Title: We Are the Wackadoodles: It’s Nice to Be Kind
Author: T.A. Duggan
Publisher: Tracy Duggan
ISBN: 1958122092
Pages: 30
Genre: Illustrated Children’s Book
Reviewed by: Liz Konkel

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The Wackadoodles understand the importance of teaching their children about being kind. A trip to the park provides them with the ideal opportunity to impart that very lesson to them. They’re aware there are times when it can be difficult to be kind such as when bullies are picking on you and making you feel bad. When the Wackadoodle family is enjoying a day at the park with a picnic and playing sports, the children encounter bullies who steal their football and refuse to return it. Through this delightful book, children can see the best examples of how to respond to a situation such as this and how to incorporate kindness even when facing bullies. Not only does the book show the importance of kindness but shows the value of family and friendship.

The story is rooted in being a lesson which portrays a realistic situation and is told in a way that is easy for children to understand. The book is written in a way that is meant to be conversational with breaks which pause to ask questions about the events occurring such as asking if it’s true that the bullies can keep the football they found. With a first-person perspective, the story is told from the perspective of the parents which creates an easy avenue for broaching the topics of kindness, bullying, friendship, and thinking about others. The writing is self-aware as it addresses that it can be difficult to always be kind which makes it relatable and doesn’t pretend that it’s easy to be kind when others are being mean. Used as an example, bullying is the situation that the children face when it disrupts the family’s happy trip to the park.

While the story doesn’t pretend that being bullied is easy to deal with, it keeps the writing simple and focuses on the positive responses such as being kind, keeping manners, and making friends with everyone. These positive responses are used as a lesson not just for the Wackadoodle children but for the bullies who change their behavior when they’re shown kindness.

The story is paired with activities which are interactive so children can discuss what they learned. At the end of the book, another situation is included as a further example of the difference between the words mean and teasing. This pairs well with the overall message and is a reminder to turn to parents (or other adults) for help when dealing with situations to make a difference in the outcome.

The story has a playfulness to it that is seen immediately with the use of the name Wackadoodle for the family which serves as a good way to catch children’s attention. The illustrations portray realistic people who are all different and make good use of detail to show various actions such as a mother and daughter walking, having a picnic, and playing football. The majority of the details are used to depict the family members with the background having fewer details to create a backdrop that doesn’t take away from the foreground. A bright use of colors makes each character stand out as each is wearing a specific color or shade. Expressive faces convey a wide range of emotions that set up an easy way to start a conversation with children. Adults can use these characters to show children different moods such as bullies taunting, children upset, and the family having fun. Pages with writing have a fun design which helps maintain a playfulness in the story’s tone despite being a lesson.

We Are the Wackadoodles is a fun picture book which teaches the importance of kindness with a realistic situation and activities that engage children in important conversations.