Product Review: Mindful Monkey, Happy Panda [Hardcover] (age 4+)
“Oh, I get it!” said the Monkey. “Mind-Full, like your mind is full of the present, full of right now. That’s definitely how I want to be!” How about you?
The children’s book Mindful Monkey, Happy Panda is a great read that talks about the importance of mindfulness for children. Mindfulness is about living in the moment and observing and experiencing the present with open attention without judgment. Mindfulness is a practice in Buddhist meditation and is a method of research in modern day psychology to help reduce stress and focus on positive behavior. While I am not a Buddhist, I have an appreciation of mindfulness and meditation especially through my yoga practice. I suppose that reading Mindful Monkey, Happy Panda to my daughter brought more enlightenment to me than her at this point. I have had a great need to stop stressing and just live in this moment. Multi-tasking parents who put pressure on themselves to get everything done realize there will always be a million other things left to do will relate to wanting to be more mindful and happy to live in the ‘now’. It is very humbling to get that message loud and clear through a children’s book, but Mindful Monkey, Happy Panda is much more than a children’s book. It really is a guide to living in the moment in the simplest of terms.
One of the main characters, Mindful Monkey, wasn’t so mindful at the beginning of the story and started a conversation with Happy Panda to learn the secret of his happiness. Mindful Monkey finds that it isn’t what he is doing (eating, reading, sleeping, etc) that makes him not feel happy, it is that he is not focusing on the here and now and enjoying the present. Monkey thinks about having to do chores when he does his walks. He thinks about reading when he is doing his chores. Monkey’s mind is never on the present and Panda tries to tell him of the importance of doing what you’re doing while you’re doing it and let the happiness come from being present in this moment of your life. Happy reading!
About Author Dr. Lauren Alderfer: Dr. Lauren Alderfer has a Ph.D. in Global Educational Leadership from the Union Institute and University in Cincinnati, Ohio and has a wealthy international professional experience. She has been an educator over a 25 year span in a vast range of ages from the very young to teaching classes at the SIT Graduate Institute. Lauren lived in India over 10 years and still divides her time between India and the United States.
Extra! Mindful Monkey, Happy Panda’s Illustrator, Kerry Lee MacLean, has authored her own book called Moody Cow Meditates which is a cute book also available through Wisdom Publications.
Mindful Monkey, Happy Panda [Hardcover] (age 4+)
List Price: $15.95 (Currently $10.85 through Amazon.com)
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