Discover how Side By Side, We Shine is inspiring children, parents, and educators with its message of empathy, inclusion, and celebrating our differences.
"Side by Side, We Shine by Kristina Lackey is a rhyming children’s picture book about friendship, individuality, empathy, and belonging. Its rainbow metaphor makes a big social-emotional idea easy for young children to understand, while the playful names and steady rhyme keep the story moving... Abigail Chrystine’s illustrations are a major part of the appeal. The pages are filled with soft clouds, glowing rainbows, sparkles, and richly saturated color. Connection doesn’t require sameness—different perspectives make a group stronger, more creative, and more connected. It’s especially well suited to read-aloud time, early elementary classrooms, friendship units, and family discussions."
"Dr. Seuss once wrote, 'Why fit in when you were born to stand out?' That message is at the heart of Side by Side, We Shine by Kristina Lackey... As a teacher, I'd use this story to spark conversations about friendship, kindness, and being unique. I think a fun extension activity would be to have students create their own special rainbow friend. Abigail Chrystine's playful artwork brings the characters' traits to life. Anyone looking for children's books about kindness, acceptance, and celebrating differences will want to add this one to their shelves."
"Side By Side, We Shine is a well-written book that teaches readers, especially children, to embrace each other's differences, as well as treat everyone with kindness... I loved that the author used just the right amount of well-developed characters and simple sentences so that kids do not get confused while reading. I loved the font styles, colorful pages, and brilliant illustrations by Abigail Chrystine. Themes featured include: friendship, acceptance, empathy, and more. I recommend it to all children and adults!"
"Side By Side, We Shine is really an uplifting story all about friendship, acceptance, and what makes each of us special. It's one of the most delightful, creative kids' books I've seen in a while. The way it uses the colors of the rainbow to show that we're all different but still belong together gives a powerful message that sticks—not just for kids, but grown-ups too. The illustrations really bring each character to life... This book is awesome because it teaches big lessons about empathy, inclusion, and being different!"
"Each of us is unique in our own way. But we must learn to embrace our differences and stand together as friends. Kristina Lackey introduces this idea with her rhyming children's picture book, Side by Side, We Shine... It has a lot of charm and heart, with Kristina Lackey's catchy rhyming narrative making sure children are in for a delightful read. Being different is natural, and kids should be able to acknowledge and respect their own and their friends' differences."
"We loved our exclusive copy of Side by Side, We Shine and our rainbow lollipop! Mack enjoyed all the different characters and discussing the colors. A beautiful book with kind words and valuable insight."
Reviewers highlight the end-of-book character guide as an engaging social-emotional activity for kids, families, and classrooms!
Order your copy of Side By Side, We Shine and discover why reviewers, teachers, and families love this colorful celebration of individuality.