Date Published: October 10, 2025
Publisher: Gatekeeper Press
With Mom’s loving guidance, Hurley and Pearl learn the power of pausing, breathing, and reflecting before reacting. They discover that kindness can heal hurt feelings, bring people together, and make everyone feel seen and loved. Inspired by Mom’s story of spreading kindness through small pink toy soldiers, the siblings embark on a heartwarming mission of their own—to brighten others’ days, one soldier at a time.
At school, Hurley comforts a classmate with a pink soldier after a tough moment on the playground, while Pearl lifts the spirits of a substitute teacher who feels overwhelmed. Through these small but powerful acts, Hurley and Pearl realize that kindness doesn’t just help others—it also fills their own hearts with warmth and happiness.
Their journey is about more than sharing toys; it’s about spreading love, empathy, and connection to everyone around them. Along the way, they discover a simple truth: kindness can change the world, one thoughtful gesture at a time.
Complete with a heartfelt letter from the fictional Colonel Michael T. Pinkerton, Kind Kids inspires young readers to share their own adventures of kindness. This delightful and empowering story encourages children to take small steps to make big impacts in their families, classrooms, and communities while reminding them that kindness to others begins with being kind to themselves.
Perfect for parents, teachers, and children alike, Kind Kids is a touching exploration of sibling dynamics, emotional growth, and the ripple effect of simple, kind acts.
Interview with Jenna McDonough
Introduce yourself and tell me about what you do.
My name is Jenna McDonough, and in addition to being a children’s book author, I work with both adults and children to help them better understand and manage their emotions. I am the creator of the Peaceful Kids App—the first-of-its-kind emotional intelligence app designed to teach children and their caregivers how to integrate tools and techniques for emotional regulation into daily life. Organized by both age and emotion, the app offers meditation, mindfulness activities, somatic resets, breathwork, and binaural beats. It also includes an Adult Meditation Library and is home to two of my signature courses: Highly Meditated and Introduction to the Healing Arts.
Beyond the app, I guide adults in identifying and releasing stuck energy through meditation, sound baths, and custom-designed healing experiences. I also developed coaching programs, such as Lifestyle Design and a proprietary program for high school juniors and seniors, as well as for any young adult navigating a transition year, to help them prepare with confidence for life beyond the classroom.
My professional journey began in education. I hold a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus in Communications Journalism from Florida Atlantic University, and started my career as an Elementary ESE teacher. While I found teaching deeply fulfilling, I also experienced firsthand the challenges of burnout, which inspired me to seek balance through meditation, mindfulness, and yoga. As my life evolved and I became a mother, I continued to deepen my personal practice, remaining committed to wellness while shifting my focus toward family.
During the global pandemic, I witnessed the surge of anxiety and stress across all ages and felt called to expand my work. What began as a personal passion evolved into a mission: to equip others—children, parents, and adults alike—with the tools they need to navigate life’s challenges with greater peace, presence, and emotional intelligence.
In recognition of my dedication to wellness and emotional regulation, I have and continue to serve as a member of the 2024 and 2025 Forbes Health Advisory Boards.
Tell me more about your journey as an author, including the writing process.
It has been my dream since I was 10 years old to write a children’s book. I thought about it often but kept telling myself it was something I’d do “later,” even though I had already been writing blogs for several years and had built a consistent writing practice.
As a mom of two children, I often witness the ups and downs of sibling dynamics. They sometimes get into disagreements, especially during those high-stress moments of trying to get out the door in the morning—but one of our family values is that we always reset and come together before they head off to school.
One morning, during the first week of summer vacation, they had a particularly heated conflict on the way to camp. This time felt different. Unlike school, they were about to spend the entire day together without me around, and it felt especially important to find a peaceful resolution before they stepped through the doors to begin their day.
That moment sparked my imagination and became the catalyst for Kind Kids. The story flowed naturally—I even wrote the first draft on my iPhone in a single day, in between errands and activities. Once it was written, I realized how great the need is for social-emotional books. I searched libraries, bookstores, and the internet for stories that depicted real-life situations paired with practical tools to help children emotionally regulate. I found many books that named emotions and described how they felt, but very few that children could truly see themselves in that included practical tools to help them manage their feelings. I felt strongly that this perspective was missing and deeply needed.
I then spent nearly six months revising the manuscript, refining the dialogue, weaving in additional tools and techniques, and making sure every page could serve as a resource for any child learning to express kindness. Once I felt confident in the story, I began the illustration and publishing process. Today, I am proud to share my first book: Kind Kids: The Adventures of Hurley, Pearl, and the Pink Soldiers of Kindness.
Tell me about your Book
Kind Kids: The Adventures of Hurley, Pearl, and the Pink Soldiers of Kindness is more than a book, it’s a movement. Having worked with children in many capacities since I was young, and now as a mother, I know firsthand how important it is to teach kids the skills of emotional regulation while also reinforcing the value of kindness. Even with my experience, I’m still surprised by how unkind children can sometimes be to one another. While conflict may be a natural part of growing up, I believe that if kindness were taught and modeled as the “default setting,” our world would be a better place for all of us.
Before writing my book, I started the Soldiers for Kindness Initiative. The idea took shape after I witnessed someone being openly rude to a cashier at a checkout line for no reason. I felt compelled to speak to the cashier afterward, to offer kindness and acknowledgment, because I couldn’t stand the thought of letting cruelty linger unchallenged. I had already been working with adults on strategies for emotional regulation and stress management. Still, I hadn’t yet found a fun and meaningful way to share those same principles with children.
The Soldiers for Kindness Initiative began with adults, but once I involved my own children, I quickly realized how much joy, connection, and understanding it brought them as well. When the idea for Kind Kids came to me, incorporating the pink toy soldiers felt like a natural extension of the initiative. They give children something tangible to share, a symbol of kindness and unity that helps them feel part of something bigger than themselves.
At the heart of my philosophy is this: we spend enormous amounts of time teaching children academics, yet we often overlook the importance of emotional intelligence. By laying the foundation early—teaching children how to recognize and regulate their emotions—they can grow into adults who respond rather than react. That shift, I believe, can help create a kinder, more compassionate world for us all.
Any message for our readers
I hope Kind Kids, The Adventures of Hurley, Pearl, and the Pink Soldiers of Kindness not only inspires children and adults to spread kindness—through pink soldiers and beyond—but also empowers the next generation to recognize and regulate their emotions while striving for peaceful resolutions.
About the Author
Beyond the app, I guide adults in identifying and releasing stuck energy through meditation, sound baths, and custom-designed healing experiences. I also developed coaching programs, such as Lifestyle Design and a proprietary program for high school juniors and seniors, as well as for any young adult navigating a transition year, to help them prepare with confidence for life beyond the classroom.
My professional journey began in education. I hold a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus in Communications Journalism from Florida Atlantic University, and started my career as an Elementary ESE teacher. While I found teaching deeply fulfilling, I also experienced firsthand the challenges of burnout, which inspired me to seek balance through meditation, mindfulness, and yoga. As my life evolved and I became a mother, I continued to deepen my personal practice, remaining committed to wellness while shifting my focus toward family.
During the global pandemic, I witnessed the surge of anxiety and stress across all ages and felt called to expand my work. What began as a personal passion evolved into a mission: to equip others—children, parents, and adults alike—with the tools they need to navigate life’s challenges with greater peace, presence, and emotional intelligence.
In recognition of my dedication to wellness and emotional regulation, I have and continue to serve as a member of the 2024 and 2025 Forbes Health Advisory Boards.
