Sylvania Schools elementary teacher authors book 'The Kindness Machine'

SYLVANIA, Ohio — Kindness seems easy to understand. But what is kindness and how do you teach it to children?

"I think as adults we tend to say, 'Just be kind.' But what does 'just be kind' look like? What does it 'be kind' feel like?" asked Christina Dankert.

That question is one that inspired Dankert's new picture book "The Kindness Machine."

The book follows Mr. Wilson's second grade classroom where the Kindness Machine lives, allowing kids to press buttons on the machine to learn new ways to be kind to themselves and others.

"What this book is allowing to happen is to take the idea of kindness, the concept of kindness, and then allow them to put it into their own frame, into their own lives of how they could actually do it themselves."

While the book centers on kindness, Dankert said The Kindness Machine is here to create bigger conversations within the community including ones of diversity, representation and inclusion.

"Is having picture books be both windows and mirrors: windows into the lives of other people so you can see others and have different experiences that maybe you wouldn't have in your everyday life, and then also a mirror into your own life so you can see what your family might look like or you can see a holiday that your family celebrates. So I hope that any child that reads this book is able to find someone who not only looks like them but they think, 'Oh, they can be kind? I can be kind too.'

But Dankert said the conversations and reminders from The Kindness Machine are not only for kids but for adults.

"What I really hope is that we can continue that kindness in the community. You know, it starts at homes and in schools but then it ripples out from there. It can be something as how we speak to each other in the grocery store, how we speak to wait staff when we're in a restaurant, to have that constant reminder of kindness in our community and in the surrounding area would be a wonderful goal."

"The Kindness Machine" is now available anywhere you can get books. Major retailers are listed at christinadankert.com/books.

Dankert would like the community to join her in getting the book in all 50 states.