Handbooks for Little Humans: Compassion by bestselling author ZANNI LOUISE is part of a series to guide meaningful conversations between big and little humans about the things that count most. Read on for a Q&A with the author.
What inspired you to write a book about compassion for younger readers?
I’ve written several books to help young people think about and discuss important themes, like resilience and courage. I wanted to explore other big conversations through guidebooks; like Scout books, but for humanity.
When thinking about the first topic in the series, I decided that what the world really needs now is compassion. Lots of it! We need to reach across the divide to our fellow human and connect.
Some people think that such topics are too complicated for small children. But I really don’t agree. Any time I have the opportunity to ask kids about themes like compassion, they have a million ideas to share with me. I’ve drawn on their wisdom when writing this book.
How do you define compassion in your book?
Compassion starts with a feeling. We feel sympathy and empathy; a stirring in our bones. Compassion, then, takes that feeling one step further, inspiring action. The book starts with a basic definition, exploring compassionate sensations and circumstances that might require compassion, then providing ways to show compassion in our everyday lives.
Were there any moments from your own childhood or life that helped you explain compassion in simple, meaningful ways?
I’ve always been a bit of an empath; someone who worries a lot about other people. And every so often, it’ll drive me to actually do something. Make a donation. Call a friend in need. Pick up trash no one else wants to collect. Offer my seat to someone who needs it more than I do.
Compassionate acts can be both big and small. A few years ago, my daughter passed a person who was begging on the street, and kept asking about her as we went shop to shop. She wanted to know how she could help. We discussed some options, and she ended up using the last of her money to buy her food.
Writing the ‘Human Handbook’ series forces me to not only consider the themes in theory, but to also integrate the values into my life.
In the case of compassion, I try to listen to that inner voice that tells me that someone may need my help, and whenever I can, I act on this impulse.
What conversations do you hope this book will spark between adults and children?
Big ones! And small. Kids are very plugged into the various things happening in our world, and it helps to have language to discuss these themes. For example, if they hear about a war happening in another part of the world, they might use compassion to imagine what this experience is like, and talk with parents about how they can help.
As much as possible, each of the Human Handbook themes deal with values that bond us; make us more unified, and strengthen our humanity. You could argue that as materialism, technology, and media attempt to drive us apart, it will be our humanity and our attempts to care for one another that will bring us together again.
These books empower kids (and ourselves) with an understanding about the basic building blocks that make us human – having integrity, being inclusive, acting fairly, showing compassion. I don’t try to solve everything in the guides, but simply pose questions, and examples. The books are designed to start conversations and help readers to reach their own understanding about these important topics.
What do you hope children feel or understand after reading this book?
A sense of empowerment. A sense of peace. And of course, an understanding of how to be the best human we can be, and look after our fellow human in big and small ways.
What’s next in the ‘Handbooks for Little Humans’ series?
We have a raft of beautiful topics to come: confidence, integrity, inclusion, fairness and friendship. In addition to being thought-provoking, I hope you’ll also find the books fun and easy to read. With work from our talented illustrators, Kim Drane, Jinting Wang and Maja Veselinovic, the ideas are presented in a humorous and playful way. For example, demonstrating the topic through a comic strip.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Zanni Louise is a bestselling Australian picture book and fiction author of over 40 books. She loves visiting schools, running retreats for grown-ups, and running in forests.
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