Stories that are inspired by true events often turn out to be the books we love the most – and I think that might happen for you when you get your hands on this brand-new book from the awesome Ellen Leventhal – so please join me in singing a rousing:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!

How about an inside peek from the synopsis on Amazon:

Perfect for all children experiencing loss or grief, A Flood of Kindness gracefully confronts difficult feelings and celebrates the healing power of kindness. “The night the river jumped its banks, everything changed.” So begins A Flood of Kindness, a poignant picture book that addresses grief and loss and demonstrates how kindness can bring hope. Written in spare prose and told from an intimate first-person point of view, the story follows Charlotte, a young girl who watches floodwaters rise in her home and is forced to evacuate to a shelter with her parents. Kind people she doesn’t know give her food, socks and shoes to keep her feet warm, and a place to sleep. As Charlotte adjusts to the shelter—a strange, crowded place that is not home—she grapples with feelings of anger and sadness. But as the days go by, Charlotte starts to realize how grateful she is for the things that she does have—her parents, a cot to sleep on, food to eat—and starts looking for ways to help others in the shelter.
All children deal with sadness and loss in some way, whether it stems from a natural disaster, the death of a pet, or moving to a new place. A Flood of Kindness acknowledges those difficult feelings and helps readers process them in a healthy way. Children will be encouraged to be kind to those who need a friend and to help others in whatever way they can, no matter how small.

I’m so excited for this book – I saw early drafts and feel in love with it – what a joy to see it go from idea to published book! This is one that will be so helpful to any child who is experiencing loss.

When I asked Ellen if I could feature her new book for a Book Birthday, I also asked if she’d stop by and share a bit about why she wrote this book…and because Ellen is a mega-sweet and awesome friend, she said, YES. So, take it away, Ellen!

ELLEN: Thank you so much, Vivian. We’ve been together for a lot of this writing journey, and I am honored and so pleased to be with you on my Book Birthday for A FLOOD OF KINDNESS.

This book, although fiction is based on a real event. Or should I say events. Many people in my community (including myself), flooded three times in the span of about two and a half years. After the first flood, as I stood outside my ruined home, I did what Mr. Rogers told us to do. I looked for the helpers. I didn’t have to look far. The help from friends and strangers continued to come and never wavered. Although the physical loss was devastating (three times!) I knew there were people worse off than I was, and I realized that as I assisted others, it helped put me on the road to recovery. I spoke to children about their experience, and they too found that when they were able to help a younger sibling or friend, they began to heal just a bit. I knew that if I ever wrote a book about floods, I wanted to focus on the healing power of kindness. The tricky part about writing this was to make sure I told the story from my character’s view, not mine.

That’s amazing, Ellen! I love how this book is about kindness and compassion…and I understand a school counselor has recommended this book:

“From the beginning of a stormy night that turns into a terrifying flood this book takes us on a journey through the eyes of a child experiencing all the feelings that are part of a traumatic event. This book is a must for every counselor who works with children. It is filled with hope, resilience, and support. A Flood of Kindness provides the words and illustrations to help children understand that both receiving and giving kindness even though the smallest of acts can make an enormous difference. Each word is carefully crafted to allow us all to recognize through hardships there can be hope through kindness.”

And here’s more happenings with regards to A FLOOD OF KINDNESS:

There is a virtual launch on April 24 – it’s free but please do sign up: https://www.brazosbookstore.com/event/virtual-ellen-leventhal-flood-kindness

And Ellen is inviting children to join her in a Kindness Challenge where they can win prizes – learn more at the event.

Dear Readers – and because the author is an amazingly generous person, she is offering a spectacular giveaway: the Winner’s choice of either a copy of the book OR a 30-minute Zoom chat with her! How about that! Ellen’s book is having a birthday…and she is giving the present! Please make sure you leave a comment to be entered in the giveaway – and share on social media for extra chances to win. And please remember that the best way to show love to a favorite author is to buy her book, review her book, tell friends about her book, and ask your library to purchase copies for their collection.