I enjoy reading books to children. I have also amassed a nice collection of children’s books to use with my “work kids,” as well as to save for my “someday” grandchildren (I’m not ready to be a grandmother yet!). I even have my favorite books from when I was a child, as well as my children’s favorite books from when they were little.
I love children’s books that are fun and silly. Every now and then a book comes along that is more thoughtful and is about “real world” topics and situations. Such is the case with the book Somewhere, Right Now by Kerry Docherty. It’s by Penguin/Flaming Books. It’s illustrated by New York Times bestselling illustrator Suzie Mason.
Somewhere, Right Now teaches children (adults could benefit from it as well) how to process their emotions and handle stress.
Here is a brief synopsis of the book.
When Alma is experiencing the lows of unexpected disappointment, her mom offers her the wise advice that she just might feel better if she closes her eyes and pictures something beautiful that’s happening in nature. Maybe it’s a baby whale being born, or perhaps it’s the sun coming out on a cloudy day; right now our resilient world is making something incredible happen.
I absolutely love this imaginative techniques to help children cope with stressful situations. As adults, we could benefit from something like this as well.
Sometimes when I am sitting out on our balcony I like to close my eyes and just listen to the world around me. It might be a bird signing near by, or a motorcycle off in the distance. Or I could hear neighbors laughing, or a dog barking. I find that when I stop and LISTEN to the world around me, that can be soothing and relaxing and make me forget about things that stress me out.
I also find watching the world around me to be peaceful too, such as birds flying in the sky or a bee buzzing around a dandelion.
Thanks to this beautiful book, I now have another technique in my arenol to “de-stress.” I’m going to close my eyes and imagine all the beauty going on in the world around me, such as birth of a whale (I happen to love whales too).
The illustrations in this book are spectacular and really help to bring the story to life.
This book is a wonderful reminder to step back from stressful situations, or even unhappy ones, and think about all the joy and beauty going on RIGHT NOW in the world.
The time it took to read this post a baby was born, a flower bloomed for the first time, and a rainbow has made an appearance after a rainstorm.
Look for Somewhere, Right Now where ever books are sold.
Kimberly
*I received a free sample copy to review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.