Take the Time

Take the Time: Mindfulness for Kids by Maud Roegiers. This is a simple, beautiful and artfully written book. The illustrations are unusual, a sort of modern version of vintage children illustrations. Grid paper is the back drop for most of the line drawings with soft watercolor washes that seem to be cut and pasted onto the white pages. Single lines of text flow from one page to the next sharing that it's good to take the time to be with your friends, to do the things you enjoy, to listen to silence, to slow down, and other wonderful moments that pass by all too fast. There are also lessons in manners and emotional well being for example to take the time to think before you speak and to take the time to heal when your feelings are hurt. The text is calming and reassuring and the mostly blue and yellow tones of the illustration reinforce that. This is a great read to share with a child to encourage them to enjoy the simple moments and things that make up life. To not be hurried or distracted or caught up by the hustle and bustle of the world buzzing by.

The Grouchies

Here's another fun grouchy day read called The Grouchies by Debbie Wagenbach and illustrated by Steve Mack. Similar to Alexander in my previous post a young boy wakes up with the grouchies. They hover over him like gloomy clouds and have a little chant they sing to encourage him to not act nice to others. At the end of the day the little boy reflects on how bad the day was. His sister is sad, his friends don't want to play with him, mom and dad are mad. His parents tuck him in and offer up some great advice on how to stop those grumpy grouchies. I wasn't sure what my two would think as I read through it. We've had some grumpy grouchies of late. They loved it and have requested to read it several times since. It was a great help too for starting a great discussion on our attitudes and behavior. There are additional notes to parents about grouchiness and how to help your kids work through it in the back of the book. The illustrations are bold, simple and fun.