A WORLD OF MINDFULNESS

Numerous artists illustrate words meant to ground readers in the moment.

The simple text of this invitation to mindfulness covers the self (“I know who I am”), the body (“when I run, my muscles stretch and I feel powerful”), natural surroundings (“I can hear birds and breezes”), emotions (“bad feelings are like cold snow melting in my hand”), and sensations (“the sun is warm on my face”). Designed to bring readers’ attention to what is occurring within and around them, the text reads like a guided meditation, beginning and ending with “I am here.” Each spread features art by a different illustrator, varying in style, with bright colored-pencil drawings, soft watercolor paintings, mixed-media collage, and striking scenes in textured clay. The scenes represent the moments and experiences described in the text, and they feature children of diverse racial and cultural backgrounds. With its meditative words that encourage slow reading, this book can be used as a practical introduction to mindfulness meditation, as an example of the practice, and as a guide. Each illustration style works, but the combination undermines the simplicity of the book by drawing attention to visual contrasts during the first few readings. As the novelty wears off with habitual reading, attention can return to the experience of mindfulness that is the book’s strength.

A book that will grow in effectiveness with use.