Puppy in My Head: A Book About Mindfulness

This conversational picture book by author-illustrator Gravel winningly imagines anxiety and stress as the first-person narrator’s imaginary puppy, Ollie, who lives in their head. When golden-colored Ollie, a rabbit-eared, big-eyed, high-spirited canine, gets excited, he fills the narrator’s brain with “too much noise,” making it difficult for either to calm down. Luckily, the narrator, a child with light brown skin and dark brown hair, knows just what to do: “I take out my magical leash... my breath.” The narrator also recognizes the efficacy of releasing energy via physical exercise, listening to their feelings, and talking to trusted adults. Gravel’s simple comic-style illustrations and graphic typography pop against monochrome backgrounds, and she succeeds at introducing mindful coping techniques in a way that will appeal to even the youngest readers. Ages 4–8. [em](Jan.) [/em]