All the Ways to be Smart
By Davina Bell
The Story
A joyful rhyming tour through all the everyday, easy-to-miss ways a child can be smart — from building the tallest tower to noticing a friend feels sad.
Why It's Special
For the kid who isn't the fastest reader or the best at sums but lights up a room some other way, this book says that counts too.
- Big idea: Being smart isn't one narrow thing measured by tests — it's kindness, curiosity, creativity, and noticing the world, and every child already has plenty of it.
- Vibes: Tender, playful, and quietly reassuring, with a gentle rhyming bounce.
Perfect For Kids Who
- are working on building self-esteem
- love rhyming text that begs to be read aloud
- enjoy spotting themselves in a story
- respond well to gentle, affirming messages before bed
Ask Your Little Reader
- Real-life connection: What's something you're really good at that isn't about school?
- Imagination: What's a way you're smart that maybe nobody else knows about yet?
- Feelings & empathy: How can you tell when a friend is feeling sad, like the book talks about noticing?
- Story & problem-solving: Which page showed a kind of smart that surprised you?
- Real-life connection: Can you think of someone in your family and what kind of smart they are?
