This queer author is teaching kids to be kind: 'There is nothing political about kindness'

Kindness isn’t just about being nice to others, according to author Jackson Cooper.

The out LGBTQ+ author is dissecting what it means to be kind in his new book, A Kids Book About Kindness — and he wants everyone to know that it’s never too early (or too late) to start thinking about how we treat others and ourselves.

Cooper said that while it’s not directly about queerness, the book can serve as a helpful tool for families with LGBTQ+ parents or for young queer people navigating their identities, especially during a politically charged election year.

“The more that I started writing it, I found those intersections with other parts of my life, like being a queer person,” he told The Advocate. “There were a lot of queer people early on in my life who showed me kindness that made me feel comfortable being queer and coming out and embracing my full self.”

While the book is written for children aged 5 and up, the author said it can also have valuable lessons for their caregivers as they read the passages together.

“What's actually been really funny is since publishing, I've had a lot of adults really respond to the book — adults with kids and also adults without kids,” he continued. “So it's been really good to see that this resonates with people of all age groups.”

A Kids Book About Kindness uses interactive prompts that encourage conversation, colorful sticker- and emoji-like images, and a four-part “kindness toolkit” of smiles, words, energy, and time. It poses questions like “When was the last time someone made you smile?” and “What are kind words to you?”

One aspect Cooper stresses is that kindness is not just about being nice to others but also about being nice to yourself. It’s part of cultivating a kind mindset that the author feels children aren’t taught as often and which doesn’t usually follow us into adulthood.

“All the same things that we do for others or do to be kind to others we need to turn it around and do it to ourselves,” he said.

One exercise Cooper recommended is doing one kind thing for another person and one kind thing for yourself. He also noted that kindness can take many forms, including physical contact, sharing, giving, telling a joke, doing someone a favor, or even just listening.

“Kindness takes many shapes and sizes,” Cooper explained. “It can be as small as saying ‘I'm proud of you’ or ‘I miss you,’ but it can also be something as big as policy and legislation.”

Cooper believes that this message is universal, regardless of one’s background or beliefs. As an out queer person, he’s aware that his identity may be used to undercut the values of the book, but he emphasized that acceptance isn’t a political ideal — rather one of humanity.

“There really is nothing political about kindness because it's for everyone,” he said. “These very human acts and feelings are valid and not in any way able to be politicized. … Kindness is the thing that can really bridge a lot of those divisions that we see and we feel.”

Cooper added, “I really hope that people read this and understand that we're all capable of kindness.”