BUZZ BOOK: This release will make you smile — even in dark times

Janice Dean has had plenty of experience with making the best of difficult, sad situations. Most recently, she lost both of her in-laws to the coronavirus in March and April 2020. They were both in nursing homes and she has since become a vocal critic of Gov. Cuomo’s handling of the crisis. In her new book, “Make Your Own Sunshine: Inspiring Stories of People Who Find Light in Dark Times” (Harper), she celebrates others who have had the power to inspire and lift people up.

Here are two examples of people in the book who did just that:

Beth Bornstein Dunnington was at an LAX airport gate one day when she noticed a toddler in full meltdown, screaming and running around. The toddler’s mom was traveling alone and was visibly pregnant. At a certain point, unable to catch him, she began to cry. Beth and a group of other women formed a circle around the mom and child. Beth began singing “Itsy Bitsy Spider” to the boy, while another woman offered fruit and a bottle of water to the upset mother. Someone else produced a toy and began to distract the boy. The tantrum abated, and a few minutes later, the mother and son were able to board their flight.

Robert Dunham teaches fifth grade at George W. Carver Elementary School in Richmond, Va. One year, on the day his school would have its “moving on” ceremony — a type of graduation from elementary school to middle school — Dunham grabbed a pair of hair clippers before leaving the house. “Something tells me some of my students are going to need a trim,” he told his wife. He was right. When he offered his services to his pupils, he had plenty of takers — and set up a makeshift barber shop in his classroom. “Just being able to be that positive male role model for a lot of my students is just something I take pride in doing every single day,” he explained.