What’s in Your Mind Today?

Bladen, a meditation teacher, takes young readers through a guided mindfulness exercise in rhyme. A circle of children sit outdoors on blankets with their shoes off, eyes closed in participation: “Take a deep breath in... and out it goes. Can you feel the air rushing through your nose?” Elsewhere, Perrini depicts a pair of air-filled lungs, colorful hot air balloons floating peacefully within. As the kids are encouraged to “take a look at the thoughts in your mind,” the reader is shown what’s occurring within, behind facial silhouettes: Molly, whose thoughts “flit and flutter all over the skies,” has a head full of butterflies, while Oliver stares down a monster of a thought. Bladen’s rhyming structure does more to distract than support the exercise, and the meandering narrative makes the meditation difficult to follow. Perrini’s cheerful, childlike scrawls pack an imaginative punch that supports the narrative visualization. Ages 3–8. [em](Feb.) [/em]