A Spot of Kindness - by Alice Bianchi-Clark (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Tiger has no stripes. Occasionally, he grows a new spot, but he doesn't know why. At school, he makes new friends every day with his acts of kindness, but when Zebra makes fun of his spots, Tiger feels small. For World Book Day, the librarian asks Tiger and his classmates to find the picture book that best represents them. Tiger decides to write his own, but his words only tell half the story. Zebra is fantastic at drawing. Could Tiger and Zebra overcome their differences to work together?

A Note About This Story

Alice's son came up with the idea of a tiger growing spots for each act of kindness. He was diagnosed with vitiligo age three. Although he knew that his growing new spots had nothing to do with being kind, like Tiger, he felt different and longed to fit in. Writing Tiger's story was Alice's way of helping her son realise that it's not what you look like but what you do that makes you beautiful.

About the Author

The Author

Alice Bianchi-Clark has swapped the rainforest for big cities. She has lived and worked in Rome, London, Paris, Beijing and Hong Kong. She currently resides in Singapore with her supportive husband, big-hearted son and menagerie of parrot fish, terrapins and a kaleidoscope of butterflies. She even has a suitcase filled with stuffed animals she takes turns to snuggle with. As a child, she struggled to own her differences and wishes she had had the magnanimity to win over her bullies with kindness.

The Illustrator

Shruti Hemani is an architect and urban designer with a master's degree from the University of Nottingham. She worked with a Manchester-based design co-operative before moving back to India and pursuing a PhD in Design from IIT, Guwahati. At present she lives in Jaipur, where she worked as a faculty member for a postgraduate programme in urban design and later as an independent design consultant and illustrator. Alongside her professional career in urban design, she continues to follow her interest―illustrating. She takes her work as a journey of discoveries and surprises, and enjoys experimenting with different mediums and styles. Since 2020, she has been contributing regularly to children's magazines and illustrating picture books. Shruti is a keen observer of all forms of life between buildings. In her free time, if not wandering the streets of Jaipur observing plants, fungi, insects, birds and people, she may be found hiking in the Aravallis with her loving husband and their inquisitive son.