Can Old Be Beautiful? (Cultivating Compassion in Children)

I read this to my 6 year old daughter and she liked it THIS MUCH, she held her arms out as wide as they could go, which in our house means A LOT! A wonderful message for today’s children and even as adults that beauty can be seen in ways that society doesn’t teach us that is normal. Where the latest and greatest is beautiful, fashionable, and desired. But, that there is beauty to be found in wisdom, time, and the stories that comes along with age. We really enjoyed the very colorful illustrations; with the colorful stained glass, the castles, and the beautiful mountains . The author found the perfect way to explain why old things are valuable ... and beautiful of course!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I actually bought it for a friend's 3 year old daughter, but I just had to read it first; the pictures and the message called to me. It's the perfect time in the world to be talking about valuing a person for more than her/his looks, and where better to start teaching this than with children? Well written, beautiful colors, and even has discussion-starter prompts at the end.

It is interesting how the author helped the little girl understand hoe it’s okay to be old. Really likes the examples given. Gives a child something to think about.

Young children are bombarded with commercials about looking beautiful, looking younger and pressures to be thin. This book helps young children deal with what is beauty, that beauty often comes from within, in nature and that many things that are very old are part of the beautiful world we enjoy. This story is a great foundation for dealing with this pressure. It helps children see beauty in a multitude of ways, and that aging has its own unique beauty. Young children can relate to a discussion with one's grandmother. The grandmother allows her granddaughter to think about what she is hearing as she helps her explore beauty in nature and beauty that in many forms.I appreciate that Sonja is writing books to help children deal with compassion. As a former teacher, I like that children are encouraged to rely on their natural compassion as they deal with bullying, exclusion and fitting in.The illustrations are beautiful with vibrant color! The characters are very cute and appealing.I highly recommend this book for young grade school children!

Author Sonja Wendt asks an important question for ages 4-6 years: can old be beautiful? Society emphasis youth and perfection. Kids get this message from at an incredibly young age: be pretty, be skinny, have a perfect face, eyes, lips, hair—perfect everything. One day, six-year-old Maggie questions her grandma as to what is beautiful after seeing advertisements for beauty products on TV. Wise Grandma explores a variety of things and wakens her granddaughter to the fact that aging of objects can create value, including wrinkles and gray hair on grandmas. Through discussion and increased awareness, Maggie comes to her own conclusion that age brings beauty. The physical book of Can Old Be Beautiful? delivers vibrant colors throughout—a treat for young and old eyes.This an excellent sharing read for adults and children that opens up a discussion—there is much beyond what the eye first sees.

What a beautiful way to support a new way of seeing aging and beauty in children! Most young children I know do not get to see their grandparents on a regular basis, so they may not have enough experience with elders to appreciate them. This book opens the door to a discussion that can broaden their experience and perception regarding aging and appreciation of differences. The pictures of aging beauty are especially appealing. I can’t wait to see what other books this author has in store for cultivating compassion in children.Dr. Cara Koch

Love this book for kids in the Author's series for teaching compassion to children. "Can Old Be Beautiful" focuses on aging with a story about a conversations between a little girl and her grandma. As a great-grandma, I relate to this story about beauty as my granddaughters fuss endlessly about not being beautiful enough, or skinny enough or . . . In short, "Can Old Be Beautiful?" gives kids a a wonderful and compassionate lesson in aging. Plus it's fun with lovely, engaging pictures.

This story with captivating characters and engaging story helps a child to think about beauty with simple and childlike images. The warm image of grandmother interacting with granddaughter helps to make the story relatable to any child. The dialogue reveals the story in terms that children use. I recommend this story to any parent or caretaker who wants to both entertain a child and broaden their understanding of their world.