Unselfish Kids by Paul D. Parkinson and Sammie Parkinson

Have you heard of the “Unselfish” series by Paul Parkinson and Sammie Parkinson? I have to admit that I hadn’t heard of the first book in the series, Unselfish: Love Thy Neighbor As Thy Selfie until the authors reached out to ask if I’d like to receive a copy of the newest in the series, Unselfish Kids. And while my answer was my standard answer (“I’d love to receive your book, but I can’t promise to feature it until we’ve received it and read it a few times, as I’m committed to only featuring books we truly love.”), I was very excited about this book! And it did not disappoint upon arrival. Read on to see what makes this book uniquely inspiring!

Unselfish Kids brings you 40 true stories of inspiring children, children who have gone above and beyond to make a difference in their neighborhoods, communities, and world. And y’all, these kids are amazing! Starting with a six-year-old girl who collected more than 41,000 boxes of crayons for children’s hospitals around America AND set up a nonprofit organization to spread her work farther, and culminating with the legacy of kindness that can be left by simple, small, and random acts of kindness done for truly unselfish reasons, you and your children will be inspired. You’ll reflect on your life, choices made, and choices still left to make; and hopefully, your children will be inspired to give from their hearts, too. Beautifully bound in a hard cover, each story of an Unselfish Kid is also accompanied by a full-color photo, bringing even more life to these real heroes. Paul and Pamela close the book with two full pages where readers can record their ideas and plans to help make the world a better place. With so much space to brainstorm, you’re bound to have a feasible, actionable idea to start with now!

And as for adults, you might be inspired by simply reading the Introduction and the “Note to Parents, Grandparents, and All Those Who Mentor Children.” Through both of those pages, the Parkinsons remind readers of the importance of stepping back not only from our “selfie” culture, but also from the negative and divisive news cycles, and instead of focusing on all of the good that exists in the world. Additionally, they challenge those of us who work with children to bring this good to our children’s attention, to show them the legacies of kindness and unselfishness that they can leave in this world.

Though I don’t know any other nonfiction books quite like Unselfish Kids, biographies of impactful, kind people are always inspiring to children. I also enjoy reading Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed, Good People Everywhere, Be Kind, and Because Amelia Smiled to help children see the power of their positive choices. Now, I’ll be checking out the original Unselfish: Love Thy Neighbor As Thy Selfie for some adult-centered inspiration!

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