Children's Mindfulness Books
About the Author
My debut children’s book, Slow Down Amaya, introduces mindfulness to children in a simple but effective way
I have worked in the voluntary sector for over 15 years. During this time, I've worked with children, young people and adults from various backgrounds.
During my time working with children and young people, a large number of them had ASD and ADHD. Upon reflection, I realised that I hadn’t seen many books that included characters who are Neurodivergent and that these children may not often see themselves reflected in books either.
Growing up I didn't see characters who looked like me in books. I wanted to highlight the importance of diversity and representation through the characters in Slow Down Amaya and Slow Down Sammy.
I witnessed the negative impact of the pandemic on the children that I worked with.
After sharing mindfulness 1:1 with children in my role in the Community Learning and Development field, and seeing the benefits it had on their wellbeing and emotional developement, I was motivated to share these tools with more children.
That’s why when the story Slow Down Amaya came to me one evening I knew I had to share it with the world to reach children to help them discover the magic of mindfulness through storytelling.
If you're a teacher or educator, you can download free curriculum aligned lesson plans based on my books here.
Slow Down Amaya
Come along on Amaya’s journey of slowing down and meeting a new friend in nature.
Amaya is a friendly and excitable butterfly who is always busy. She learns to slow down and be in the here and now by using her senses. Amaya guides children through a mindfulness activity to practice being in the moment.
This mindfulness based picture book helps children explore emotions, friendship, kindness and inclusivity. It is the perfect way to support children develop their creative thinking and includes activity pages for added fun.
Target age: 4-8 years old
However younger and older children can also read it.
Reader Reviews
“The book is a really fun and engaging way to learn about mindfulness. I would highly recommend it to every kid, and even to their parents, as it’s a great way to introduce everyone to being mindful in the present and letting go of past or future worries. Well done to the author!”
- Lotta
“What a pleasant story and a cracking introduction to mindfulness for little ones! As an adult with an anxiety disorder who has been practising mindfulness for about 15 years now, I was very impressed with how well this was broken down and made accessible for little ones. I wish I'd had this when I was small.
The illustrations are a delight too. My child is almost grown up now but I will be gifting this to a little one as I'm sure it will bring so much joy.”
- Steph
“A lovely story, my 2.5 year old loved Amaya's adventure. She practised using all her senses alongside the characters and asked to read it again immediately!”
-Kirsten
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Slow Down Sammy
Discover how mindfulness can help reduce worries and create a calmer mind.
Sammy feels anxious and worried about an upcoming event. With Amaya’s help, he begins to let go of his worries and feels more at ease by playing a mindfulness game.
The story explores the rollercoaster of emotions that are felt when thinking about the future.
Slow Down Sammy includes activity pages to support children with exploring their emotions and ways to manage feeling worried.
Target age: 4-8 years old
Reader Reviews
“A brightly illustrated book. Ideal for discussing feelings of anxiety with young children. I really liked that children can write in the book and that they are given proactive ways to manage their feelings.”
- Trudy
“I LOVE THIS PRODUCT. My son (6 years old) loves this book. We are utilizing the most amazing grounding technique. As a homeschool mom that has severe ADHD, it's important to emphasize and teach my children grounding and mindfulness techniques. The author really put a lot of empathy and compassion into this book when it comes to real life examples. Sammy and Amaya should be a cartoon for others, regardless of age.”
- Netta
“This is a lovely children’s picture book which introduces a mindfulness technique to reduce feelings of worry or anxiety in children. This book will be a wonderful tool in supporting children I work with as a social worker and I will also be sharing it with my own pre-school children. The language is straightforward for young readers and the pictures bright and appealing.”
-E