Today I am going to share with you two absolutely beautiful picture books. The books are recommended for pre-K through grade 3. One is about becoming a big girl and putting away toys and the other is about learning to meditate. The first book is Nasla's Dream by Cecile Roumiguiere and illustrated by Simone Rea.
It is night time and Nasla can't sleep. She sees a yellow light staring at her from the top of her wardrobe. We have all had those nights especially when we were young. You see or hear something and thoughts of what it could be keep you awake. Nasla wonders who is staring at her with the yellow eye. The day before she asked her father to put her beloved stuffed turtle and other stuffed animals up there because she decided she was too old to sleep with stuffed animals. Could her animals be angry with her or could it be something else? Something scarier? Then she sees her stuffed elephant's trunk moving. Now she is really scared. What can she do?
This book addresses something everyone goes through--scared of the night and seeing things. We let our imaginations run wild which of course only scares us more. The words in this book are simple and the story is easy to follow. The illustrations are simple but fun. We truly see how a child's imagination can work and create scenarios. When Nasla finally falls asleep she dreams of her animals and the owner of the yellow eye is revealed to the reader.
Even in her dream we see the imagination of a child. This book is perfect for the child getting ready to give up sleeping with a toy or who is having trouble sleeping because of fears. The yellow eye belongs to Nasla's cat so in the end there was nothing to fear.
Our next book is the latest in a series of books. I have not read any of the other ones and you do not need to. However if you like it you may want to check out the other Miyuki books. The book is Thank You, Miyuki by Roxane Marie Galliez and illustrated by Seng Soun Ratanavanh. Miyuki is with her grandfather. He is doing his normal early morning routine starting with tai chi. Miyuki finds the moves hard so she goes to make "tea". When she brings it to her grandfather he says he needs to meditate. Miyuki wants to know how to meditate. Throughout the day her grandfather does quiet activities including a walk in nature with her. He tries to get her to notice things quietly. At the end of the day she asks when they will start to meditate and her grandfather explains they have been meditating many times during the day.
The illustrations in this book are beautiful. They appear to be made with prints from paper or fabrics. I love how the story is about a young girl and her grandfather, and he is getting her to see the beauty in the world around them. Their meditating begins with his listening to her explain the flavors of the "tea" (cold water) that she has made for him. There are times of looking at the clouds looking at water, smelling a rose and so many more. This book teaches a mindfulness of enjoying the beauty around you and finding peace with it.
This book has a sweetness and innocence to it. The colors are beautiful and the pictures just make it come alive. Once again you see the imagination of a young child and the thought process. I love how it teaches to be in the present and take time for nature and the things around you.
Both of these beautiful books are sweet and amazing quality. I love the looks of them and how they don't look like cartoons or such like some books do. There is a sophistication to them that is hard to describe. I hope you will check them out!
