My Thoughts Are Clouds: Poems for Mindfulness

Gr 2-6--This short collection of poems aims to teach children how to slow down and be aware of their thoughts and environment. The text uses meditation and affirmation techniques to introduce the concept of mindfulness. Simple language explains actions that readers can follow. However, the format and layout of some poems may be difficult to digest for children who experience reading challenges. The variation of fonts within the same poem and the black-on-blue backgrounds may also present reading difficulties. The illustrations are rendered in shades of blue and white, echoing the title and cover imagery of looking up at the sky, but do little to enhance the feeling or meaning of the poems. This volume could serve as a good read-aloud option for a classroom or library to teach guided mindfulness or meditation exercises. VERDICT For libraries that have an established mindfulness initiative.--Elizabeth Speer, Weatherford Coll., TX

"In today's Covid-rattled frenzy of online or hybrid instruction and added strictures on behavior, [here is] Heard's gentle call for mindfulness . . . Therapeutic and accessible: an empowering guide well suited for those growing up in this age of anxiety." —Kirkus Reviews