Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Ages: 4 – 8 years

Out of all the children’s books on being kind that are designed to help children cope and thrive in their social world, this is by far my favorite.

Why?

Because it’s not preachy! (Which kids can spot a mile away)

More importantly … children of all personality types can learn from this book.  Not just the ‘’invisible’’ shy kids, but also the more confident, LOUD kids who need to notice the ‘’invisible’’ kids.

The Invisible Boy is not only a great story but a fantastic learning tool to open up discussion about being kind and including others. This is a must-have book for young children of all personality types.

Can you see Brian, the invisible boy? Even his teacher doesn’t notice him because she’s too busy dealing with Nathan and Sophie, who have issues with volume control.  They take up more space than Brian.

Brian doesn’t get picked for the kickball teams because the best players get picked first, then the best friends of the best players, then the friends of the best friends.

In the school cafeteria, the other kids are talking about how great a party was on the weekend.  But Brian wasn’t invited.

It’s interesting to note that Brian is illustrated ‘’invisible’’ in black and white while the rest of the children are in color.

While the other kids are playing board games, Brian sits at his table and does what he loves best … he draws fire-breathing dragons, space aliens and superheroes.

On Monday morning, Mrs. Carlotti introduces a new kid, Justin.  The other kids laugh at Justin’s lunch of Korean barbecued beef which he eats with chopsticks.  Brian doesn’t laugh though. He writes Justin a note that says, ‘’I thought the bulgogi looked good,’’ and draws a picture of a small boy eating it.

Justin thinks Brian’s drawings are really cool and includes him in a group project at school.  Brian becomes more visible.  We can now see he has sandy blonde hair and blue glasses.

Brian has a great time working on the project with his new friends, who can now see him for how great he is.

‘’Maybe, just maybe, Brian’s not so invisible after all.’’

Trudy Ludwig is a nationally acclaimed speaker and an award-winning author who specializes in writing children’s books that help kids cope with and thrive in their social world. 

Illustrator Patrice Barton has done a fantastic job of making Brian ‘’invisible’’, only appearing in color when a connection is made with his peers. The illustrations are soft and relatable.

In a rare book that makes an impression and sticks, The Invisible Boy is not only a great story but a fantastic learning tool to open up discussions about being kind and including others.  A must-have book for young children of all personality types.

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