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Children's Nonfiction Mindfulness & Meditation

A World of Mindfulness

by (author) Erin Alladin

illustrated by Suzanne Del Rizzo, Rebecca Bender, Gabrielle Grimard, Tara Anderson, François Thisdale, Scot Ritchie, Miki Sato, Tamara Campeau, Emma Pedersen, Carmen Mok, Aino Anto, Sue Macartney, Amélie Dubois & Andrea Blinick

Publisher
Pajama Press Inc.
Initial publish date
Nov 2020
Category
Mindfulness & Meditation, Emotions & Feelings, General
Recommended Age
3 to 6
Recommended Grade
p to 1
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781772781380
    Publish Date
    Nov 2020
    List Price
    $22.95
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781772782721
    Publish Date
    Feb 2023
    List Price
    $14.95

Classroom Resources

Download Discussion Guide

Where to buy it

Description

The meditative picture book that Kirkus Reviews recommends as “a practical introduction to the mindfulness meditation, as an example of the practice, and as a guide”—now in paperback!

Parents, educators, and health practitioners everywhere are recognizing the importance of mindfulness practice, particularly for children. Meditation and yoga are becoming common activities in kindergarten classes and beyond. Taking time to be still and pay attention to their thoughts and bodies helps kids feel calm, focused, and in control. In A World of Mindfulness, meditative text reflects on the sensory ways children experience life, from the feeling of their muscles when they run…to the sound of a turning page…to the memory-laden taste of fresh-baked cookies. Positive and negative emotions are alike acknowledged and affirmed, and a strong sense of self is reinforced.

Richly illustrated by fourteen artists with all-new original art, A World of Mindfulness will create its own quiet moments as children revisit its lavish pages. A closing note about mindfulness practice rounds out this board book, making it a helpful resource for homes, classrooms, and beyond.

About the authors

Erin Alladin is an editor, a writer, and an ecology enthusiast who is always looking for ways to combine her passions. Born in Northern Ontario to a gardener and a forester, she spent most of her early life looking at and thinking about the natural world. As a young adult she spent nearly a decade immersed in Toronto’s children’s literature scene before retreating back up north, where she continues to edit while growing vegetables and writing about regenerative agriculture. Erin’s debut picture book, Outside You Notice, received a starred review from Kirkus and was the Northern Lights Book Award winner. Erin lives near Parry Sound with her wife, her garden, and not quite enough bookshelves.

Erin Alladin's profile page

Suzanne Del Rizzo has always loved getting her hands messy. She traded her job in scientific research for a career in children’s illustration with her first picture book, Skink on the Brink, which won the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award and was a finalist for the Rainforest of Reading Award. Suzanne’s dimensional illustrations use Plasticine, polymer clay, and other mixed media to bring rich texture and imagination to her books. In 2015, looking for resources to explain the Syrian Civil War to her own children, Suzanne came across an article of a boy who took solace in a connection with wild birds at the Za’atari refugee camp. Struck by the universality of a child’s relationship to animals, she began writing My Beautiful Birds. Her distinctive illustrations also grace Sun Dog, a winner of the IODE Jean Throop Book Award, and Before You Were Born, an acclaimed and touching celebration of new life. Suzanne lives in Oakville, Ontario.

Suzanne Del Rizzo's profile page

Rebecca Bender is a well-loved author-illustrator of children’s books as well as an art director and designer. Her picture books include Not Friends, Don’t Laugh at Giraffe, Giraffe Meets Bird, Peach Girl (illustration), and How Do You Feel?. She has also illustrated the chapter books Slug Days, Penguin Days, and Duck Days. Rebecca’s awards and honors include the OLA Blue Spruce Award, a Cooperative Children’s Book Center best-of-the-year choice, and a Toronto Public Library best-of-the-year selection. Rebecca graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design at the top of her class, earning the Medal for Illustration. She lives in Burlington, Ontario, with her husband and two children.

 

Rebecca Bender's profile page

 

GABRIELLE GRIMARD a illustré plus de 30 albums, dontLes mots volés, Quand j’avais huit ans, Fatima et les voleurs de clémentines, Aujourd'hui peut-être... et les livres de la série Petit Gnouf. Elle est aussi l'auteure-illustratrice de l'album Lila et la corneille. Gabrielle habite aux environs de Montréal.

 

From the time she was little GABRIELLE GRIMARD loved art, dismaying her elementary school teachers by constantly drawing in class. Later Gabrielle studied art in high school and university. After her son was born, she began illustrating children’s books and has now created more than 25, including When I Was Eight (Quand j'avais huit ans), Stolen Words (Les mots volés) and Not My Girl (Où est ma fille?). Lila and the Crow (Lila et la corneille) is the first book she both wrote and illustrated. She uses watercolours, gouache and oil to create images of amazing warmth and depth. Gabrielle lives near Montreal, QC. Visit her at https://www.gabriellegrimard.com.

Gabrielle Grimard's profile page

A folk artist and award-winning illustrator who trained at the Ontario College of Art and Design, Tara Anderson is known for her lively and humorous animal illustrations. Her most recent work includes spot illustrations of a quirky little hamster in Sapphire the Great and the Meaning of Life, and beautiful coloured-pencil illustrations of a boisterous family of rhinos in Rhino Rumpus. Her debut That Stripy Cat was followed with Nat the Cat Can Sleep Like That, which won the 2014 Preschool Reads Award and was nominated for the 2015 SYRCA Shining Willow Award. The antics of Nat and his kitten friend are inspired by the cats who roam her farmhouse in Tweed, Ontario, where she lives with her husband and daughter.

Tara Anderson's profile page

 

L’œuvre de François Thisdale mélange les techniques traditionnelles et l’imagerie numérique. Il est l’illustrateur de The Stamp Collector, qui a été sur la liste d’honneur IBBY, That Squeak, un livre qui s’est mérité une mention d’honneur pour le prix IBBY Canada Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver et Missing Nimama, lauréat du prix TD de littérature pour l’enfance et la jeunesse. François vit à Montréal, au Québec.

 

François Thisdale's work blends traditional drawing and painting with digital imagery. He is the illustrator of The Stamp Collector, which is on IBBY Honor List, That Squeak, an honour book for the IBBY Canada Elizabeth Mrazik- Cleaver Picture Book Award, and Missing Nimama, winner of the TD Canadian Children’s Book Award. François lives in Montreal, Quebec.

 

François Thisdale's profile page

 

Scot Ritchie est un auteur-illustrateur primé vivant à Vancouver, en Colombie-Britannique. Il a illustré, et parfois écrit, plus de 40 livres pour enfants, dont Suivons la carte, Dis-moi pourquoi et There was an Old Lady that Swallowed a Puck.

 

Scot Ritchie is an award winning illustrator who lives in Vancouver British Columbia. He has illustrated over 40 children's books, (some of which he also wrote) including Let's Go! The Story of Getting from There to Here, Up, Up and Away and the Basics for Beginners series, Hockey, Baseball and Soccer.

 

 

Scot Ritchie's profile page

Miki Sato is a Japanese-Canadian illustrator who uses a variety of different textures and materials to create three-dimensional images. Originally from Ottawa, she moved to Toronto to complete her degree in illustration from the Ontario College of Art and Design. Her picture books include Snow Days, which was a finalist for the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award, Sunny Days, which was a 2021 CBC Books Best Book, Windy Days, which won a Northern Lights Book Award, and Rainy Days.

Miki Sato's profile page

Tamara Campeau’s illustration journey began at Dawson College, where she earned her associate degree in illustration and design. Shortly after, she furthered her studies at Sheridan College, where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in illustration with honours. Tamara works digitally to bring stories to life through her painterly illustrations. Her work has a strong sense of lighting and vibrant colour palettes, along with dynamic compositions. She loves creating endearing characters with a strong sense of personality and emotion. Her work is inspired by wildlife, children, and the environments they reside in. She uses this inspiration to add a layer of realism to her illustrations. When she’s not at her desk, she can be found breaking a sweat at the local gym or exploring nature with her standard poodle, Peanut.

Tamara Campeau's profile page

Emma Pedersen is an illustrator and concept artist with a love for visual storytelling and character design. With BFAs from the Ontario College of Art and Design in drawing and painting, and from Sheridan College in illustration, Emma specializes in children’s illustration. Her first picture book is Queenie Quail Can’t Keep Up (2019). Emma lives in Toronto, Ontario, with her partner and a beloved, and smelly, little dog.

 

Emma Pedersen's profile page

Carmen Mok is a studio-art graduate of the University of Waterloo, and a crafts and design graduate of Sheridan College in Ontario, Canada. Her books include Waiting for Sophie by Sarah Ellis, Look at Me Now by Carol McDougall and Shanda LaRamee-Jones, and Ride the Big Machines in Winter. She recently illustrated Grandmother’s Visit by Betty Quan, which was named an Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature Picture Book Honor Title, was on the shortlist of the IODE Ontario Jean Throop Book Award and was selected for the Ontario Library Association Best Bets List. Carmen lives in St. Catharines, Ontario.

Carmen Mok's profile page

A child of newcomers, Aino Anto grew up one of four rambunctious kids in a big city, with summers spent exploring forest paths. Aino graduated from the University of Toronto and earned an associate’s diploma from the Ontario College of Art, now the Ontario College of Art and Design. Aino’s first picture book is The Moon Watched It All. She lives in a leafy corner of Toronto and still treasures her earliest notebook of stories.

 

Aino Anto's profile page

Sue Macartney's creative style as an author-illustrator has been shaped by life on four continents and work as a graphic designer and children's art educator. Her first picture book is Benjamin's Blue Feet. She has a deep love of nature and lives in Victoria, British Columbia with her husband and a backyard full of birds.

 

Sue Macartney's profile page

AMÉLIE DUBOIS grew up in Montreal but found her true home in Mauricie. She has illustrated children’s books such as Lapin perdue, Rien du tout! and Mingan les nuages. Her work has also appeared in magazines and on television. A critically acclaimed artist, she most recently illustrated Copine et copine, which was the French-language finalist for the 2020 Governor General’s Award.

Amélie Dubois' profile page

Andrea Blinick is an artist and an art educator with a passion for children’s literature. After graduating from the Ontario College of Art and Design with an illustration diploma, she went on to receive a Bachelor of Design through OCAD in conjunction with Thompson Rivers University and then pursued a Bachelor of Education at York University. Her first picture book, Outside, You Notice (2021), earned a starred review from Kirkus Reviews. Andrea lives in Toronto with her husband and two daughters, who often inspire the storytelling behind her art. She enjoys music, writing, comedy, travel, and making a mess on her art table.

 

Andrea Blinick's profile page

Awards

  • 2021 CCBC Spring Best Books for Kids & Teens Selection

Editorial Reviews

Praise for A World of Mindfulness

2021 CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens Selection

The Children’s Book Council “Small Moments of Gratitude Fall 2024” Selection

2023 TD Summer Reading Club Top Recommended Reads Selection

“[The illustrations] are soothing and promote thinking in the moment about one’s environment and feelings....The gentle writing and age-appropriate examples make this a useful book for little ones.”—Booklist

“An effectively grounding read.”—Publishers Weekly

“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.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Mindfulness practice, such as meditation and yoga, can be helpful to children making them feel calm, focused and more in control….This collaborative picture book is ‘dedicated to all children struggling to navigate our uncertain world.’”—Postmedia

“Pajama Press has gathered 14 exceptional Canadian artists to project the calming feelings that can be invoked by our senses: smelling fresh grass, feeling the warmth of the sun, hearing the sound of birds or experiencing the joy of creating things and more.”—Winnipeg Free Press

“This book transcends categorization as it tells a story of tranquility, instructs a generation on mindfulness, and opens a conversation about self-care for every age…. A World of Mindfulness is a wonderful resource for parents and educators as it makes mindfulness practice for children accessible and uncomplicated…Highly Recommended.”—Canadian Review of Materials

“A meditative text, accompanied by beautiful images demonstrates the importance for children on being quiet and reflective some times.”—The International Educator

“The art of A World of Mindfulness is striking and unique….As diverse as the ways to attain mindfulness, the illustrators of A World of Mindfulness explore the concept with their own form of creativity….Whether for quality of life or therapy, mindfulness works and so does A World of Mindfulness.”—CanLit for LittleCanadians

“Particularly this year, with the lack of structure and routine, proliferation of screen time, and societal anxiety, this book can help children stop and find balance and calm in their lives. The illustrations are beautiful and show the beauty of our world and the diversity of our peoples….This is a beautiful book and an apt one for this difficult year.”—Canadian Bookworm

“The artwork is created in a variety of media, and is beautifully rendered to bring a sense of calm and to empower readers to take note of the world that surrounds them every day. The well-chosen words offer a chance to think about self, nature, feelings, movement, and place in that world.”—Sal’s Fiction Addiction

“In these uncertain times, this book felt so grounding to me. [T]he words and illustrations were soothing enough and a great reminder to anyone, regardless of age that living in the moment, breathing, feeling, and finding your calm is not only a faint possibility, but within all of our grasp in one way or another.”—Mr. Alex’s Bookshelf

“[A] beautiful picture book about children finding their calm through their senses. Not just a story but also a resourceful book to help children manage their emotions, have positive experiences and stay resilient and celebrate life around them.”—It’s a Librarian Life

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