Practicing Mindfulness isn’t just for adults. Children undergo stress just as we do.
From baby yoga to meditation in young children, there are lots of benefits to practicing mindfulness. Yoga and Meditation can improve self-esteem and daily functions become easier and less strenuous.
There are many books on mindfulness for children, but below we have curated some of our favorites by age.
With vibrant, uplifting illustrations, these books promote positivity and self-actualization.
ODE TO A BAD DAY
ODE TO A BAD DAY by Chelsea Lin Wallace highlights the many moods some children have. It features a girl who just isn’t having a great day.
From skinned knee falls to soggy breakfast, nothing seems to go right.
As she goes through the day feeling glum, she is reassured that as the day ends, looking forward to a better tomorrow is always great.
The illustrations by Hyewon Yum are always vibrant and witty.
This book provides hope and allows children to understand that sometimes days aren’t great, but knowing that a new day brings new experiences will provide joy. Publisher: Chronicle Books (Age 4-8)
HANG IN THERE
HANG IN THERE by Sabrina and Eunice Moyle celebrate friendship and is full of hope.
We all have days that just don’t go as planned and for this cute kitty, everything seems to go wrong.
After encouragement from friends and witty humor, a terribly depressing day turned into one full of laughter and hope.
With colorful illustrations, this cheerful gem will motivate and uplift little readers. It’s also a perfect early morning read for both home and the classroom. Publisher: Abrams Books (Age 4-8)
SMALL KNIGHT AND THE ANXIETY MONSTER
SMALL KNIGHT AND THE ANXIETY MONSTER by Manka Kasha encourages us to face our fears.
Small Knight does not want to be a princess or do princess stuff, but wants to be a knight. Anxious about how to tell their parents, an anxiety monster appears and grows whenever their anxiety increases.
Small Knight, along with tiny bear, set out on a journey to figure out how to eliminate the monster. They asked the wise owl, the big forest bear, and the queen of the moths who directed them to the all-knowing dragon, who assured Small Knight that to get rid of the Anxiety Monster, it has to start from within.
Small Knight realized that in order to tame the monster, she had to accept that he was there and face him head-on instead of running away scared.
This book allows us to face our fears. We all get anxious sometimes, and running away from our problems never helps. Understanding them can make a big difference in our lives.
The quirky and colorful illustrations are absolutely beautiful, and Small Knight and tiny bear are so cute. Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (Age 4-8)
CLOVIS KEEPS HIS COOL
CLOVIS KEEPS HIS COOL by Katelyn Aronson features a bull named Clovis who often lost his temper.
Running his granny’s China shop in town made Clovis calm and graceful, but when a group of his old football rivals show up and taunt him, he struggled to keep his cool.
The taunting continued each day until Clovis had enough and chased his rivals through town.
He suddenly had them cornered when his grandma’s words of wisdom, “Grace, Grace, what is broken can be replaced” entered his thoughts.
Because Clovis was a bull who had a hot temper, didn’t mean he had to act that way. He invited his rivals to tea instead, and they later became friends.
With wonderful witty and illustrations by Eve Farb, this heartfelt book is full of compassion and encourages mindfulness. It advocates anti-bullying and teaches children to remain calm in the face of adversity. Publisher: Page Street Kids (Age 4-8)
SLOTH AND SMELL THE ROSES
Considering the year we had last year, our first bookish post for 2021 just had to be this book.
In SLOTH AND SMELL THE ROSES by Eunice and Sabrina Moyle, Mindful Mo is a sloth that encourages readers to be mindful by following some very easy steps.
From ways to deal with anger to meditating and relaxing, this beautifully illustrated book is a gentle reminder to live in the moment.
It’s inspirational and motivating and is great for dealing with tantrums and other emotional issues.
Take a breath, listen, and embrace life by just slowing down. Thank you SO much to our bookish besties at Abrams Books for sending us this book to start the year off right. Publisher: Abrams Books (Age 4-8)
HURRY UP!
With work, school, and just life itself, sometimes it feels like the world is moving too fast.
Contrary to its title, Kate Dopirak’s HURRY UP is a book about slowing down and embracing what’s around you. Take a breath, listen, learn, and explore.
With magnificent, bright, and vibrant illustrations by Christopher Silas Neal, this is a brilliant book that allows people to be mindful and embrace life by just slowing down. Publisher: Beach Lane Books (Age 4-8)
ALREADY A BUTTERFLY
ALREADY A BUTTERFLY by Julia Alvarez is a meditative story that features a butterfly named Mari.
She was always busy fluttering from flower to flower and never took the time to slow down.
One day she met a bud that encouraged her to be mindful of her surroundings. Mari didn’t feel like a butterfly, but he taught her to accept who she is.
With breathing exercises and remembering what made her special, Mari started to enjoy every moment.
This book is inspirational and motivating. Understand who you are and learning self-acceptance and self-actualization boosts confidence and allows you to live freely and be your best self.
The vibrant watercolor lithographic illustrations by Raul Colón are beautifully draped over every page. Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (Age 6-10)
I AM YOGA
Don’t you just love it when Susan Verde and Peter H. Reynolds collaborate?
I AM YOGA is perfect for National Mediation Day.
We often think children can handle any amount of activities because they’re young. There’s music class, dance, soccer class, gymnastics etc., plus academics. Sometimes it’s ok to let them LET GO and BE STILL in an ever revolving world.
This is a beautiful book for children and parents who love yoga. Plus, there are so many benefits such as relieving stress, improving confidence and self-awareness, and it’s great exercise. Publisher: Abrams Books. Age 2-4
FREEDOM, WE SING
WHAT IS FREEDOM TO YOU? In FREEDOM, WE SING by Amyra León celebrates freedom with every breath.
It features a mother and an inquisitive child asking about freedom in which her answer is uplifting and encouraging.
Freedom is the air we breathe, our beating heart, and a universal sign of life and peace.
We all breathe the same breath. No matter our differences, we all want freedom. Freedom to live and freedom to love. It is our future.
This book is absolutely wonderful with magnificent, vibrant illustrations by Molly Mendoza. It sends a message of hope and love that we know children will love. Publisher: Flying Eye Books (Age 4-8)
A WHALE OF A MISTAKE
A WHALE OF A MISTAKE by Ioana Hobai teaches people to embrace their mistakes and not allow them to weigh you down.
It reassures children that no matter the mistake, there is often a greater mistake being done by someone else and it’s perfectly fine. Mistakes help to make us stronger and there is always a lesson to be learned.
It is beautifully illustrated and sends a great message. Publisher: Page Street Kids (Age 4-8)
A LITTLE SPACE FOR ME
A LITTLE SPACE FOR ME by Jennifer Gray Olson is one of my top 5 favorite books for the year so far.
It features a girl being bombarded by everyday life. Life for her feels too crowded, too loud, too messy, too everything. One day she got her own space by climbing up a ladder and collected some space from above.
She collected so much space that there wasn’t much space for anything or anyone else. Her mind finally felt at peace because she had space to think, breathe, rest, dream and feel. This allowed her to share some space with people around her, yet always keeping a little for herself.
This is such a wonderful book that everyone would love because we all need a little space sometimes. Space from work, school, family, or friends to just unwind and be mindful and grateful.
It promotes mental stability and self-awareness, no matter how old you are. The illustrations are vivid and detailed and incorporate well with the message in the book. This is a definite must-have. AGE 5-8, PUBLISHER: Macmillan Kids.
TOMORROW MOST LIKELY
TOMORROW MOST LIKELY by Dave Eggers takes a twist on the traditional bedtime story and creates a more modern, innovative story that is hopeful and inspirational.
It features a little boy being tucked into bed, but instead of recapping what happened during the day, he imagines all the things that could happen the next day.
His cereal most likely will be brown and most likely there’ll be a door that could most likely lead to a world of endless possibilities. I love it when Illustrators make you think, examine and explore every page. Each tiny, yet important detail they draw, create discussions and interaction between readers and Lane Smith does exactly that.
The illustrations are vibrant and intricate. The buildings are colorful and the page transitions are absolutely phenomenal.
TOMORROW MOST LIKELY, gives readers hope to embrace a new day and make it their own. It’s full of imagination and wonder that children will absolutely love.
Blow a kazoo, jump rope with your friends in the park, listen to sounds through the window of a car that’s driving by, touch a snail or name a squirrel Stu. Whatever you do, make tomorrow amazing. This is definitely one that will be added to our fave bedtime book collection. AGE: 4-8 Publisher: Chronicle Books.
HERE AND NOW
Windows is one of my favorite books… ever. I’ve bought it for so many people, and they love it. When I heard that this magnificent duo was creating another book, I knew it would be another huge favorite.
HERE AND NOW by Julia Denos is absolutely beautiful. It teaches you to be “in the moment” and to accept the mindfulness of your surroundings. Life can sometimes get away from us so it is great to slow down and celebrate what NOW has to offer. Ideas bloom and you BECOME. The illustrations by E.B. Goodale is absolutely amazing and captures the essence of the entire book. AGE 4-8 Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers.
DON'T WORRY, LITTLE CRAB
DON’T WORRY, LITTLE CRAB is another gem written by Chris Haughton.
Little Crab and Big Crab are leaving their little pond to visit the big ocean.
Little Crab is excited and full of anticipation, but when they arrive at the edge, he sees the enormous waves and gets a little nervous and wants to turn back.
As the waves get bigger, Big Crab moves him closer and closer into the ocean until they eventually enter and experience the beauty of the underwater life while meeting and playing with new friends.
DON’T WORRY, LITTLE CRAB, is a story of courage and support. It’s about taking a leap and being reassured that someone is going to always be there to catch you.
The illustrations are always breathtaking and it’s such a great message. AGE 2-6, PUBLISHER: Candlewick Press.
I AM LOVE
I AM LOVE by Susan Verde is as the title says. It’s all about Love and compassion. What can you do to let love in? Simple acts of tenderness and kindness such as being present without even saying a thing… love is comfort. Love is light and understanding.
This book is positive and universal. The world needs love, and this book teaches children that Love is love. Love is connections, I am love… You are love… We are love. Marvelous illustrations by Peter H. Reynolds always make this powerful duo even more amazing. Publisher: Abrams Books. Age: 2-6.
