I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This one just didn't work for me. There are already so many mindfulness/calming books out there that, so I really expect something unique from this point on. The text is very small. The pictures were bright and colorful.

Keep Calm and Read on

It is easy for children to feel overwhelmed in this technology age and the over stimulation of our world. They can develop anxiety and not be able to solve problems. This book along aside parents and teachers will give children the tools to use all the senses to be mindful. Instead of their mind going a muck, they will develop skills to focus on one thing and move on.

It is the practice of mindfulness to know what is going on around them and to use their senses of touch, sight, hearing, and taste to calm their mind. Learning to breath and to know when they are feeling anxious and why. Being mindful is doing one thing at a time.

The book centers on a little boy who is anxious about moving and his mother helps him to face and not deny those feelings. A good resource for both parent and child to be engaged with their emotions.

A Special thank you to Kids Can Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

Not Sure If It Works as Formatted

I am not quite sure what to think about this book. It certainly is not your standard picture book meant for young children. Each two-page spread has a left-hand side panel with small text that is meant to be read to the child but is probably too small for them to attempt to read along with. Some pages have very specific mindfulness exercises with numbered directions, like for a body scan, but most are more vague. There is a story here about young Pedro who is anxious about his move away from his friends. The story is that his mother is going to teach him and his friends mindfulness to help relieve anxiety and sadness. I'm wondering if the picture part of the book just should have been the story part, with all of the exercises, whether numbered ones or more general ones, should have all been placed in the back for the adults. That way, just a story could be read, and the adult and child could pick one activity to try. Perhaps that's how this book should be read to a child. It could certainly be read in bits and pieces, if a parent prefers, though the narrative of the book might be lost then. I think teaching children about mindfulness is a brilliant idea, but I am not sure about this particular presentation of it. I'm also unsure about the age range this is truly targeted for. Some aspects of it pointed to children before they enter school, while other parts of it seem geared for young elementary students. All in all, I am not sure if this book would truly help a parent give a child a greater appreciation and the gift of mindfulness.

This book serves as a great introduction to mindfulness for children. In Follow Your Breath we follow a boy named Pedro as he discovers he is moving away and consequently becomes anxious and sad. Here, Pedro and the audience discover methods and explanations regarding mindfulness. Not only is the book informational, but it also contains several exercises and examples on how to practice mindfulness (such as utilising senses and breathing exercises among many others). The content is engaging and the accompanying illustrations are vibrant and cute, therefore suitable for young readers.

The text may be a little long for younger children, but it can be consumed in bite-sized pieces. Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I highly recommend this for parents or educators wanting to familiarise the concept of mindfulness to kids.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is an absolutely wonderful introduction to mindfulness for kids. It describes being mindful and the different ways of doing so. It shows how Pedro and his friends learn to be mindful with their breath and their senses. Such as looking at a ladybug on their walk or deeply smelling a rose. There were also some activity ideas.

In this everyday busy lifestyle we all need mindful moments. It's best to practice mindfulness from early life and this book is perfect for it. The book is fun, interactive, informative and helpful. A must have book.

I requested and received an e-ARC of this book from NetGalley and Kids Can Press in exchange for my honest opinion.

I thought this book did a great job of explaining the feelings children may have when moving and the mindfulness practices they could use to focus on the things they can control. I would have purchased this book for my daughter before our first move if it had existed 15 years ago!

I loved the different mindfulness exercises included throughout the book. I am definitely going to try the ‘Eye of an Eagle’ exercise with my nieces and nephews when we have our next family gathering.

I received an electronic ARC from Kids Can Press through NetGalley.
Relatable story - Pedro is moving and sad. His friends join him for a sleepover before he moves. They play mindfulness games throughout the party. A situation readers can understand.
Mindfulness information - Easy to follow explanations and exercises on each spread. Further games and glossary at the end of the book. Seamlessly woven into the actual story.
The illustrations are colorful and welcoming for elementary level readers.
Great book to read as a family or school read aloud near the beginning of the year.

This was by far the cutest and amazing graphic novel I've recently read! I liked everything about it!

Follow Your Breath! is an absolutely perfect book for young people to learn about mindfulness. The way it is written is both engaging and informational. This is an excellent book for classroom and home use. I will be recommending this book to my colleagues.

When Pedro's family is going to move into a new house, his mother doesn't want him to be afraid of or sad about the changes that will be made. She knows that Mindfulness is a good way to reduce stress. She is goindg to share some techniques with Pedro AND his friends. They go out into nature and make use of al their senses. When it begins to rain and they must be indoors, she shows that it doesn't matter where you are or what you are doing, mindfulness can help you have a better experience. Colorful illiustrations add to the delightfulness of this book. It makes learning fun.

My 5 year old daughter is a little familiar with mindfulness, and definitely finds it helpful to practice, but sometimes gets a bit confused by kids books w hich attempt to explain it. With this one, the story helps but she really got the most from the bold portions under the story on each page. She did get a little tired reading it and needed to take it in in bitesize portions but overall its a great book, possibly suited to a slightly older age range but I'm sure she will get a lot from it as she grows.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title.

The illustrations are simple and sweet. The title says "A First Book..." which leads me to think baby/toddler but I actually the text fits better for the younger elementary set.

A decent beginners guide to meditation. The text is a little much for younger kids but a little too simple for elementary school age kids. The text itself is comprehensive but I just don’t think this fits into any specific age group.

Follow Your Breath! A First Book of Mindfulness. Text and illustrations by Scot Ritchie. Kids Can Press. Children's Nonfiction. Publication date: 06 Oct 2020. ISBN: 9781525303364. 32 pages. Digital copy. 5 Stars.

Cute colorful illustrations with easy-to-follow text about how mindfulness can be relaxing as well as help kids cope with stressful situations, with a special emphasis in turning to gardens and nature as well as to pets! Highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for providing a digital copy of this book for review.