Did you know that empathy is a skill which can be taught and developed in young people? The fantastic team behind Empathy Day do. The Empathy Festival will be taking place from 4-11th June and is FREE to register for! Once you’ve signed up, you’ll get access to challenges, author content, and resources. Join the empathy revolution here.

Each year, a panel of expert judges carefully curate a collection of titles which will help children experience and understand someone else’s feelings. This year, the collection’s theme is: Jump into Someone Else’s Story. I’ve chosen to cheerlead for the wonderful ‘The Bicycle’ from the picture book category.

“The true story of how a simple act of kindness changed a young refugee’s life – from award-winning author Patricia McCormick with Mevan Babakar.

For generations, Mevan and her family lived in their beloved Kurdistan. But when they are forced to flee by the Iraqi government, Mevan must leave everything behind. Her family travels from country to country in search of safety; and with each stop, Mevan feels more and more alone. Until … a stranger’s gift changes everything.

Based on Mevan Babakar’s own childhood, this is a moving reminder of how powerful just one act of kindness can be.”

---

There are several reasons why I was so keen to share the book on the discovery tour:

• I think that the fact the story is based on the real-life experiences of Mevan will help children empathise more deeply with the hardships the family faced and really enable them to step into their shoes.
• Many children will have experienced similar losses to a lesser or greater extent so will already have some understanding of how terrible it is to leave behind a childhood home for a new home, or to say goodbye to beloved family members.
• The story doesn’t gloss over some of the dangerous situations faced by the families or the prejudice they experienced when arriving in new countries. It gently presents the facts and the impacts those events had on the story’s protagonist.
• I am hopeful that this book will act as a counter to some of the stories about refugees children may see portrayed in the media and will help them develop a deeper sense of empathy and understanding.
• Despite the serious themes this book explores, the final message is ultimately hopeful and will inspire readers to think about what acts of kindness they could do themselves and the impacts they might have on their recipients. Acts of Kindness are a frequent focus in my classroom because as the story says, you never know ‘how big a small act of kindness can be.’

Please do share this book then find out more about Mevan’s inspiring journey to reunite with the man who helped her all those years ago.

Here’s a peek at the full primary collection:

Remember to sign up to join the celebration and have fun exploring the rest of the collection.

Jo.