In a world where children often witness pain, conflict, and loneliness, it’s easy to believe that caring is a weakness rather than a strength.

But what if the greatest power they could harness was kindness? When we teach kids that a helping heart can change the world, they discover that real healing begins with their own two hands.

Enter one of children’s literature’s most caring hearts, who is inspiring the next generation to believe that goodness can still prevail—and showing them how to make it happen, one small act at a time.

Award-Winning Creator & Best-Selling Children’s Book Author/Illustrator, Dan Yaccarino, joins our John Masiulionis and Little Forrest on Episode #256 of PR From The Heart’s Children’s Books Spotlight Series to share the release of his new children’s book, Piccolo (published by Christy Ottaviano Books/Little, Brown Books for Young Readers), how his journey of over three decades in the KidLit community strengthened his bond with his younger self, the importance of maintaining a healthy balance between self-care and serving others, the transformative impact of empathy in children’s literature and everyday life, simple and practical ways to be helpful to others, the ever-changing landscape of connecting with young readers—plus much more. We encourage you, our friends and neighbors, to support Dan by grabbing your copies of Piccolo—and enjoy this empowering read with your little ones: https://bit.ly/48Rig92.

Piccolo Text and Illustrations copyright © 2025 by Dan Yaccarino. Courtesy of Christy Ottaviano Books/Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. All Rights Reserved. PR From The Heart has grown and evolved over the years alongside Dan, so we invite you to enjoy his previous trolley stops on The Children’s Books Spotlight Series, where he talks about several of his other acclaimed books:

Episode #130 (The Longest Storm): https://bit.ly/43Bma2b
Episode #182 (One, Two, Grandpa Loves You | Crane Jane): https://bit.ly/4notQvK