Something Beautiful by Sharon Dennis Wyeth

This story teaches kids that they have the power to create their own beauty and bring it to their lives. The girl in this book walk around her house and sees some not very nice things, including some not so nice graffiti on a door, and the reader gets a sense of her unease. Then she goes to school and her teacher teaches the class the word beautiful, which is described as something, when you have it, that makes your heart happy. So she goes around the neighbourhood asking people what is beautiful to them, and various responses are given. Finally the little girl goes back to the graffiti and erases it, making a bit of beauty come into her own world. after that it ends on a sweet note with her mother. 

I think this a good book to read to a child to teach them that they have the power to make a positive change in the world, and that for every cloudy day there is an optimistic sun hiding unseen that is capable of showing itself to those who look for it.