The illustrations in this book are beautiful! I read this with my 6yo daughter. I struggled with the length (and not always clear) descriptions, but my daughter did not! She really enjoyed it as she could connect it to some aspects they learn at yoga. I think she would have enjoyed it less if she didn’t have a pre-understanding of the concept (I have zero understanding). I think kids without that knowledge will struggle a little.

First of all the illustrations in this book are wonderfully detailed and beautiful. This is about a girl that sees her grandfather chanting om, she questioned him on what he is doing. He teaches her about meditation and the significance of it. This is a great book to introduce children to meditation and what it entails.

This book was very sweet, and a great read! As a teacher, I would read this book to children in my classes It offered a straightforward introduction to the concept of OM and meditation in the real world. The best part was that it was from the perspective of a child. I loved the illustrations, the explanations and the glossary (very useful). The book was very sweet, and family-oriented. I enjoyed the idea of learning from a family member, especially an elderly family member. My only concern would be that really young students or children may not completely understand the concept. They examples were very relatable but the concept is not the easiest. It is definitely a story which would have to be read and taught more than once.

DISCLAIMER: The book is given by NetGalley, the author and the publisher in exchange of an honest review. All the review written is not related to any personal issues or connection.

TRIGGER: This is a sweet graphic children book. The story is beautifully told in wonderful illustration.

Finding Om tells about the story of an Indian African girl Anu who learns a valuable lesson from Appuppa, her beloved grandfather. The lesson is nothing but "Om." Anu is at first curious why her Appuppa keeps saying "Om" with eyes closed. She then asks him and Appuppa says that Om is like a mantra. Throughout the story, Anu discovers that the word or sounds "Om" carries a lot of meanings particularly in its relation to the practice of meditation. 

This children book to me is an interesting book. The story comes with very beautiful illustration. The only thing that need to be adjusted is the use of language. The writer should set the boundaries to which age the book will be circulated. I think it is quite a little hard for children under seven to understand the concept delivered. Therefore, the writer should be very attentive with the choice of words and the concepts being delivered. It is especially in explaining the concept of Om through meditation. 

My only suggestion is to keep the language used as simple as it can be. The beautiful illustration helps the children to understand the book better. The illustration will also keep them entertaining.

The book is available by clicking this site: Finding Om by Rashmi S. Bismark

Review: https://literatureisliving.wordpress.com/2020/03/09/finding-om-by-rashmi-s-bismark-m-d-m-p-h/

Sometimes I wonder if picture-book authors really understand children at all...

Finding Om is a simple explanation of mindfulness and meditation using the Om mantra. Anu learns about Om from her grandfather, Appuppa. Then she goes on to practice, eventually finding peace within herself.

What I'm struggling with are two things. First, Anu is depicted fairly unrealistically. After learning about Om, she struggles to maintain focus... until she obsessively starts chanting while letting the world go on around her. Do children really need to be that mindful? (There's one illustration that I found particularly disturbing, in which she's sitting and meditating while the rest of her family are simply enjoying their lives. What's the message? Kids are supposed to give up joy in favour of enlightenment? Her family are unenlightened boors who need to be taught a lesson? In fact, the book ends with Appuppa suggesting they teach the even-younger sister about meditating. I'm not sure how well that's going to work, given the girls' apparent ages.)

The second thing that's bothering me is the way the book is written. It's difficult to understand, even for adults! The main narrative itself isn't so bad, but check out one of the definitions provided for clarity:

"Meditation: an introspective practice for becoming more familiar with ourselves in relationship with internal and external life experience; depending on the style of practice, may cultivate certain modes of paying attention, like focus and/or receptivity; may also reinforce connections to various attitudes and intentions for attending with presence, awareness, wisdom, and care"

Got that, kids?

The pictures are cute, and the overall premise is commendable, but I think this is aimed at the wrong age group. Do young children really need to be reminded to notice things around them? I don't think so. These are valuable lessons for older readers who may have forgotten how to be mindful, but I question whether encouraging kids to get obsessed with chanting and trying to be mindful 24/7 is that healthy.

This was so adorable. The illustrations were so beautiful I was in awe the whole time. I loved that this was about a little girl discovering mediation and bonding with her grandpa. This was so wonderful to read, I loved every part.

This was an informative look into the practice of meditation and breaks down the principles using easy to understand prose and beautiful illustrations!

The illustrations in this book are as gorgeous as the story. My little girl loved reading about Anu and her Appuppa. Teaching children how to be mindful and that they do control their own thoughts is a great lesson for children of all ages and adults. I think this would make a stunning addition to my children's library.

What a wonderful children's book! Finding Om teaches the basics behind meditation and awareness in a simple way that allows children to understand one of the oldest practices in most western religions. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this to my stepdaughter, as she is five and already finding her own love of yoga. I also loved the diversity that this book allowed me to share with her. Beautifully illustrated and wonderfully executed, Finding Om was an absolute pleasure to read.

The art in this book was absolutely stunning. The message was beautiful and easy for my children to grasp.

"A mantra is an instrument for the mind"

Such a short book and yet it contains so much. This is the story if Anu in her self-discovery after having her grandfather teaching her about meditation. It's so gorgeous illustrated and insightful! And children will have been taught a way to best deal with their feelings and explore mindfulness since a young age. Not to mention, have fun while doing it. Highly recommend, I'm definitely buying this for my little brothers.

When Anu asks her Appuppa why he keeps saying "um", she doesn't realise that she is about to embark on a journey of self-discovery.

Through this gorgeously drawn book, children can explore meditation and mindfulness by following along with Anu's journey. The story is soothing and gentle, encouraging the reader to try exploring the power of om without feeling as though it is pushing an ideological agenda.

A great book!

Finding Om is an educational story of Anu and her grandfather about mediation and learning about it. It is accompanied with colourful, fun illustrations that demonstrate the message very well. This would be a good fit in classrooms and parents who want to teach their child(ren) about meditation and calming down.

I freely admit, I wasn't sure of this book. The description of the book and the cover image interested me, but the first few pages of questions and answers between grandfather and child seemed a bit condescending. I did find that as I finished the book it was better than the beginning. I think the mindfulness techniques would sink in with more thoughtful children. Possibly a read aloud for a class talking about mindfulness or a small group of children learning yoga.

Finding Om by Rashmi S. Bismark is the kind of book that every little library should have. It is a wonderful multigenerational and multicultural story that is perfect for teaching your children about diversity and that not everybody is the same as them. They can see a family from a different country as well as a different religion. The illustrations are truly stunning. I cannot think of many children's books that are this beautiful.

Finding Om is a rich, beautiful, and engaging narrative -- ready to be read and appreciated at any age. Rashmi S. Mismark is clearly a talent and offers an eye-catching book for us to enjoy.

Love, love, love! We practice mindfulness in my family and I love how Finding Om puts meaning behind the practices. The illustrations were vibrant and engaging!

Finding Om is an adorable, accessible, diverse book that explains mindfulness in a youthful way for a younger audience, which would be very helpful for those with younger children.

This is a very thoughtful and beautiful book, teaching children meditation and mindfulness. I really loved the illustrations and the easy but effectful way of explaining the Mantra om.

My two toddlers and I really enjoyed reading about the meaning of OM. As yoga and meditation fans this is a great book to add to their collection. It teaches mindfulness in a way that is easy for young children to understand.