I Remember My Breath: Mindful Breathing for All My Feelings

As two children confront a barrage of emotions, mindful breathing helps them to feel grounded in Rummel and Bunting’s earnest picture book. Through first-person narration, the figures, one portrayed with brown skin and one shown as pale, describe their alternating experiences of worry, excitement, sadness, nervousness, anger, and embarrassment (“I feel sad./ A heavy feeling/ weighs me down.../ down... down”). Accompanying the titular refrain “I remember my breath,” metaphor offers a helpful aid for emotional self-regulation. The breath is “the wind” amid worries, “a paintbrush” around excitement, and an “umbrella” for sadness. Lightly washed illustrations depict common childhood scenarios (a tumble, a birthday, a move), amplifying the text’s relatability for effectiveness. A “Guide for Caring Adults” provides contextual background and activities. Ages 4–8. (Jan.)