Meena’s Mindful Moment

When Meena goes to visit her Dada in his tiny village, she gets so excited that she just cannot control her hurly-burly hullabaloo, a blue monster-like creature that is a physical manifestation of her emotions. Wherever she goes, whether to the park, the market, or to the beach, she just cannot get a handle on her emotions.

When the villagers complain to her grandfather about the mess that Meena is making in the village, he knows just what to do. You see, Dada has his very own hurly-burly hullabaloo that follows him around too. The trick is “…to sit…to breathe…and to be still.” With the help of her grandfather, Meena learns to control her emotions and stay in the present through mindful practices like deep breathing and yoga.

A truly enjoyable read, Meena’s Mindful Moment is the perfect tonic for these chaotic times. By giving children concrete tools to learn how to manage their emotions, this picture book goes above and beyond the call of duty. To top it all off, the illustrator, Åsa Gilland, has managed to bring Meena’s world to life in a wonderful blaze of colour and movement. Overall, Meena’s Mindful Moment is a fun, imaginative read that will delight and inform young readers.