When We Are Kind / Nihá’ádaahwiinít’íigo

A 2026 IBBY-UNESCO Remarkable Book for Young Readers in Indigenous and Endangered Languages

"Notably centering Indigenous families and characters of color in personal and communal activities—and encouraging readers to evaluate their actions toward others.”—Publishers Weekly

When We Are Kind celebrates simple acts of everyday kindness and encourages children to explore how they feel when they initiate and receive acts of kindness in their lives. Celebrated author Monique Gray Smith has written many books on the topics of resilience and reconciliation and communicates an important message through carefully chosen words for readers of all ages. Beautifully illustrated by artist Nicole Neidhardt, this book encourages children to be kind to others and to themselves.

This bilingual book includes full text in both English and Diné.