to an elderly neighbor. While picking up eggs from Ms. Marvis, who lives nearby, Dexter notices how quiet her house is and suggests that his parents invite her over for dinner. During the meal, Ms. Marvis shares stories of making paczki (jelly donuts) with her family in Poland before Lent; with help from their father, the children whip up a batch of paczki for their neighbor, who responds with a long thank-you note. British author-illustrator Brooks evokes the story's wintertime setting through a minty palette of pale blues, pinks, and greens, contrasting cozy kitchen-centric scenes with outdoor flurries and snowdrifts. Although both children seem to recognize the rewards of their kind actions, neither grows much as a character: Dexter starts and finishes the book as an empathetic peacemaker, while Leah is antagonistic and not much else. Even so, this earnest story of being a good sibling, neighbor, and friend may inspire readers to find ways to be generous in their own lives. All that's missing is a paczki recipe. Ages 4 8. (BookLife)
