My Magic Breath: Finding Calm Through Mindful Breathing

PreS-Gr 1—An illustrated guide to mindful breathing for young readers. The first line asks: "Do you have the magic breath?" Simple text then leads readers through a series of breathing cues, prompting them to focus on happy thoughts and to push away sad ones. ("Sometimes when you are worried, or nervous, or sad, deep breaths can help push some of those thoughts away. Think about when you feel happy!") This kind of language can be misleading as mindfulness is not about "pushing away" bad or sad thoughts but rather acknowledging them and being mindful of their presence and impact. The illustrations and text fall into tropes of blue tones being associated with sad thoughts and bright colors with happiness. A full-page spread of bright yellow, orange, green, and purple swirls and flowers reads: "Now, that looks like happiness. Keep blowing! Keep thinking happy!" The text and illustrations teeter on the edge of sappy and saccharine, many times toppling over.