I Walk with Vanessa: A Story About a Simple Act of Kindness

When Vanessa, a shy new girl at school, is walking home on her first day, a boy bullies her and Vanessa is left feeling sad and unwelcome. A girl witnesses the bullying but does nothing to help and wonders all evening how Vanessa must feel and what she can do to help. The next morning the girl goes to Vanessa’s house to walk her to school and on the walk children join in until the whole school supports Vanessa. This powerful story without words is a useful read-aloud to demonstrate the positive impact of a small act of kindness and how kindness can spread, and to spark discussion of bullying, friendship, personal and social responsibility, reaching out when someone is struggling, and how easy it is to be kind.