Mindful Tots: Tummy Ride

by Whitney Stewart, Rocío Alejandro (Illustrator)

Overview

"The bright illustrations provided by Rocio Alejandro are a wonderful accompaniment to the book, especially that children of diverse ethnicities can be seen" - Youth Services Book Review

Nurture kindness and help manage toddlers’ everyday emotions with Mindful Tots: Tummy Ride, written by the award-winning author of the bestselling Mindful Kids activity deck, Whitney Stewart, in collaboration with early childhood development specialist Stefanie Paige Wieder, M.S.Ed.. With clear, straightforward instructions, and calming ocean wave imagery, this cheerful board book enables parents and caregivers to enjoy a simple breathing exercise with children as young as 2 years old. A must-have for naptime, bedtime, travel and more, Mindful Tots: Tummy Ride is designed to help small children learn to soothe themselves while laying the foundation for self-awareness and kindness.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781782857488
Publisher:	Barefoot Books
Publication date:	04/30/2019
Series:	Mindful Tots Series , #2
Pages:	14
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 6.50(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	2 - 4 Years

About the Author

Whitney Stewart puts her heart, mind and feet into her work. She has trekked in a Himalayan snowstorm with Sir Edmund Hillary, climbed to remote Buddhist monasteries in Tibet, interviewed the Dalai Lama in India and sat for days in meditation retreats. She is the author of many travel articles, and of both fiction and nonfiction for children. When she is not writing or traveling, she teaches mindfulness and meditation to children and adults.

Rocio Alejandro has illustrated many children’s books published both in her home country of Argentina and abroad. In 2017, she won the X Compostela Prize for her book, La huerta de Simón.

Editorial Reviews

"The bright illustrations provided by Rocio Alejandro are a wonderful accompaniment to the book, especially that children of diverse ethnicities can be seen" - Youth Services Book Review

From the Publisher

2019-08-26
This how-to board book coaches toddlers on the methodology of deep breathing.

Using a meditative, repetitive style, an omniscient narrator obliquely explains the process of feeling and controlling one's breath, a process readers learn "helps you rest." Initially the instructions, such as placing hands on one's tummy to feel it moving up and down, are quite clear. However, the directions become harder to follow as the metaphor grows more protracted and abstract, comparing breathing to an "ocean wave" that becomes a "smooth wave" with deep breaths, though patient adult caregivers will probably be able to help young charges bridge this gap. Good-natured, colorful art features diverse adults and children who adequately model the instructions, though the roughly drawn faces with triangular noses and loud, red-circle cheeks on oversized heads look a little peculiar. Companion text Loving Kindness, a meditation dedicated to building empathy and other "happy feelings for little ones," is filled with sweet scenes between family members and affirmations such as "use gentle hands when you play. You can share happiness." An earnest reading of these purposeful instructions will feel natural to some but corny to others.

Not to everyone's taste, but those searching for ways to explain and explore mindfulness with little people will be pleased. (Board book. 2-5)

Kirkus Reviews