Reviewed by Nikki M Heath
A meditation on the environment or a lesson on mindfulness - or perhaps both - this book is not your usual bedtime story. An exhortation to children to open themselves to the environment with its many different expressions and challenges, it encourages readers to walk forward, and breathe.
This book’s greatest strength is its sumptuous yet gentle illustrations. Children are depicted enjoying and caring for nature and themselves in luscious landscapes ranging from desert to landscape to wintery night. The images are strong enough to stand alone and convey both a powerful message and a feeling of centred calm.
The book’s voice is clearly an adult one, with a clear instructional tone to the lyrical text. There is a repeated refrain of ‘Breathe... Yes, breathe’ which prompts the reader to do just that but feels awkward when reading aloud. There is a wealth of rich vocabulary to explore.
A book with
great potential for joint exploration by adults and children, it is suited to
an audience of primary school age.
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