Thick pages, a padded cover, and simple text ensure that this board book will survive a toddler's daily mindfulness practice.
Parents wanting to help their children establish the practice of gratitude and mindfulness will find gentle examples in this and its companion volume, Tiny Blessings for Giving Thanks. Simple, direct sentences address an unspecified “You,” leaving readers free to fill in the blank (Mother Earth, Great Spirit, God, Shakti, Shiva, Kali, Consciousness, Creator, etc.) depending on each family’s belief system. Bedtime evokes nighttime icons—the twinkling stars, a shimmery moon, tender goodnight kisses, and peaceful rest are listed. Giving Thanks starts with “Thank you for this great, big world” before moving to less abstract images that children will easily recognize. Parker's rhyming text is reminiscent of scripture and meditation guides, and it flows smoothly, but with just five page turns it won't burden beginning practitioners. Walsh's art, a sweet mix of collage and greeting-card whimsy, invites a closer look. The smiling children portrayed in a satisfying mix of skin tones model wonderment, joy, and contentment, while the brown-skinned mother in this volume and the white father in Giving Thanks epitomize loving concern.
Whether used as beginning prayers or to teach an attitude of gratitude, this lovely title and its companion do their parts to start mindfulness in the cradle.
(Board book. 6 mos.-3)