123s of Kindness

Patricia Hegarty and illustrator Summer Macon do something clever with this board book: they teach counting from one to ten entirely through acts of kindness — sharing, helping, hugging — so numeracy and empathy arrive together. The board book format is right-sized for babies and toddlers, and the warm, bright illustrations carry the gentle messaging well. It pairs naturally with the companion ABCs of Kindness for caregivers building an early learning set. Counting only goes to ten, so it won't replace books aimed at preschoolers ready for bigger numbers. But as an introduction to both counting and kindness for the very youngest readers, it earns a comfortable place in the stack.