BEING A DOG

An affable dog and its human model mindfulness.

The brown, short-legged mutt with expressive eyes and a wagging tail is definitely the star of the book. Its companion, an androgynous child with straight black hair and rose beige skin, doesn’t show up until the sixth spread. The slight story follows the pair through a series of ordinary days as the seasons change. The dog and child are often together as they eat, play, swim, socialize, and sleep. The text is filled with frequent mindfulness reminders like “feel the emotion, then let it go and BE,” and “notice the night. Feel the fatigue.” Young readers are encouraged to imitate typical doggy behaviors that will help them maintain a moment-to-moment awareness of their thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, and surroundings: “Like a dog, feel what you're feeling: Bark if you're worried. Yowl if you're sad. Growl if you're angry.” The winsome digital illustrations, created using cut paper and scanned watercolors, are convincingly textured and multidimensional. Two diagrammatic closing double-page spreads present instructions for taking a mindful nature walk with a friend and include suggestions of what you might notice when you see, hear, sniff, taste, or feel “like a dog” in the spring, summer, fall, or winter. The final page outlines a mindful breathing exercise and shows a picture of child and dog sitting with eyes closed on a blue rug. One spread shows a group of children at a playground, all of whom present White except for two boys with light-brown skin.

A cute mindfulness primer that will especially appeal to dog lovers.