Frightened by news of angry people around the world, a young girl gets her parents' help in learning to be compassionate and brave a little at a time. - (Baker & Taylor)

Asking her parents how she can help make the world a better place when she reads scary news reports about hate and fear, a little girl practices simple acts of kindness, polite greetings and respect to everyone she meets. By the author of Matylda, Bright & Tender. Simultaneous eBook. - (Baker & Taylor)

“Together, the words and pictures work seamlessly to deliver a powerful message: What we do matters.”—R. J. Palacio, The New York Times
 
When the news reports are flooded with tales of hatred and fear, a girl asks her papa what she can do to make the world a better place. “Come with me,” he says. Hand-in-hand, they walk to the subway, tipping their hats to those they meet. The next day, the girl asks her mama what she can do—her mama says, “Come with me,” and together they set out for the grocery, because one person doesn’t represent an entire race or the people of a land. After dinner that night, the little girl asks if she can do something of her own—walk the dog . . . and her parents let her go. “Come with me,” the girl tells the boy across the hall. Walking together, one step at a time, the girl and the boy begin to see that as small and insignificant as their part may seem, it matters to the world.
 
In this lyrical and timely story, author Holly M. McGhee and illustrator Pascal Lemaître champion the power of kindness, bravery, and friendship in the face of uncertainty. - (Penguin Putnam)

Holly M. McGhee is the author of the middle-grade novel, Matylda, Bright & Tender. She has also written picture books and a chapter-book series under the pen name Hallie Durand, including Mitchell's License and Mitchell Goes Bowling. A literary agent too, she lives with her family in Maplewood, New Jersey. You can visit her at hollymcghee.com.

Pascal Lemaître is the illustrator of several books for children, including Do Not Open This Book! and the New York Times bestseller Who's Got Game? His wife is the dancer-choreographer Emmanuèle Phuon and their daughter, Maëlle, walks their dog, Doodle . . .  sometimes. You can visit him at pascallemaitre.com. - (Penguin Putnam)

Booklist Reviews

When a little girl is motivated to promote good in the world after hearing over and over on the news of the hatred and negativity within it, she asks her parents what she can do to help. "Come with me," they both reply, and take her into different, diverse melting-pot environments in the city, to "win tiny battles" for peace through kind acts. Her parents' example influences her to embark on her own journey of kindness, and as she leaves their apartment to walk their dog by herself, she befriends the brown-skinned boy across the hall in the process, and soon, many people are joining in to create something small but beautiful. McGhee's simple tale is filled with phrases emphasizing unity, which resonates nicely with the story. Lemaître's loose, appealing ink-and-watercolor illustrations echo the text's simplicity—he renders figures and faces in just a few lines, but each is filled with character and expression. This age-appropriate book about a tough topic puts solutions squarely in terms the youngest children can understand: be brave, and be kind, and sometimes, that's just enough. Copyright 2017 Booklist Reviews.

Horn Book Guide Reviews

When a dismayed little girl asks her parents what she can do "to make the world a better place," they each demonstrate acts of kindness and acceptance: being polite on the subway, shopping at a multicultural market, letting her walk the dog with a new friend. Illustrated with emotive ink and watercolor vignettes, this sparely written story should spark meaningful conversation. Copyright 2018 Horn Book Guide Reviews.

Kirkus Reviews

How can one person make a difference?A girl, frightened by what she sees on the news, asks her father, a white man, what to do to make the world a better place. Appealing watercolor-and-ink illustrations portray their resulting walk to the subway as they say hello to passers-by and, in doing so, win "a tiny battle over fear for themselves and for the people of the world." Next, the girl asks her mother, a brown-skinned woman, and together, the two shop for dinner, because "one person doesn't represent a family or a race or the people of a land." Finally, the biracial girl asks to walk her dog. Her parents allow her to do this alone, their message to the world that they don't want to "live in fear." The girl and her dog walk with a neighbor boy (who is black), because "two people together are stronger than one." The story concludes with the idea that to improve the world, one need only carry on and be kind, and the result feels superficial and treacly; the characters essential ly receive praise for recognizing that human connections are important, and the girl, eager to make some sort of a difference in the world, never finds out about any further options or ideas. World events may be difficult for both adults and children to process or comprehend, but this well-intentioned selection fails to offer much beyond self-congratulation. A look at fear from a privileged perspective. (Picture book. 3-8) Copyright Kirkus 2017 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.

Publishers Weekly Reviews

In the wake of so much news about "anger and hatred—/ People against people," a girl asks her parents what she can do to help the world. "Come with me," each tells her, a simple phrase that McGhee (Matylda, Bright and Tender) transforms into an emotionally rich proclamation about not giving into fear. When the girl and her father ride the subway, a tense mood prevails; commuters are giving each other anxious glances. But the two tip their hats in greeting to their fellow passengers and know that their ride has "won a tiny battle/ over fear." Next, the girl and her mother make a point of shopping at the grocery store in their multicultural neighborhood, "because one person/ doesn't represent a family/ or a race/ or the people of a land." By the final page, the girl feels reassured enough to extend the title's invitation to readers. Lemaître's (You Are the Pea, and I Am the Carrot) ink-and-watercolor cartoons resonate with a sweet plaintiveness, and while the brief text can sometimes turn overly earnest, it feels like an important first step. Ages 5–8. Agent: Elena Giovinazzo, Pippin Properties. (Sept.)

School Library Journal Reviews

K-Gr 2—Sweet pastel illustrations are the highlight of this story that has potential but may be more confusing to children than confidence-building. A young girl is fearful due to the "anger and hatred—people against people" that she watches on the nightly news. After inquiring what "she could do to make the world a better place," Papa says, "Come with me." They take a ride on the subway, tip their hats to people they encounter, and make their way to their destination. The text states "The girl and her papa were brave and kind, and that day won a tiny battle over fear for themselves and for the people of the world." That sort of impassioned language to describe seemingly ordinary actions will require more explanation than the book provides. Still wanting to make a difference, the girl asks to walk their dog. Her parents appear concerned about letting their daughter go, but she and a neighbor boy venture out and "their part mattered to the world." Though the parents seem anxious about their child's safety, they allow her to watch disturbing incidents on TV with no supervision or discussion. VERDICT Teaching children that they can make a difference by being "brave, gentle, strong — and kind" in their daily lives is a powerful message. This title could be used with others to spark those important discussions with children and adults.—Maryann H. Owen, Children's Literature Specialist, Mt. Pleasant, WI