ZENGUIN

Amid a vast polar terrain, a small penguin becomes overstimulated.

Starting from the very first page (in which a group of the flightless birds slumber in an adorable heap), this book aims to hit readers right in the feels. Penguin (made easy to spot by a heart-shaped patch of chest feathers) loves his pals, though they are very, very noisy. They squawk, while his aptly named baby sister, Pip, emits a “pip.” Their many wintry activities are fun but equally loud (“thump,” “crack,” “whoosh”), and the stress sometimes makes Penguin’s heart pound. Angry and frustrated, Penguin asks his non-penguin friends how they “feel zen.” Blue Whale relies on deep breathing; Seal loves yoga; Gull enjoys gardening. Penguin tries all these practices and soon finds the external stressors balanced by his “calm and quiet inside.” When he hears someone crying out for help, he applies what he has learned to untangle Pip, a knitter, from the purple yarn that colorfully symbolizes the struggle with outside irritants. And Penguin earns his new name: Zenguin. Instructions for “finding calm” in four specific, practical ways (belly breathing, drawing, finger play, and hugging oneself) end the book. The simple story is well paced, accessible, and engaging, and the darling gray-and-white penguins, with warm orange beaks and toes, who look like living stuffies, are sweet fluffballs.

An adorable counter to anxiety, featuring easy exercises and charming Antarctic animals.