Åsa Gilland – Mom Read It

Everything Changes, by Clare Helen Welsh/Illustrated by Åsa Gilland, (March 2023, Kane Miller), $14.99, ISBN: 9781684644940

Ages 4-7

A family – mom, dad, child – are enjoying a summer vacation at the beach when the parents break the news: they will not be living together any longer. The child goes through a storm of emotions as his parents lovingly explain that they will both always love him. As the seasons change, the boy spends time with both parents, his thoughts and emotions churning; his parents lovingly reassure him each time: while sledding with his mother, sharing hot cocoa with his father, even meeting his mother’s new partner. At the boy’s birthday party, both sides of the family are there as he celebrates his day. Welsh’s validations will reassure readers experiencing similar challenges: “I know things won’t always be easy… but they won’t always be so hard”. The seasons changing show a passage of time that acts as a comfort, reinforcing change as a constant and that love endures. Dad appears brown-skinned, Mom is light-skinned, the child has light-rown skin and curly hair. A helpful book to have handy for collections.

Sesame Workshop has a helpful webpage with resources for dealing with divorce.

Meena’s Mindful Moment, by Tina Athaide/Illustrated by Åsa Gilland, (Nov. 2021, Page Street Kids), $17.99, ISBN: 9781645672869

Ages 4-8

Meena is a little girl who is excited to visit her Dada (her grandfather) – and so is her hurly-burly hullabaloo, the imaginary character that takes on the excited, can’t-sit-still feelings that Meena feels. Once she arrives in her Dada’s South Asian village, she runs rampant, cartwheeling and causing a ruckus. Dada’s neighbors aren’t happy, but he quietly sends them away and teaches Meena how to quiet her hullabaloo through mindfulness and meditation: and introduces Meena to his hullabaloo, too! Meena’s Mindful Moment is a sweet intergenerational story about mindfulness; that moment when excitement and new experiences just take over and can get a little out of control, and empowers kids to take back that control while letting kids know that we adults get the hullabaloos, too. Set in Goa, India, characters are shades of brown. The digital illustrations have texture and movement, with vibrant colors and lively fonts to denote action. The hullabaloos take on playful imaginary monster personas; Meena’s is turquoise with black and pink striped arms and legs; Dada’s is white with pink and white striped arms and legs. Endpapers show colorful mango plants, which ties into the story’s opening. A fun story about embracing your hullabaloo, but letting them know when there’s a time to be calm. A nice addition to yoga and mindfulness storytimes.

Author Tina Athaide’s website has links to educator guides for her books, including Meena’s Mindful Moment.