'Zen for Kids' by Laura Burger is a practical guide introducing mindfulness and meditation techniques to children. With simple language and engaging activities, it effectively helps kids develop focus and manage stress.

Zen for Kids by Laura Burges 4/5

Zen for Kids is a fun interactive book filled with over 50 mindful activities and stories. The book is suited for children ages 4 to 8 to enjoy learning about patience, kindness, sharing and forgiving. I found this book to be very helpful while dealing with my own children during difficult times for them. Helping them work through an issue, understand why it is important to be patient and to show kindness even in the moments they want to lash out. I enjoyed the way the book was set up, having chapters that start with a story, some questions and then activities that correlate.

I love the concept for this book, but I didn't care for the execution as there is a disconnect for me between the blurb and the way the book is structured. Each of the book's eleven sections begins with a story that is a few pages long, and is followed by several activities related to the story. The stories are interesting, if not verbose, and the activities are nice, but I don't think it is structured in a way that appeals to the target age group. There is only one picture per section, and the activities are not illustrated at all. I think the content of this book would be much more accessible to 4-8 year olds if it were presented differently.

Thank you to Shambhala Publications, Inc. and NetGalley for gifting my family with an ARC to review!

Today I had some frustrating experiences so I can say that there is definitely room for more zen in my life and in all of our lives. Although this book is addressed to kids, adults may well enjoy exploring it with a young person or even on their own. This was a perfect read for me.

The title begins with a very helpful introduction. Readers will leave it with a better understanding of zen practices.

I like that there are both activities and stories in these pages. In addition, the illustrations are evocative and lovely.

I very much liked this title and recommend it highly.

I appreciate the way this book is set up. Each chapter has a short story, reflection questions, and then several activities to allow children to live out the message from the story. The accompanying illustrations are lovely.