Mindfulness Moments for Kids: Hot Cocoa Calm

by Kira Willey, Anni Betts (Illustrator)

Overview

Part of the Mindfulness Moments for Kids series, this mindful breathing moment teaches kids to find peace and calm.

With Hot Cocoa Calm, kids learn to how to take control of their emotions and breathe their way to calm. The perfect soothing read for bedtime before the winter holidays, this board book celebrates the peacefulness of the season. Best of all, it can be performed anywhere: in the backseat of a car, at home, or even at a child's desk at school.

Mindfulness Moments for Kids offer easy-to-follow exercises that kids can use to manage their bodies, breathing, and emotions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593119884
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	12/07/2021
Series:	Mindfulness Moments for Kids Series
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	26
File size:	16 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 Months to 3 Years

About the Author

Kira Willey is an award-winning songwriter, kids' yoga expert, and creator of Rockin' Yoga School Programs. She has released three nationally acclaimed albums of children's yoga songs that blend upbeat, danceable music with get-up-and-move yoga inspiration. Her fourth release, Mindful Moments for Kids, is the inspiration for Breathe Like a Bear. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and three children. Follow her on social media at @kirawilley.

Anni Betts is a professional illustrator who creates vibrant, cheerful drawings for books, magazines, advertisements, greeting cards, and more. Originally from Illinois, she now lives in Durham, England, with her archaeologist husband, Kamal, new son, Emmett, and adorable dog, Logan. When not illustrating, she can be found exploring the historic sights and natural beauty of the United Kingdom and Europe, baking sweets, going for long walks, and sewing colorful clothes to wear.

Editorial Reviews

2021-12-03
Nothing much really happens in this board book, and that’s perfectly OK.

Instead, following the pattern set in previous titles in the Mindfulness Moments for Kids series, Willey, a children’s yoga-and-mindfulness musician, translates the philosophy of mindfulness into practical, everyday terms. On a chilly day, Fox, the anthropomorphic protagonist, joins a small group of friends (who are also all anthropomorphic animals) in the forest to drink hot cocoa. The text demonstrates how a simple act like enjoying a hot drink can be treated as a mindfulness exercise. Fox brings her attention to the present moment as she blows on the hot cocoa, deeply inhales the delicious aroma, then sips and savors the treat. Young readers are guided to slow their breath and breathe in and out along with Fox: “Fox blows on her hot cocoa to cool it off. Can you blow on your hot cocoa?” The simple language makes each step of the process very clear: “Slooowly blow the air out.” The animals appear distinctly meditative as they sit cross-legged with eyes closed, patiently waiting for the cocoa to grow cool. The result? “Now Fox feels warm, cozy, and calm.” The illustrations, rendered in bright, almost psychedelic colors with colored snowflakes shining in the animals’ fur, is a striking contrast to the book’s calming message.

With or without cocoa, savor this one slowly, especially on long winter days when toddlers are stuck indoors. (Board book. 1-4)

Kirkus Reviews