My Journey of Kindness
1946 onwards
All my life I have been lucky enough to experience kindness in many different ways. This was especially true during the 17-years that I took a vow of silence. During this time I travelled by foot and met many amazing people. Here are just a few moments of kindness and compassion that led me to writing this book for you.
My parents taught me to look after the squirrels and birds that lived around our home. They also taught me to be kind to people and expect kindness in return.
1976
1975
On another walk in Oregon, a kind family fed me when I had no food. In return I stayed to help them build a new house. I learned that kindness creates kindness: because the family helped me, I wanted to help them too.
I walked to southern Oregon, USA, and two gold miners gave me shelter and dinner in their log cabin. They told me that for them, it was not gold that had the greatest value. Instead, living in nature and treating each other with kindness were most important to them.
1987 I headed east across America. I stopped at the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Reservation in Eagle Butte, South Dakota. The local people kindly fed me and gave me a place to rest. Each day someone from the tribe walked with me to keep me company.
1984 I walked for two years to get to the University of Montana. Sadly I had no money for tuition. The director gave me money to register for environmental studies classes. In 1987 I received a similar kindness at the University of Wisconsin. There, my tuition and living costs were paid for as I studied. I will be forever grateful for these incredible gestures. 14
Around 1952
While travelling on a bus to visit family in the American south, I felt sad because Black people like me had to sit at the back of the bus. A woman saw I was upset and gave me a sweet to cheer me up.
1950s
My mother and her friend took gift baskets of fruit and sweets to residents of care homes. I would go with them to be part of their act of kindness.
1972
1973
I decided to stop speaking. I continued my Planetwalker journey in silence.
I chose to stop using oil and started a journey walking across America. Soon, I become known as the Planetwalker.
1971
I witnessed two oil tankers collide in the San Francisco Bay. The sight of oil polluting the water and harming the wildlife there changed my life forever.
2008 I was invited to speak at the TED conference in California. I spoke about my journey of silence and learning. By doing this, I hoped to spread my message of respect for our planet.
1990
After seventeen years spent walking across America, listening to others and studying the environment, I realized that I had something to say. So I started speaking again. I chose the twentieth anniversary of Earth Day – April 22, 1990 – to break my silence. This was to remind myself to always speak up for the environment and other people.
Today
I now live in New Jersey, with my own family. We look after each other and the wildlife around us. We care for any birds that fall from trees or baby bunnies when their burrows are flooded by spring rains. I try to teach my children, as my parents taught me, to spread kindness by example. 15
Kind Inventions
Humans are great inventors. Many inventions are created to make life easier or better in some way. Some inventions were born out of kindness, with the spark of creativity coming from seeing someone else in need. Here are just a few incredible inventions that make life easier, safer or healthier for humans, animals or the planet. Maybe they might inspire you to make something that could help others!
Blobs, an invention to help the environment
A company in the UK has created edible packaging that can hold liquid. It can be used instead of a plastic bottle, with the aim to reduce plastic waste. The ball-shaped edible blob is made from seaweed extract and can be filled with water or other liquids. So far, it has been used during running races and music festivals. But it could be used to get clean water to disaster zones, too.
FrogLog, an invention that's kind to frogs Swimming pools can be dangerous for small animals such as frogs, lizards, squirrels and mice. If they fall in, they might struggle to climb the steep sides to safety. The FrogLog is an inflatable platform with a ramp that gives these creatures an easy way out of the pool to dry land. 34
Stair-climbing chair, an invention for wheelchair users
A group of university students created a cool robot that could climb stairs. Soon after, they saw a new potential for their invention. They added a seat and adapted the robot to become a wheelchair! In 2017 the students founded their company Scewo, and launched a ground-breaking, stair-climbing electric wheelchair.
Polyglu, an invention that gives people clean drinking water
In 2002, a Japanese company invented a special powder made from soya beans. They called it Polyglu. When mixed into dirty water, the powder sticks to the dirt. It then sinks to the bottom, leaving clean water above. After filtering, the water is then safe to drink. Polyglu could save lives in very poor or disaster-hit places, where there is no clean running water.
Seabin, an invention to help the oceans A project called Seabin was developed in Australia. Its aim is to clean up the oceans one piece of litter at a time. Each Seabin sits in a harbour, sucks in water and, with it, rubbish. Volunteers help empty the bin. Then scientists monitor the waste to find out exactly what items are polluting the water. Each bin collects 1.5 tons of rubbish every year. 35
Peaceful protests
Protesting is a way to show that you think something is unjust. For example, my way of protesting the bad treatment of the planet was to stop using oil. There are many different ways of making a stand. Sometimes it helps if other people join in, too. This can make governments take notice, and encourage them to make changes for the better.
Mahatma Gandhi leads the Salt March
Between 1858 and 1947, India was ruled by the British. The Indian people were treated badly. For example, it was illegal for them to produce or sell salt. Salt was important for cooking but it had to be bought from the British. An Indian lawyer and activist named Mahatma Gandhi decided to protest. On 12 March 1930, Gandhi and a group of his followers set off on a 24-day march. They walked to the sea to collect salt. Lots of people joined and the movement spread around the country. Eventually India gained freedom from British rule.
The Singing Revolution
For many years Estonia struggled under the rule of other nations. In 1944 it became part of the Soviet Union and this caused many Estonian traditions started to die out due. One of these traditions was choral singing. So, the Estonian people decided to use it as part of a peaceful protest. From 1987 onwards large crowds of Estonians gathered in public. They joined hands and sang their national songs as an act of defiance. In 1988, 100,000 Estonians spent five nights singing protest songs together. This event helped Estonia achieve independence finally in 1991. 40
Black Lives Matter
Black people in America suffer racism, violent treatment and even death at the hands of the police. In 2013, activists Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi decided they had had enough. They started the Black Lives Matter movement to stand up for Black people’s rights to dignity and safety. They aimed to work peacefully with all people in the spirit of kindness and humanity. In 2020, George Floyd was murdered by police officers in Minneapolis, USA. This sparked grief, outrage and protest all over the globe. Millions of people united behind the movement.
Rosa Parks sits tight
In 1955, the American south was segregated. This meant that Black people were badly treated and had to stay apart from white people. For example, Black people had to sit in a special section at the back of buses. Activist Rosa Parks was taking the bus home one day when the bus driver told her to give up her seat for a white passenger. Rosa refused to budge, so she was arrested and put in jail. This helped to spark a big movement with many Black people refusing to use public buses. This support led to the unfair rules eventually being changed.
Women's March
In 2017 around 5 million people protested against discrimination. They took part in marches all around the world to support equality for girls and women. They also marched for LGBTQ+ and civil rights and environmental causes. They were driven by a feeling that discrimination towards women and other groups of people was on the rise. So they joined forces to show that it would not be tolerated.
Human Kindness Author: John Francis Illustrator: Josy Bloggs Ages: 8+ years Price: £14.99 Format: Hardback Extent: 64 pages Trim size: 280 x 260 mm Pub date: 1st September 2022 ISBN: 978-1-9129203-1-0
Author John Francis is a campaigner, public speaker and educator who advocates for our planet. He spreads the message that our environment includes the other humans in the world and that we must treat both the Earth and other people with kindness. After witnessing an oil spill and the devastation it caused in San Francisco Bay in 1971, he stopped using motorised transport for 22 years and stopped talking for 17 years in protest. Since then, John has founded the environmental awareness organisation Planetwalk, given a TED talk (he started talking again in 1990) and published two adult books about his journey.
Join the Planetwalker, John Francis, on an exploration of kindness, great and small. From the kindness John has experienced in his own life to the history of how kindness has helped to shape our laws, morals and communities, read many inspirational stories from around the world.
Illustrator Josy Bloggs began her career as a graphic designer. After graduating from the University of Huddersfield in 2009, she went on to work as an interior designer for commercial clients. Josy now works as a freelance designer and illustrator and is based in Yorkshire.
Over the whole history of humankind, kindness has been key to the survival of our species and to making our world a better place. Learn about Harriet Tubman, who risked her life to help others escape from slavery, the Nomads Clinic, which sends doctors trekking into the Himalayas to tend to patients, The Linda Lindas, a group of young musicians who use their talent to speak up for the rights of others, Joshua Coombes, a hairdresser who gives free haircuts to the homeless, and many others. The joyous and aweinspiring stories in this book will encourage young readers to be kind to others. And being kind, even in small ways, turns out to be healthy for you, yet another reason to practise kindness every day. It’s our planet to share together – let’s be kind.
Selling points • Written by environmentalist, public speaker and educator John Francis, founder of the environmental awareness organisation Planetwalk, and author of Planetwalker: 22 Years of Walking. 17 Years of Silence, and an advocate for kindness in all aspects of human relationships. • Inspires children to practise kindness in their everyday lives, by being mindful of and kind to themselves and others. • Makes cross-curricular connections across social justice, history, geography and social-emotional development.
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ISBN 978-1-912920-31-0
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