Lanky Lemur is fast to anger or get frustrated or get scared, and his friend Chilla Gorilla is there to teach him to slow down, focus, and change those negative feelings into something more productive. A great lesson for children and adults alike!

***Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review***

I love the idea of this book: simple, forward suggestions for how to combat everything from anxiety to anger to nightmares. My son liked the pictures and asked about the "blast" (warm light) coming out of Lemur's chest, and we even practiced taking a moment to "center," as suggested in the book.

(I will definitely be reading this to him again, despite the fact that the Kindle version is literally not optimized for a Kindle Fire: the pictures loaded in pieces and the book was organized wrong so I had no idea where the first page was. It was bizarre, but that is NOT THE REASON I DEDUCTED A STAR)

That said: the idea that one can just, "take a big feeling like anger or anxiety" and simply "meditate it away" is a tad reductive: not only for the idea that one can calm intense feelings, but also that one SHOULD: we NEED intense feelings. Period. We NEED to FEEL anger and anxiety about things sometimes, and that's okay. My husband and I DAILY reiterate to our toddler that it is OKAY to be upset or even very mad about something, but how you REACT to it is TRULY where you should focus. This book covers that. (A little bit)

Regardless, this is a nice book, the illustrations are bright and cheery, and my son even asked about putting his hand on his heart "like da panda in da book?" at bedtime tonight.

Definitely worth a read, and yes, the suggestions in the book can and do help you overcome and/or temper difficult feelings. I just would've liked to see a little bit more on the, "it's okay to feel this way and it's healthy to experience and work through these feelings without needing to 'calm down' immediately," but I don't think that's this book and that's okay.

Four stars.

what an amazing book,
My kids loved the illustration and I loved the relationship between the Gorilla and the Lemur.
My favourite part is that all big feelings are respected and welcomed - such an important message for kids.
beautiful!

What a sweet story about supporting your feelings! I loved the story and illustrations of the book. It showed a great friendship between a gorilla and lemur in the jungle. I liked the social-emotional aspect of the story, as it could help teach kids it’s ok to feel your feelings, but leave room for peace and love to come back to you. What a sweet message!

A big thank you to NetGalley and 4U2B Books and Media for the eARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is a children's book. I read this on my Kindle and had a formatting issue. The pages were divided into 4, and the printing was extremely small. Thus making it very difficult to read the book. This is super short, but the graphics are very colorful. The story is okay-but nothing to unique. 3 stars I must say that if the formatting issue didn't occur my rating may be higher-it was just so frustrating to attempt to read.

Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart is a great picture book for children that focuses on recognizing feelings and creating some space between yourself and the feelings. I loved the messaging of the books and the 2 main characters that it followed. Chilla Gorilla was so kind and patient & it was great to see how he helped his lemur friend navigate their big feelings.

Thanks to NetGalley, 4U2B Books, and Kimberly Snyder for the chance to read and review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

A beautifully told story with amazing lessons and themes smoothly interweaved into the plot.
Chilla Gorilla and Lanky Lemur are adorable characters. The colour scheme of the book is amazing and the art style is cute.
I am hoping these will be a series?

I really enjoyed this book and the message it sent. The illustrations are colorful, vivid and will draw any child in. Chilla and Lanky are friends and Chilla teaches Lanky how to remain calm through his heart. I also like the heart meditaton at the back of the book. This is a great addition to bedtime stories and school libraries.

I rated this children’s book 5 ⭐️.

The story flowed smoothly, making it easy to grasp the lesson it conveyed. The friendship between the gorilla and lemur intrigued me—such an unusual pairing for a children’s book, which adds uniqueness and diversity.

Reflecting on my own upbringing, I lacked role models who understood emotional handling. Consequently, I struggled with managing my feelings. While I wish this book had existed during my childhood, learning now remains valuable. Additionally, the meditation guide at the book’s end is timely and essential. Being able to teach mindfulness and emotional regulation to children is valuable and can indeed prevent unnecessary pain later in life. So, regardless of personal beliefs, meditation benefits mental well-being.

Overall, this book imparts vital lessons to children, empowering them to navigate emotions—whether anger, fear, anxiety, sadness, or happiness. Understanding and expressing feelings become easier, especially when confiding in a trusted adult. I eagerly anticipate Kimberly Snyder’s future works, given my admiration for her podcast and interview with Michael Beckwith. I am definitely going to buy the physical version for my kids, nieces and nephews.

Thank you to the author and publisher via Net Gallery for the arc of this book for my honest and opinionated review.

This picture book boasts colorful illustrations and cute characters, but overall, it felt generic, cheesy, and preachy. While the authors aimed to deliver a powerful message, the execution missed the mark. I appreciate the intention to teach kids about mindfulness, meditation, and mantras, but the message overshadowed the story. I prefer when messages are subtly woven into a compelling narrative, but this story lacked originality and felt too straightforward.

That said, I think kids and parents would still enjoy reading this together. Despite the story's shortcomings, the illustrations are cute and likable, and the characters are adorable. With a bit more uniqueness and a subtler approach, the book could have been much more engaging.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. These are my own thoughts and opinions.

Story could be told more effectively with fewer words that have more impact. Message is delivered in a cheesy and preachy manner. Important lesson about how to handle emotions. Generic illustrations that lack expressiveness. Introduces mantras which is a good coping mechanism. Themes of friendship and normalising uncomfortable feelings are portrayed consistently. Lesson outshines the story. Overall, a mediocre read.

I am so blessed to have recieved this free ARC for my honest review. This was such a beautiful read on a day that I really needed it. I have 3 neurodivergent kiddos aged 3-9 and this was an absolutely perfect beautiful story. I will absolutely be buying this for our bookshelf. It was meditating and mindfulness with kids but as you read along the story about 2 friends slowing down and working through daily stressors in a healthier manner. We here had a tough day of feelings and even as a parent reading this story I found my stress levels melting away. Thank you for this read 10/10

Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur: Journey to the Heart prompts one of the essential learning events for all children. That is how to respond to the emotions. In that commission Kimberly Snyder and John Bier deliver in a delightful tale that also leaves children with a mantra to help manage those sudden up’s and down’s.
Preparing children to recognize the continuum of their emotions—from restlessness to feeling a need for a hug to admitting that others’ conduct can hurt—is one of the central tasks for caregivers. For Danish developmental psychologist Erik Erikson, assisting children with managing the tumult and joy of the emotions must precede learning. Otherwise, whatever crisis distracts a child will inhibit a mind. That is precisely the reason schools so frequently provide free- and reduced-cost meals. It’s the reason that school counselors so often must make referrals to other care providers. Until children feel safe, even against the frustration and delights of school itself, they are not entirely present.
Snyder and Bier assist in presenting a read-aloud story to toddlers. In all the scenes a troubling emotion is named and absorbed. Its energy is then reframed in a recurring affirmation: feelings come and go and yet all can be calmed where peace and love can grow. Concretely, this maxim prompts that necessary distancing of repose. Developmentally, it teaches that the conditions of a moment are always in flux. Recentering in the constants of one’s heart is the primary take-away from Chilla Gorilla. That’s a message from which those toddlers’ older siblings and friends can benefit, even while offering parents the space to take a few deep breaths themselves.

This book was very cute. I loved the graphics, it was an easy read with a clear message for kids. My son actually asked for it multiple times after the first read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

This book was very cute and I enjoyed the illustrations. I enjoyed monkeys as a child (especially curious George) and this book also reminded me of the infamous gorilla, Koko.
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This is such a cute book. It has a great message in the story. Illustrations are beautiful. I would recommend it for a classroom or a home library.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I wish I had a friend like Chilla Gorilla! He has so much amazing advice to give! And he really helped his friend Lanky Lemur a lot. I picked up some great tips too.

When Lanky feels restless, Chilla takes him on a fun adventure to get the sillies out! When something happens that makes Lanky angry, Chilla teaches him to let those feelings go and not let them ruin his day. When Lanky doesn’t succeed in doing something, Lanky tells him to stay calm, take a deep breath and figure out how to solve his problem and that sharing makes you feel better and lots more :).

“Feelings come and go, yet in your heart is a calm place where peace and love can grow”

Great advice as part of a nice and beautifully illustrated story.

Chilla Gorilla and Lanky Lemur is a heart-warming story about friendship and overcoming anxiety. The story follows the adventures of two friends who learn how to deal with situations that are beyond their control. Chilla teaches Lanky how to use his heart to find peace and calm when his emotions are running high. By looking to his heart, Lanky learns to control his temper and find comfort and peace.

This book is ideal for children between the ages of 4 and 9. It offers valuable lessons on how to handle feelings of frustration, fear, and anger. The illustrations in the book are vibrant and adorable, making it appealing to kids. The book also includes HeartAlign meditation, which can be practiced in the classroom. The authors provide a QR code to access resources on this meditation and instructions on how to cope with different emotions.

I highly recommend this book, and I plan to add it to my classroom library to read it at the beginning of the year. It's an excellent resource for teaching children how to handle their emotions and cope with difficult situations.

Chilla Gorilla and Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart is a sweet, cheerful children’s picture book. Lanky Lemur is an anxious, fearful, and quick-to-anger cute little guy. True to his name, Chilla Gorilla is a very Zen sort of fellow. The two are good friends, and Chilla Gorilla teaches Lanky Lemur lessons on how to stay calmer, less afraid, and be all-around happier by using the wisdom of his heart. Donald Wu has illustrated the story with adorable, colorful drawings of the title characters and other jungle animals. Mighty Chilla Gorilla has a meaningful lesson for all of us.
Thank you to NetGalley and 4U2B Books. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by the publisher, 4U2B Books, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It was enjoyable. My four year old liked it and we would reread. Talks about feelings and that we can also find a calm spot in our hearts if we let ourselves breath. Not △⃒⃘lways true but a good way to explain to kids.