Breathing Makes it Better is intended to help children aged 3–6 learn to work with difficult emotions using mindfulness, awareness, and breathing, and inspired by Thich Nhat Hanh and his teachings on breath awareness. As its subtitle states, it is “a book for sad days, mad days, glad days, and all the feelings in-between.” The book takes readers through various challenging situations—“when trouble lurks around every corner,” “when the world feels strange and lonely,” “when life seems unfair and beyond your control”—and in each case reminds readers to “stop and take a breath.” With each situation, the authors also go a step beyond breath and offer an affirmative guided practice, for example, imagining that you’re a tree blowing in the wind, paired with an imaginative illustration. Children of various ethnicities will see themselves represented in the illustrations in Breathing Makes it Better.

This book helps children to identify their feelings and then gives them a rhyme (accompanied by an exhortation to breathe deeply) to recite when they are experiencing strong negative emotions such as anger or sadness.

While this book has an inspirational message and I think could potentially be helpful in teaching kids some positive thinking and techniques, it struck me as more didactic than its picture book format would suggest. Still, it's not a bad book to share in a classroom setting or especially in a one-on-one situation.

The illustrations do feature a diverse set of children, which is important. ( )

An engaging and interactive story showing children ages 3-6 the power of breath when dealing with new and difficult emotions.

Read aloud and breathe along with this sweet story teaching children how to navigate powerful emotions like anger, fear, sadness, confusion, anxiety, and loneliness. With rhythmic writing and engaging illustrations, Breathing Makes It Better guides children to breathe through their feelings and find calm with recurring cues to stop and take a breath. Simple guided practices, like imagining you are a tree blowing in the wind, follow each story to teach children how to apply mindfulness techniques when they need them the most.