Arlo’s Book Club: Reading Toward Mindfulness

March 1, 2018

Arlo's Book Club: Anna Emilia Laitinen

Arlo has missed you! We’re back with a brand new edition of Arlo’s Book Club, and we can’t wait to connect with your tiny readers as they learn about and examine their surroundings through the written and visual word. In light of the recent political and social climate, we wanted to spread some love to the people around us. Times are tumultuous–peace and mindfulness has been at the forefront of our thoughts, and feeding those we love is important. Who are we and what is our purpose? How can we spread love to all that we come into contact with on a daily basis? Mindfulness starts with a seed. A favor. A compliment. A picture book. We picked several of our favorites to promote mindfulness in our tiny successors. Sponges. Bright lights. Enjoy:

Breathe and Be 
by Kate Coombs, with pictures by Red Cap artist, Anna Emilia Laitinen
Sounds True, 2017

I breathe slowly in,
I breathe slowly out. My breath
is a river of peace.
I am here in the world.
Each moment I can breathe and be.”

Nothing connects us more strongly than the bond we have with nature. Our earth is our home, and through it, we may see others’ experiences and joys. Breathe and Be is a collection of poems by Kate Coombs with illustration by our own Anna Emilia Laitinen, that lends an ear to the quiet nature that goes on around our bustling lives and conflicts. A beautiful reminder of where we fit on the planet.

Singing Away the Dark 
by Caroline Woodward, with pictures by Julie Morstad
Simply Read Books, 2017

Not just a simple picture book about a frightened girl walking home from her school bus–Singing Away the Dark unwittingly captures an undercurrent in today’s society about fear, consequence, and light at the end of the tunnel. This is a gorgeous work of art that offers quiet solace to a long walk toward more joyful times.

They All Saw a Cat 
by Brendan Wenzel
Chronicle Books, 2017

What do others see? What do they feel? Who would I be if I walked a mile in someone else’s shoes? They All Saw a Cat offers picturesque perspectives of what a wide variety of characters view when they see a cat. This is a beautiful book that offers the first existential explanation of “the other’s gaze.” Let us all seek to understand what others see and what they feel.

 

You Belong Here
by William M. H. Clark, Illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault
Compendium Inc., 2016

And you belong where you love to be,
and after each day is through,
you will always belong right next to me
and I’ll belong to you.

We have a soft spot in our heart for this one, as our own Red Cap artist, Jill Labieniec,  served as art director along with Heidi Dyer. This beautiful narrative shows us the different home environments of mammals and birds and fish and humans. The different places that we “fit” on earth and amongst each other. A beautiful reminder that we are but a piece of a magnificent, ever-moving puzzle.

Horton Hears a Who
by Dr. Seuss
Random House., 1954

Quite possibly the poster boy for mindfulness, kindness, and respect, Horton Hears a Who follows an elephant who stumbles upon an entire town that lives on a simple speck of dust.  The story follows the existential realizations of the elephant and of the town, as they learn about what makes a person a person, and what equality truly means. A brilliant, encompassing picture book for every reader, young and old. 

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