Cocoa magic

This sweet story follows a young boy, who, through a small act of kindness, leads a movement at his school. Daniel loves spending time with Uncle Lewis, the "Cocoa King of Charlottetown," and learning how to shape and flavor chocolates each morning before school. One day, a new student named Sarah joins his class, but when Daniel smiles at her, she doesn't smile back. He understands how school can feel cold and lonely, so the next day, he secretly leaves a piece of chocolate in her desk. And she smiles when she finds it! Every day he brings more chocolates to share with Sarah and other classmates, who become kinder to others after receiving the unexpected gift. When Uncle Lewis takes a trip, it's the class' turn to cheer up Daniel with gifts of their own. Grimard's soft, muted artwork captures the old-fashioned feel of the story and its 1920s time period, but its message of giving is timeless. Bradley brings her experience as a social worker to this tale of empathy and kindness.

Chocolates bring togetherness--and magic--to a 1920s Prince Edward Island school. It was magic when Daniel made his first batch of chocolates at age 4, with his Great-Uncle Lewis--"the Cocoa King of Charlottetown"--keeping his hands steady as Daniel poured the chocolate into the mold. Four years later, the duo's chocolate-making has become routine as they melt, pour, scrape, and mold together for "one precious hour every morning" before Daniel goes to school. A new classmate's loneliness prompts Daniel to hide a beautifully wrapped chocolate caramel in her desk to cheer her up. The magic of chocolate does just that, so Daniel--in cahoots with Great-Uncle Lewis--keeps secretly bringing more for her day after day. Other students notice, so Daniel begins hiding chocolates for them, too. When Great-Uncle Lewis goes off to a chocolatiers' conference for five days, Daniel frets about the "cocoa magic" fading. His classmates surprise him with their own act of kindness. Drawing inspiration from her background as a clinical social worker, Bradley crafts a story laced with empathy and kindness. Grimard's soft, mixed-media illustrations evoke a sense of coziness as well as the historical Charlottetown setting. Daniel and Great-Uncle Lewis present White; the schoolchildren are diverse in skin tone. Endpapers mimic a box of chocolates--a delicious touch. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Sweet as sugar. (author's note) (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.