SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO BE NICE

What does it mean to be nice? And does being nice equal doing the right thing?

This book attempts to share lessons in social-emotional learning but misses the mark in a few places. In the opening scene, a child is sad that a visiting cousin takes a treasured toy robot to play with. He breaks it, and the text notes that “sometimes being nice is really hard.” In another scene, a different child is given a plate of tuna noodle casserole. To spare Grandma’s feelings, the kid chokes it down. This behavior may seem nice on the surface, but this dishonesty does not help Grandma or the child. In a final example, a third youngster waits in line for the slide when another kid jumps the line. The child who was waiting patiently is told by Mom to let the other kid go first. Disregarding this instruction, the waiting child takes their rightful turn on the slide anyway, but “somehow it isn’t as fun.” The second-person narration continues, “Next time you’ll let him go first.” The book offers some feel-good examples of “nice” behavior, but overall, it paints the unfortunate picture that being nice means suffering for the sake of someone else’s feelings or, worse, their poor behavior. O’Neill supplies bland, stiff scenes featuring a cast of racially diverse children of multiple gender presentations.

The focus on being “nice” in lieu of genuine kindness, honesty, respect, and sharing makes this a less-than-nice read.