Tag: mindfulness

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Take it Slow! Sloth at the Zoom shows you how

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Sloth at the Zoom, by Helaine Becker/Illustrated by Orbie, (Aug. 2018, OwlKids), $17.95, ISBN: 9781771472494

Ages 3-7

Poor Sloth! She thought she was being dropped off at the Zzzzzoo, but something must have gone wrong with the paperwork: she’s been brought to the Zoom! It’s a very big difference, you see. At the Zzzzzoo, life moves along at a gentle pace; there’s time for naps in the sun, it’s relaxing, it’s all good. But at the Zoom? Whoosh! Zebras run by so fast, they leave their stripes in puddles! Parrots fly so fast, their tails draw rainbows across the sky! It’s VERY stressful, especially for poor Sloth, who wants to make friends, but no one has the time to give her. Finally, she meets Snail. Snail has time! Snail becomes Sloth’s friend, and the next thing you know, the Zoom is becoming a much nicer place to be. Sometimes, you just have to slow down and enjoy life, right?

It’s so nice to read a story that encourages life in the slow lane, isn’t it? I feel like we’re overscheduled and stressed out, our kids are overscheduled and stressed out, everyone’s got extracurricular activities, work, school, and deadlines seem to pop up everywhere, like neon signs. Kids are racing around like zebras, leaving their stripes behind, and so are we. Seeing two friends meet in the middle of this chaotic atmosphere, and bond over their shared moment of slowing down, gives hope to the rest of us, doesn’t it? Sloth at the Zoom shows readers that it’s in our hands to just stop, just slow down, and to discover the wonderful things that we often miss when we’re running by them. Slow living is contagious, too – if you slow down, someone else may, too. And that’s a good thing.

Sloth at the Zoom celebrates the Slow Living Movement, a lifestyle that puts the importance on mindfulness and embracing the slower aspects of life. There are blogs and websites dedicated to the movement, and there are books for adults and kids alike. One of my current favorites is The Slowest Book Ever, by April Pulley Sayre, which celebrates the science of slow in our world. But to start, all you really need to do is just take a deep breath and slow down.

Cuddle up with your little ones and enjoy a nice, slow read.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Can you help Yoga Frog cheer up?

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Yoga Frog, by Nora Carpenter, (May 2018, Running Press Kids), $14.99, ISBN: 9780762464678

Recommended for readers 4-10

Yoga Frog likes to start his day off with some stretching, but sometimes he’s grumpy. He’s not much of a morning frog, and frankly, I don’t blame him. But Yoga Frog has a secret mood lifter for those tough to drag yourself out of bed mornings: yoga!

Yoga Frog introduces young readers to 18 different poses, each illustrated by our friend and guide, Yoga Frog. Each spread is brightly colored, with one page describing the pose, and the pose’s name in both English and Sanskrit; the facing page has our green amphibian yogi demonstrating the pose. Not every pose maps to its “real” English name; for instance, what grownups may know as “warrior” is “giraffe” here, in keeping with the nature-themed names. It doesn’t matter here, it’s gives the kids something fun to relate to and envision as they stretch and bend, releasing those endorphins and giving them a spot of Zen. The digital art is simple and sweet, with a big-eyed, friendly frog working his way through his asanas. A note to parents reminds caregivers about the benefits of yoga and breath awareness, and there’s a fun poster depicting the poses – not in order – that you can hang up and have kids refer to during a yoga storytime.

This nicely fits in with my yoga storytime books as a nice instructional. If you have a yoga storytime program, this is a nice add; ditto, if you need some yoga books for your collection. There’s a lovely emphasis on building childhood mindfulness lately – and it’s well-needed – so I’d jump on it.

Posted in Early Reader, Fiction, picture books, Preschool Reads

Where does your mind go during class?

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Free Association: Where My Mind Goes During Science Class (Adventures of Everyday Geniuses), by Barbara Esham/Illustrated by Mike Gordon, (May 2018, Sourcebooks), $17.99, ISBN: 9781492669951

Recommended for readers 4-8

Emily is a  young student who loves doing science: the hands-on stuff, not the rote memorization that comes with the routine school day, which tends to set her mind off, wandering. Emily wants to be like Albert Einstein, setting her off into a daydream where Einstein climbs out of a classroom poster; he ends up sticking around as a quiet mentor throughout the book. After catching Emily daydreaming again, her teacher gives her a science journal – a way to be mindful of when she’s paying attention, versus when her mind is about to wander. Emily discovers that the journal is just what she needed, and the teacher, impressed with a theory Emily comes up with in her journal, encourages the whole class to keep science journals and use their imaginations.

The Adventures of Everyday Geniuses is a series of books for kids who may learn in nontraditional ways. Where My Mind Goes During Science Class addresses everyday boredom in class – come on, we all know it happens – as well as how to reach students with ADHD. The teacher embraces creativity and imagination, and understands that journaling can lead to some pretty exciting work – bravo, teacher! Emily speaks for most kids when she grouses, “It seems like the only thing we do in science is memorize information from a book”. Who hasn’t felt like that at some point? Emily is relatable to all kids (and a heck of a lot of grownups). Back matter talks to readers who are “everyday geniuses” and offers tips for focusing and centering themselves when their minds wander. The story font is set in OpenDyslexic, a font specifically designed for readability with dyslexia; an impressive commitment by the publishers to readers. Kids may recognize illustrator Mike Gordon’s artwork – he illustrates the super-popular Robin Hill School Easy Reader series.

Find out more about the Everyday Geniuses at the series website. This looks like a good series to have in classroom and library collections, to introduce kids to different ways of learning. I’m going to request other titles in the series from my libraries, to get to know this set better. The Adventures of Everyday Geniuses series is Reading Rockets Recommended, a Parents Choice Award Winner, and an ALA Booklist Pick.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds, Healthy Preschoolers!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I’ve been loving the books that publisher Walter Foster Jr. has put out the last several months. They’ve been promoting writers, artists, and concepts that introduce kids to different ways of looking at life: different colors, languages, and songs, for a few. There are two more books out this month that speak to young readers once more; this time, addressing mental and physical health. Let’s take a look.

ABC: Mindful Me (ABC for Me), by Christiane Engel, (March 2018, Walter Foster Jr.), $16.95, ISBN: 9781633225107

Recommended for readers 3-6

Christiane Engel’s ABC for Me series is so good for young readers and listeners. Her Baby Signs book illustrates the ABCs by introducing readers to simple sign language words that parents and children can use to communicate together; with ABC: Mindful Me, children learn the ABCs of being present and aware of themselves and the world around them. Using rhyme and child-friendly illustration, little ones learn about compassion and Zen; yoga and mandalas. There are even activities for caregivers and kids to work on together: make a mandala using found objects; make a gratitude tree, engage in some deep breathing and meditation. An index at the end helps us grownups refer to the 26 different “mindfulness pillars” introduced throughout the book. It’s a nice addition to young reader collections, and could be a good add to storytimes (especially yoga storytimes) and social discussions about empathy and kindness to ourselves and others.

 

My First Book of Pilates: Pilates for Children, by Rida Ouerghi/Illustrated by Elsa Fouquier, (May 2018, Walter Foster Jr.), $16.95, ISBN: 9781633225893

Recommended for readers 3-6

This is SO cute, and so perfect for my toddler/preschool yoga kids. An introduction to Pilates, this fits right in with books like Downward Dog with Diego, where kids learn simple yoga poses through animal illustrations. My First Book of Pilates offers a little more information, introducing readers to 12 Pilates poses, one per spread. On the left hand page, Rida Ouerghi and Elsa Fouquier use creative visualization to show us anthropomorphic explanations that make perfect sense to kids – imagine being a boat floating on the water; imagine rolling around like a hedgehog – and on the right hand page, an illustrated child recreating the Pilates pose, with simple instructions. There are some helpful tips at the beginning of the book to get your kiddos started. Absolute fun, and absolutely adorable! During a storytime, you can easily add some mindfulness practice in with the imagines, too: ask the kids to close their eyes and envision themselves floating on the water, rolling like a ball, or feeling their legs become strong, like trees.

Posted in Preschool Reads

Little Sid – Meet the Buddha!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Little Sid, by Ian Lendler/Illustrated by Xantha Bouma, (Jan. 2018, First Second), $17.99, ISBN: 9781626726369

Recommended for readers 3-8

This adorably illustrated story of the Buddha’s childhood is both a nice introduction to Buddhism for younger readers, and a meaningful fable about valuing connections over possessions.

Little Sid is Siddhartha, a little prince who gets everything he could ever want, except for time with his parents. They’re always running off to some grand event or monarch duty, leaving Sid to be raised by an army of handlers who all fawn over him. He isn’t happy. He takes off to find the secret to happiness and meets a wise man who confuses him, a tiger who terrifies him, and a mouse who makes it all come together for him. When he comes back, he’s a changed kid, ready to put what he’s learned into practice: starting with his parents.

Xanthe Bouma’s artwork is adorable and bright, lively and bold. Sid’s face is filled with expression, whether he’s happily greeting readers on the opening page or reveling in the joy of a ripe strawberry. Ian Lendler’s text weaves a story of a child who has everything he could want, but wants only his parents’ time. It’s a story of mindfulness and gratitude, and that’s something every child should know and every family should embrace. My favorite lesson? That being happy isn’t permanent, but neither is being sad. It teaches kids that life comes in ebbs and flows, and to go with those ups and downs. A brief biography of Siddhartha Gautama closes out this volume.

Booktalk or display Little Sid with one of my favorite books, Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth; together, the two books present a starting point to discover different cultures and faiths, all while delivering solid messages about awareness and resilience. Talk about the religions that inspire these tales; introduce your readers to Buddhism and Hinduism. It’s a great way to make their worlds a little bigger.

Posted in Preschool Reads

Attitudes of Gratitude: The Thank You Dish

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Thank You Dish, by Trace Balla, (March 2017, Kane Miller), $9.99, ISBN: 978-1-61067-644-1

Recommended for readers 3-8

Grace, a young girl, and her mother sit down to dinner. Mama thanks the rain, soil, and sunshine; Grace is thankful to the kangaroos. Why the kangaroos? For not eating the carrots! From there, Grace goes on to thank a multitude of people and animals that made Grace and her mother’s dinner possible, leading up to thanking Mom for making her such a yummy dinner. With a comfortable repetition – Grace is thankful, Mama asks why, Grace explains – The Thank You Dish is a sweet exploration of gratitude and of community. We don’t live in a vacuum; The Thank You Dish takes an amusing look at everyone and everything responsible for getting one family’s dinner on the table, from alpacas whose yarn went into the scarf that kept Uncle Fred warm while fishing, to a flower tree responsible for a fortuitous meeting. Grace and her mother eat dinner together at a dining table, emphasizing the family connection. Grace is a child of color; her mother is lighter-skinned.

I adore this book. This is a great storytime selection – see if kids can think of all the contributions made to their dinner tables! – and a great classroom circle time book. Remembering to say thank you when someone is directly interacting with you is one thing; being grateful for the unseen is just as important and essential to mindful living. A good book for classroom discussions!