The Kindness Matters Podcast
So. Much. Division. Let's talk about how to change that. Re-engage as neighbors, friends, co-workers and family. Let's set out to change the world. Strike that. Change A World. One person at a time, make someone's life a little better and then do it again tomorrow and the day after that, through kindness.
Kindness is a Super-Power that each of us has within us. It is so powerful it has the potential to change not only your life but those around you, too. Let's talk about kindness.
The Kindness Matters Podcast
Teaching Kindness Through Story
A rainbow that loses its colors is a striking image—and the perfect doorway into a conversation about how small acts of kindness can change a day, a classroom, and a community. We sit down with preschool teacher and author Kelly Turner to unpack the heart and craft behind The Little Rainbow Who Lost Its Colors, a children’s book where friends restore brightness through caring deeds and gentle encouragement.
Kelly brings 14 years in the classroom to her writing, starting every story with a clear moral and building characters and scenes around that message. She shares how focusing on empathy, responsibility, and simple, repeatable actions makes the story not only memorable but useful for social-emotional learning at home and at school. You’ll hear how teachers are adapting the book with a playful “kindness wand,” turning compliments and helping hands into a daily ritual that boosts confidence and fosters belonging.
We also get practical about the creative process. Kelly walks through drafting, editing, and self-publishing, including finding an illustrator on Fiverr, handling revisions, and learning from early misprints. She explains why a bilingual Spanish edition matters for accessibility, how a bundled coloring book deepens engagement, and what’s next for the rainbow as a series—tackling self-esteem, bullying prevention, and positive identity in kid-friendly ways. Along the way, Kelly’s message stays simple and strong: kindness is cool, kindness is free, and it’s powerful enough to color the sky.
If you care about raising kinder kids, teaching empathy with tangible tools, or creating meaningful children’s stories, this one’s for you. Listen, share with a friend who loves children’s books, and leave a quick review to help more families and educators find the show.
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Intro music: ‘Human First’ by Mike Baker – YouTube Music: https://youtu.be/wRXqkYVarGA | Podcast: Still Here, Still Trying | Website: www.mikebakerhq.com
Welcome to the Kindness Matters Podcast, a show that celebrates the simple, powerful truth that kindness can change the world. Every week I aim to shine a light on people and organizations, making a positive difference in their communities, proving that compassion, empathy, connection still pride, even in challenging times. This podcast is about more than good stories, though. It's about real impact, professful conversations, inspiring acts, and everyday examples of humanity. If the message of this show resonates with you, share it with your friends and family. Because when it comes to kindness, the ripple effect is limited. I'm your host, Mike Rathbun. Let's get into the show right now. Well, hello there and welcome. Thank you so much for joining us on the Kindness Matters Podcast. I'm your host, Mike Rathbun. Um, I just I just want to take a second and acknowledge the fact that um of all of the millions of podcasts out there, you chose this one to spend 30 minutes on, and I am grateful for that. Thank you so much. If you hear something in this podcast today that uh that makes you feel uh a certain way, makes you feel upbeat or uplifted or whatever the case may be, something positive, of course. Um please feel free to to share it with your family, your friends, your co-workers, that guy on the street, uh whoever. Just go ahead and share this. I I would appreciate it so much from the bottom of my heart. Um I have such an amazing guest for you guys today. My show is gonna be this show is gonna be awesome. Um so today on the podcast, we're joined by Kelly Turner, and she is a gifted children's author and educator whose stories remind us that kindness, courage, and imagination can change the world. With over 14 years of classroom experience, Kelly has a rare talent for turning life lessons into heartwarping adventures that inspire empathy and creativity in young readers. Through her beloved works, including The Little Rainbow Who Lost Its Colors, Kelly helps children and the adults who love them rediscover the beauty of compassion and the power of storytelling to bring people together. Welcome to the show, Kelly. Thank you so much for being on today.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, mate, thank you so much for having me. It's truly an honor. I I I can't couldn't be more happier to be on to talk to you about kindness.
SPEAKER_00:I am so I'm so excited because I I peruse the book a little bit and it's just it's such a great book. Um and so, okay, first of all, for my listeners, if maybe they haven't had a chance to read it yet, they don't know about it. Tell me, tell them what the little rainbow who lost its colors is about.
SPEAKER_01:Sure, definitely, Mike. Okay, so um The Little Rainbow Who Lost His Colors Colors is about a little rainbow who, you know, he he starts out with a lot of colors, colors are bright and beautiful, and he somehow loses his colors along the way because he's not very nice to some friends. So it's about how his friends, how little rainbow's friends help him to get his colors back by doing kind acts of kindness to help him to get his to get his colors back. So originally the book started, I actually switched it around. It was in the beginning, it was Little Rainbow was gonna be doing acts of kindness for his friends, but then I swapped it around at the end and I said, Oh, you know what? Let me have his friends be doing acts of kindness. So it's all about how his friends help him, and you know, they encourage him and they help him to get his colors back. And sorry, I just told you the end of the book.
SPEAKER_00:Spoiler alert.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Well, that's okay. I mean, yeah, I bet that and it's such a powerful message for for kids. Is the book made for like youngsters, like pre-K?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I would say first. So I'm a preschool teacher, so I would say probably from preschool to about maybe like first or second grade. Yes, correct.
SPEAKER_00:Okay. I've got a grandson who is not quite preschool, he'll be three in November. So maybe this would make an excellent Christmas gift.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, it would. And the coloring book along with it, too.
SPEAKER_00:That's right. You pack now. Do you sell it as a as a package deal or do the are they sold separately?
SPEAKER_01:I do, yes, on my website. I have it as like a package.
SPEAKER_00:And we will have a link to that website in the show notes. Um so talk to us a little bit about how did how did being a teacher or preschool teacher what made you become a children's author? What made you decide I'm having fun doing this, but I could have more fun or add fun by telling a story?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, definitely. So, like it's like you mentioned, I've been teaching preschool for 14 years now, so I constantly I'm big on reading. I love reading, reading help, you know, children's minds to grow and to imagine. So, you know, I read books every day to my kids, and I was thinking, oh, you know what? It would be cool if I could, you know, instead of saying the author's name now, I would say, oh, Kelly Turner is the author. That I I would be the author, I would be, um, you know, I would read a I'm sorry, I would write a book, and you know, based on what I know, what what I feel I know that children, you know, need to hear what they enjoy. So I know the last couple of years I was really, really thinking about it. Then I say, you know what, I'm just gonna do it.
SPEAKER_00:That's so great. Yeah, just pull the trigger and let's do this thing. Um, yeah. So what inspired the little brain bell? You told us a little bit about how your idea changed. What was the inspiration for that?
SPEAKER_01:So actually, you know, I had um my best friend and um my best friend looked at the book, and you know, I said, you know what, please tell me your honest opinion. What do you think? And she's like, you know, it sounds great. She said, but what if she said, you know, I have to critique it, but what if you did it this way instead? And I was thinking, I said, Oh, you know what? That sounds so much, it sounds better. I think it went better. So that that's I was able to have my best friend help me. She critiqued it, and then I was, you know, then I swapped it around.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. And then so you okay, so you you're teaching, you had this idea. I think this would be a great idea for for my kids. My kids would like to read this, probably went through your mind, right?
SPEAKER_01:Yes.
SPEAKER_00:Um, and so how long did it take you to write the book?
SPEAKER_01:Ah, that's a good question. I believe I started in November of November, December of 2023, and I I put it on Amazon around May, in May of um 2024. Oh, but then I had that yeah, then I had to re- you know, I I found a few tiny mistakes, so then it had to get re-edited a few, like twice. So then in August was when the official the the good copy came out.
SPEAKER_00:So this is a brand new book.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, correct, it is, yes.
SPEAKER_00:Awesome, awesome. I I'm so excited for you. I really love that for you. Um, so when you start uh a new story, what comes first for you? Uh characters, plot, the moral, or the lesson, or the imagery?
SPEAKER_01:So I think with me for so with this book that I just but the little rainbow, I think it was the moral, the lesson went first. Because you know, I think once you get your lesson and whatever you want to write about, whether it's like friendship or or um like friendship or I can't even think friendship or like say rainbows or traveling, whatever you want, you get your you get your um moral, your lesson say, Oh, you know what? I think I want this book to talk about like bullying. So then you would base it off, yeah, you you would start there, and then you would get your characters going and then your plot going. So I think it starts with your the lesson, what you want your readers to get out of it, what you want them to learn or to like what you want them to connect to, and then you go off of everything else.
SPEAKER_00:Makes perfect sense to me. Yeah, I mean, did did you see a need to teach kids about kindness in when in your school?
SPEAKER_01:Well, you so I mean, of course, yeah I I I think so because I mean I do like I saw I'm a teacher, and you know, I walk the halls and I do hear things from children that you know aren't so nice, so more from like the older older grades, but I'm like, you know, I really think kids could, you know, hear more about kindness. I know there's so many books right now out about kindness, but you know, what's what's some more, you know, it's kindness you can never have too many, right? Exactly. So and with my little ones, so they just like they're just filled with kindness, they're just so sweet, like they're so innocent, they're pure, like every all their actions they do is because you know they care, and and it's just it's just amazing. That's what inspired me to write my book, actually watching how my children interact with one another, it you know, how they're just so sweet and so kind and to to each other without you know without expecting anything back, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:For sure, yeah. And and I think a lot, a lot, a lot of kids are like that, but I think also sometimes kids they see what's modeled to them.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, yes, they are like sponges, they soak up and they absorb everything. So, you know, I have a co-teacher in my room, and you know, I like we do a lot of modeling and like role-playing and stuff, so they they can they can see it too. So definitely they absorb, they listen to everything. You think they're not listening, but they are then they're watching everything.
SPEAKER_00:Absolutely they are. Um, yeah, for sure. So when you look at your when you look at your your kids, I love how you call them your kids.
SPEAKER_01:Because they are they call me mom, they're like mom, I'm like, no, my name is Miss Turner, but yeah, I mean you can call me mom, that's fine. I'm your side.
SPEAKER_00:Hours and hours a day. They're your kids. Um when when you look at your at your kids, um what kinds of challenges do you see kids facing today emotionally or socially, that you hope your books can help with? I mean, obviously kindness, right?
SPEAKER_01:Yes, kindness. So I mean, on the along the lines, I would say like I know there's sad, but there's a lot of bullying going on and I mean and it's I mean all ages actually, but so bullying, and I know some children may have like low self-esteem and like they might feel rejected. So like if people are kind if children are kind to each other, you know, that can help with their they that can give them some confidence and you know it'll give them some high self-esteem, and maybe it will it'll it'll just you know make them feel good. Of course, if you know if someone does something kind for you, or if they say something nice, it makes you, you know, it makes you feel good inside. And and then you just want to hopefully you just want to reciprocate and give that back to someone else and show that kindness to somebody else.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, for sure. Um, which this kind of that kind of begs the question, then are you working on other books? Because there are so many things you could write about, right?
SPEAKER_01:I know. So actually, one of my students' siblings from like last year, yeah, last year, she said, Miss Turner, are you gonna work on a second book? Because I think this is what you need to do. So she was giving me, she's older, she's like in third grade, so she was giving me some ideas. I said, Wow, well, thank you. I'm gonna jot those down.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, for sure. I mean, so uh are there plans to write a book about bullying?
SPEAKER_01:Yes, actually, you know what? There there should be a um I should be finishing up maybe next next month with actually this month, next month. So um, it's actually like a little rainbow ABC I Love Me book.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, so you're gonna keep the keep the main character, the little rainbow.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, yeah. So it's I think it's I was thinking whether I want to switch, but I think I'm just maybe trying to make it into like a series.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, for sure. Those do really well, I I think.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, and also I have a um I'm in the works of having like a little a little stuffed animal too of the little rainbow coming out, too.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, so who do you so do you have like somebody and it always fascinates me with writing because have you ever did you find any of any help through like yes, I did.
SPEAKER_01:I through YouTube. Yes, actually I found them through um actually no, I was just googling and I found a a company that does specializes in like you know stuffed animals.
SPEAKER_00:Nice, yeah, yeah. How about for your first book? Where'd you find your illustrator? Because I love the pictures in the book.
SPEAKER_01:Oh yeah, I love he's he's awesome. So I found on Fiverr. I when I finished my book, I I wasn't sure. Like I was like, okay, I don't know. What are my next steps? So I you know I was on I was on YouTube a lot, and YouTube helped me to find onto Fiverr. So when I went on Fiverr, I searched, I found my editor, and I found my illustrator. And I'm using this, I use the same two guys for the um for my my book coming up now, too, because I his illustrations were like beautiful. I'm like, you just made the rainbow, it's just it's just beautiful. I love all the pictures.
SPEAKER_00:It really is perfect. Yeah. I mean, I've always thought about writing a children's book, but then I'm like, nobody wants to see stick figures. Because that's what it would be if I wrote a book.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, you have to be very talented to be talented.
SPEAKER_00:You can tell because he's got brown crayon here.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Um, so did you get any feedback from other teachers or parents or anything?
SPEAKER_01:Sorry.
SPEAKER_00:On the book?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so well, from from the I I mean, I have a few Amazon reviews on my on my Amazon page, but then actually from some teachers that I know they say, you know, this is this book is great. Oh, you know, I forgot to mention in the story. So there's um each time one of um Little Rainbow's friends does like displays acts of kind of kindness from there's a uh kindness wand that it's it's there's a kindness wand that you that you blow into it and it's supposed to blow kindness everywhere. So my um the teachers that have been um reading the book and they've given me feedback, they say we love it. We've made the kindest ones in our class ourselves. The children go around the room and they're they're blowing kindness to their friends. I said, Oh, that's beautiful. I love it.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, that's so cool. So they're like reading the book and then taking a portion of the book and and doing it in the classroom.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, exactly. Yes, mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_00:Nice, that's gotta feel good.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, it does. I said, Oh, that just that melts my heart. It's beautiful, and that's actually what my kids do this year, too. I read my book to my um to my new class, and they we have our kindness ones hanging up, and they go over there and they're just blowing, Miss Turner, here's some kindness for you. Oh, you're so beautiful. I said, Oh my gosh, thank you. You guys are so sweet.
SPEAKER_00:That's so cool.
SPEAKER_01:There's a book called, um, I think it's called for um little it's called Have You Fill My Bucket or Bucket? Uh Have You Filled a Bucket today where it's like about random like kindness? Like you pretend somebody has a bucket and it's like, what can you do? What what acts of kindness or what can you say to fill someone's bucket up? So I think that's a great idea. My students fill my bucket up every day, they compliment me, they're so sweet. They're like, I'm like, you guys are just oh my gosh, I wish adults, oh, everybody could just learn from you guys.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, for sure. Um, I love that. Um, okay, so I think we already talked about okay. Okay, so in your work, in in this book, you emphasize values like empathy and kindness and curiosity. What does kindness specifically mean to you in the context of children's literature?
SPEAKER_01:So, you know, I believe that um kindness focuses on being considerate and genero and generosity, excuse me, I'm sorry, generosity and being friendly, which um encourages children to demonstrate kind behaviors to others, which in the long run can have a positive impact on other people.
SPEAKER_00:For sure. For sure. Are there things that you wish you had known when you first started writing that you would tell your younger self now?
SPEAKER_01:Oh, yeah, I would say probably, I don't want to say when I was when I was writing that I was like trying to um like I don't know, maybe I was trying to like have a race with myself, thinking that I had to do it within a certain time period. So my younger self, I would just say, you know, slow down, take your time. You know, it's not a race. When you finish your book, you know it's gonna be great. You know, you don't have to, there's no like deadline that has to be um um completed by so I think I was putting like pressure on myself. So that's what I would tell my younger self. Yes, just go with the flow.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I think that's you know, like like an artist. Because it is an art, right? Yes, it is. Yes. You can you're painting a picture and you're like, nope, not quite there yet.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, right. Oh, I mean, nope, not quite yet. We need a little triagle.
SPEAKER_00:As Bob Ross would say, you need a happy little tree right over here. Um yeah, I um okay, so I'm sorry. I got sidetracked. There's a retriever brain again. Okay, what was your biggest hurdle or setback when you were publishing or promoting your books? And how did you solve it?
SPEAKER_01:So that first I would say about the the editing part. Like I know it, I you when you write, of course, anything. You have to, whether it's a resume, a book, whatever you're writing, uh essay, you have to check, double check, triple check, and you know, I I did that, and and I even after the editor did it, I still trip, I double triple checked, and I still saw when it went out to public, when I got the book back, I said, Oh my goodness, I forgot a comma. I forgot a comma. And then actually in the process, I had changed one of the characters' names, and then I didn't realize that when I sent it to Amazon that the name was, yeah. So my first, my first batch of books has the um has the um the the wrong name in it. So actually I donated a lot of books to the um to the my mom. My mom has this therapy dog and she takes them to um like cancer into the hospital to visit kids. So I donate a lot of the books there. And then I was like, oh mom, I said, oh my goodness, can you tell the kids that the book may have a few mistakes? She said, No, it's okay. I'm gonna, you know what, let's make a game of it and see can you can you find the um can you find the mistakes? So that's what I realized for the for the um for my first book, the editing was like a big, a big challenge for me. And also, I would say that like, I mean, I'm so I'm a self-published author. So it's I was reaching out to publishing companies and you know it's it's hard. I was reaching out, sending letters and stuff, and so you know, I'm I was I didn't get discouraged. I said, you know what, if it's meant to be, it will be. But in the meantime, I'm gonna keep trying um promoting my book. So I would just say I wouldn't get discouraged if your book doesn't sell as long as the way you want it to sell, as long as it sells and it reaches a few people and a message touches people, then you know that's that makes me happy.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, for sure, yeah. Um on the editing part, I you know, I always thought I was pretty good in English when I was in school and writing and that kind of thing. And and I had people tell me that I should write a novel, whatever. Um but when I when I finally did write a book, and I think I found an editor on Fiverr as well, and I sent it in, and she's like, you know, I get it back with all the like circles around all the mistakes. I'm like, oh my god, I'm so bad. I thought I was really good at writing.
SPEAKER_01:Whoops. Maybe not. It's like you you take a test in school and you get like all the the teacher gives you like you get the red the red marks.
SPEAKER_00:Exactly, exactly. Yeah, even on even on Word documents, you know, I'll be typing away and okay. For me, it's like you know, I don't do this. Um but you know, and it'll it'll go, it'll have like the two underlying things, and I'll go, what's that mean? And it's like, oh, you need a comma here. Oh yes, oh my gosh, and you don't need a comma here.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, thank goodness for grandma. Grandma Lee, yes, because I use that a lot.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, for sure. Okay, final question, deep question. If you could reach every child in the world with one message, what would that message be?
SPEAKER_01:I would say kindness is cool, kindness is free, and be that person to make a difference, make somebody smile. You never know whose day you could brighten up. It's the simple, simple, small things. You don't have to go out of your way. You can hold the door for someone, maybe buy someone a sandwich, give them a compliment, you know, just something small. It'll make you feel good, but it'll make the the person on the receiving end feel even better. So I would just say be kind.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, and and that make it intentional. I mean, that can be every kid in the world can understand that.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, most definitely.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I I thank you so much for for coming on the show today. Kelly Turner, um, again, your website, a link to the Amazon place where the book is being sold, those will both be in the show notes. Uh once again, the book, the name of the book is The Little Rainbow Who Lost Its Colors. Fantastic book. Perfect gift for Christmas this year. Uh if you have young readers in the house, or if you have grandchildren, as some of us do, who may be reading soon. Um absolutely invest in it. And uh uh I I can I just mention it.
SPEAKER_01:It's in sorry, it's in Spanish too. I have it in Spanish too.
SPEAKER_00:Perfect! Oh my gosh. There you go. Spanish or English? You just widened your whole customer base. Thank you for taking the time to be on the show today. I really do appreciate it, Kelly.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, thank you, Mike. I appreciate it, and I think you're doing a great job with your podcast talking about kindness because the world definitely just can use more of it and can hear will love to hear more of it. And your guests that come on, I'm sure they have heartwarming stories that just melt people's hearts. So thank you.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, thank you. We will talk soon. Take care.
SPEAKER_01:Bye-bye. Thank you.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Kindness Matters Podcast with my guest, Kelly Turner, author of The Little Rainbow Who Lost Its Colors. Um, fabulous book. Can't recommend it enough. Um it'll be great for any preschool or first grader in your house. Hope you check it out. You'll find a link in the show notes. Um I hope this episode left you feel a little easier, a little more hopeful about the state of the world that we all care. If you enjoyed this episode, please feel free to tell your friends, family, and co-workers podcasts. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter for more upwards content. It's free, and there's a link to the sign up with the show notes. You've been listening to the Times Matters podcast. We will be back again next week with a joint new episode, and we will be honored if you would join us again. Remember, kind of matters, and so you I'm your host, Microsoft, and Fantastic With.
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