View source for Do Nice, Be Kind, Spread Happy by Bernadette Russell

{{infobox2
|title=Do Nice, Be Kind, Spread Happy
|author=Bernadette Russell 
|reviewer=Sam Tyler
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|rating=4
|buy=Maybe
|borrow=Maybe
|isbn=9781782401056
|pages=96
|publisher=Ivy Press
|date=May 2014
|aznuk=1782401059
|aznus=1782401059
|cover=1782401059
|website=http://www.thewhiterabbit.org.uk/bernadette-russell/
|video=
|summary=Bobby McFerrin suggests that we don't worry and be happy, but 'Do Nice, Be Kind, Spread Happy' by Bernadette Russell goes a few steps further.  This is a great activity book for kids that will inspire them to create and imagine a better world.
}}
Bringing up a child right seems an almost impossible task to me.  You can do right by them at home, only for them to go crazy out of the house.  Kids will be kids, be they happy, sad, curious, lazy or any other trait that adults also have.  If you are lucky to have a kind natured kid, or are hoping to influence them a little, then ‘Do Nice, Be Kind, Spread Happy’ by Bernadette Russell is a super sweet book that is bound to chime with the right type of mini human.

Russell is an author and performer who has set out to make the world a nicer place bit by bit, either through her stand up, or her Kindness Club.  This is the Club you can get exclusive access to with ‘Do Nice’, it has no badge or general meeting, it is just a bunch of people doing things that are good.  Kind of like Fight Club, but without the nonsensical violence.  The first rule of Kindness Club is that you must be kind; the second rule of Kindness Club is that you must be nice.

Easier said than done!  Russell says that a person should do at least one kind act a day, but that is a lot of things to think about over a year.  Therefore, ‘Do Nice’ is the perfect book for a youngster to set out on their happiness journey as it is full of fun ideas that will not only make the lives of those around them a little brighter, but also entertain the child and keep them occupied.  Each set of double pages has one or two activities written out in bold colours and fun illustrations.  The book itself is a good size for moving around or propping up as you read the instructions.  For the child that likes to keep a list, each page also has a little section to write down when they completed the activity and what it was like – sort of like a kindness diary.

‘Do Nice’ is full of innovative craft and creative ideas.  From helping to walk a neighbour’s dog; the kid gets exercise and the neighbour gets a helping hand, to helping to tidy up litter.  There are loads of great ideas, but some of them may be a little out there for some parents.  ‘Unrobbing’ sounds fun, but slipping gifts into people’s pockets without them knowing just seems a little deviant to me.  My favourite task was sending a hug through the post.  Lie down on a piece of large paper or unused wallpaper and get someone to draw around you with your arms out.  Cut the image out, fold it and post it to a loved one.  They unravel the letter and get a hug through the post – what a great idea!

If you find the idea of smiling at strangers and volunteering to wash the dishes a little alien, then ‘Do Nice’ may not be the book for you or your child.  However, for all its hare-brained ideas, it does have its heart in the right place.  Nothing but good can come from the book, as long as some of the more bizarro activities are supervised.  In many ways, a child may gain more from you explaining why something is seen as kind and not doing the activity themselves.  Explaining that doing good things can lead to a happier life is not a bad lesson for anyone, of any age, to learn.

Different books will appeal to some more than others and it depends on the child’s personality.  This is perhaps truer of ‘Do Nice, Be Kind, Spread Happy’ than any other book.  You have to know if it is something they will be interested in before handing it over; are they into activities and the environment?  By going so gung-ho with the kindness message, Russell may have made the book more niche that it could have been, but it will be one happy niche.

If this book appeals then you might like to have a look at [[What Do People Do All Day? by Richard Scarry]] and [[The Human Machine by Richard Walker]]

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