You might be wondering how to introduce your toddlers, preschoolers, or even young school aged children to the concept of mindfulness.
And like many other topics that you want to introduce to your kids, picture books are often a great starting point. Especially if you have hyperlexic kids. Books are basically their best friend.
So if you would like to teach your kids deep breathing, meditation, and mindfulness strategies, then you're in the right spot. You're going to love these children's books about mindfulness!
About this List of Mindfulness Picture Books for Kids
Just a couple of things to know about this list of children's books on mindfulness:
- This list will be continually added to as I find and discover new mindfulness books for kids.
- I have actually physically read every single book on this list myself. I didn't just pick these books all willy nilly.
- This book list was updated on November 22, 2019 to include a new title. New books are always added to the end of the list.
The Best Mindfulness Books for Kids: Great for Teaching Meditation, Deep Breathing, Coping Skills, & More!
1. Alphabreaths: The ABCs of Mindful Breathing
By Christopher Willard and Daniel Rechtschaffen
Illustrated by Holly Clifton-Brown
I stumbled across this book on the Hoopla app one day and knew I had to check it out. I mean deep breathing paired with ABCs?! Seems like a perfect book to show a hyperlexic kid!
Well, I feel in love with it instantly. It teaches 26 deep breathing techniques, one for each letter of the alphabet. Kind of like you figured it would based on the title, right? Plus, the artwork is gorgeous.
I highly recommend this book, especially if you have a hyperlexic kid.
2. Breathe
By Scott Magoon
This book is so incredibly soothing. It has simple text and beautiful artwork. I think it's perfect for reading as a tool to calm down. Actually, I think it should just be a board book, to be honest. Regardless, this book is great for really little ones like toddlers.
3. My Magic Breath: Finding Calm Through Mindful Breathing
By Nick Ortner and Alison Taylor
Illustrated by Michelle Polizzi
This book is like the Press Here! of mindfulness picture books. It's interactive and engaging! And the kids will love it!
It teaches kids all about how to use deep breathing and when to use the magic breath to calm down. It's such a great book!
4. Breathe with Me: Using Breath to Feel Strong, Calm, & Happy
By Mariam Gates
Illustrated by Sarah Jane Hinder
I love how this book teaches specific deep breathing techniques to kids such as rainbow breath and dandelion breath.
The artwork in this book is bright and colorful. It even shows lots of diverse characters, including a disabled girl. Yay for representation!
This mindfulness book is really good and definitely worth checking out.
5. ABC Mindful Me
By Christiane Engel
You know I'll love this book right away because of the ABC format. It's the perfect example of using a hyperlexic child's interests to teach new skills and concepts.
This book features bright and bold images paired with mindfulness principles in alphabetical order. Again, kind of like the cover and title suggest...
I like the nice rhyming text in this book. And I especially love the resources at the end of the book. There's a definition of mindfulness there as well as some mindfulness activity ideas to do with your kids.
6. I Am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness
By Susan Verde
Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
This book is all about using mindfulness strategies to help with worries. So it's great for anxious kids.
It's very calming to read and could even be used as a guided meditation itself.
I do love the colorful art. I'm a huge Peter H. Reynolds fan. However, I don't like how the child is drawn to look like a hippy. Mindfulness isn't just for hippies. Just saying...Otherwise, the book is great.
7. Breathe and Be: A Book of Mindfulness Poems
By Kate Coombs
Illustrated by Anna Emilia Laitinen
Full of short poems about grounding techniques, mindfulness strategies, and reminders to breathe, this book is really quite beautiful. The illustrations are calm and soothing and are the perfect compliment to the text.
8. The Lemon Hurricane: A Story of Mindfulness and Meditation
By Licia Morelli
Illustrated by Jennifer E. Morris
Curious about teaching your kids to meditate? Then this book is a good starting point! It introduces the concept of meditation to your kids and has lovely illustrations to accompany the text.
9. What Does it Mean to be Present?
By Rana DiOrio
Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler
This book focuses on teaching kids what it means to be present, just like the title suggests. So it's a perfect introduction for kids to what mindfulness is all about considering being present is a key part of being mindful.
10. Crab & Whale
By Mark Pallis & Christianne Kerr
Illustrated by James Cottell
The author sent me a copy of this book to review after seeing this blog post. All opinions are my own and 100% honest. I enjoyed it and thought it deserved a spot on this list.
Crab discovers a beached whale and helps Whale stay calm and teaches him how to do deep breathing. This book also includes instructions to do a breathing exercise at the end. Plus, the watercolor artwork is gorgeous!
Just a heads up...I do think some kids might worry about the whale dying, so it's something to consider if you have a particularly sensitive or anxious child.
Other Mindfulness Resources for Kids You'll Love
The Ultimate Guide to Mindfulness & Meditation for Kids
Mindfulness Activities for Kids to Try
Benefits of Meditation for Kids
