When a new girl named Maya with ratty hand-me-down/second hand clothes and toys joins the class, Chloe turns the other way, ignoring and refusing to play with her. On the day that Maya doesn't show up for class, Chloe's teacher teaches her class what a difference small kindnesses can make in the world. Will Chloe change her tune?
Nicely done, in every way. This is an unexpected an unusual angle on the much used theme of being kind to one another. (Spoilers ahead) Chloe excludes Maya, ignores her, calls her names, whispers about her with her friends, day after day after day (from winter to spring). And then her teacher shows the class how a pebble causes waves to ripple out, comparing it to kindness. As students share the kind things they've done, Chloe can think of nothing. She resolves to smile back at Maya the next time she comes to school, only Maya doesn't return. Chloe learns that Maya moved. Chloe has to feel the regret and guilt of treating someone badly and not being able to do anything to make up for it. I really appreciated this take on a recurrent theme. As Woodson says on her website, we often believe we'll have a second chance at kindness, and in real life, sometimes we don't. The implications of this story are powerful. But Woodson's telling of it is beautifully quiet and simple. Lewis's watercolor illustrations often made me feel like a fly on the wall--expressive faces shown from unique angles (I love the first glimpse of Maya--from below we look up to see her shy, down-turned face, hand held in the teacher's hand, light shimmering on her cheeks--he really has a way with light, Lewis does). Beautiful and profound.
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