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Monday kicked off Random Acts of Kindness Week, a time when people are encouraged to step out of their comfort zones and do something nice for others. Our picture book, Lend a Hand: Poems About Giving is a collection of poems about different ways to help others. From planting trees to tutoring students, Lend a Hand shows that there are lots of small things you can do to make a big difference in someone’s life.

Here’s what reviewers are saying about Lend a Hand:

“At once familiar and slightly out of the box, these giving scenes gently suggest that even the smallest acts can inspire and achieve great ends.” –Kirkus Reviews

“In conjunction with home or classroom discussions about social responsibilities, waging peace, or bullying, these instances of individual and collective giving may serve as inspiring models.“–Booklist

“It would be easy for a book with this title to hit readers over the head with its message. Instead, this is a gentle book that will add value to any classroom or library collection.” –School Library Journal

In honor of Random Acts of Kindness Week, we’re offering a 25% off coupon which you can use through February 15. When you’re checking out, use the code KINDNESS. Purchase the book here.

Struggling to think of some ways to celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Week? Here are ten ways to lend a hand:

We’d love to hear what you’ve been doing for Random Acts of Kindness Week – let us know in the comments below!

Today is #GivingTuesday! Here’s a great description of #GivingTuesday:

We have a day for giving thanks. We have two for getting deals. Now, we have #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back. On Tuesday, December 2, 2014, charities, families, businesses, community centers, and students around the world will come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give.

It’s a simple idea. Just find a way for your family, your community, your company or your organization to come together to give something more. Then tell everyone you can about how you are giving. Join us and be a part of a global celebration of a new tradition of generosity.

I love, love, love the idea that Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which are about consumerism and competition, are now followed by a day that refocuses our attention on generosity, kindness, and community.

Our new picture book Lend a Hand: Poems About Giving is a collection of poems about different ways to help others, so in honor of #GivingTuesday, here’s a list of our favorite ways to lend a hand:

10 Ways to Lend a Hand (click for full-size image)

You can:

• Share Your Snack
• Visit a Senior Center or Nursing Home
• Grow Your Hair Out to Donate
• Teach a Skill
• Clean Things Up
• Share the Music
• Plant a Tree
• Offer Your Seat
• Write a Letter to a Soldier
• Start the Pay-It-Forward Chain

There are many different nonprofit organizations that have #GivingTuesday programs where your donation will be matched, and many more organizing volunteering outings tomorrow. Visit the #GivingTuesday website for lots of ways to participate. For more ideas about giving, check out Lend a Hand by John Frank, illustrated by London Ladd:

What’s your favorite way to lend a hand, on #GivingTuesday and every day?

A nice poem to start off your week! Today, we’ve chosen a poem from our new fall title, Lend a Hand: Poems About Giving, to share with you:

Trees

I doubt

many people

will pay much attention

to a few scrawny saplings

on this harsh city street.

But if any of these people

are here years from now,

enjoying the shade

in the heat of the summer

or the dazzle of color

on the branches in fall,

maybe they’ll remember

what this street once looked like

and go to a place

in need of some trees,

and plant a few saplings

like I’m doing today.

If you’re interested in planting trees in your area, check out some of these great organizations:

TreePeople (Based in Los Angeles)

Million Trees NYC (Based in New York City)

The Nature Conservancy – Plant a Billion Trees (National)

It’s Friday everyone, and you know what that means! Poetry Friday! Today, we’ve chosen a poem from our new fall title, Lend a Hand: Poems About Giving, to share with you:

Puppy

The puppy we’re raising

is the cutest I’ve ever seen—

cuddly and playful,

with floppy ears

and a wagging tail

and a look on his face that says,

“Please hold me and love me.

I want to be yours forever,”

and before long

we’re going to give

him away.

He’ll be someone’s eyes

one day.

If you’re interested in working with puppies and training them to become guide dogs, you can check out a few of these great organizations:

Guide Dogs for the Blind (based on the West Coast)

The Seeing Eye (based on the East Coast)

OccuPaw Guide Dog Association (based in Wisconsin)