Compassion and kindness are pretty great, right? Where would this world be without kind people to feed the homeless, walk old ladies across the road, and help high school students analyze literary characters for an upcoming essay? But Thidwick and the Big-Hearted Moose suggests that there may be times when kindness might not be all that great—like perhaps when you find yourself walking around with five hundred pounds of animals on your back while hunters give chase in an attempt to mount your head on a wall. That's one possible example anyway.
Questions and Answers
Questions the little ones might ask and how you might respond
- Q: What's the moral of this story? I'm confused.
- A: The moral is simply that kindness can be taken advantage of by selfish people.
- Q: So, wait… kindness isn't a good thing?
- A: I don't think the book is trying to say that as a blanket statement. It's just trying to show people that there are times when, yeah, kindness is more harmful than a little selfishness.
- Q: When are those times?
- A: When people—or anthropomorphic animals, I guess—are so selfish that they don't have an ounce of kindness in them, then it's probably best to counter with a little of your own selfishness. Not a lot but enough.
- Q: How will I know when enough is enough?
- A: That's a great question, but I don't have an answer. It'll depend on the situation. If your safety's in jeopardy, though, then things have definitely gone too far and it's time to prioritize protecting yourself.