A group of children is often depicted scrutinizing one (four taller kids in gym class look to a shorter one, thinking, “He’s too little to play basketball” and “He’ll NEVER get that ball in the hoop”) as the titular phrase asks, “What if EVERYBODY thought that?” The following spread reads, “They might be wrong” as vignettes show the tiny tot zipping around everyone and scoring. Javernick poses scenarios in which children exhibit varying physical disabilities, learning disabilities, medical conditions, and more. One hopes that all schools are diverse with regard to both culture and ability, but it can be difficult to help students see beyond differences. Javernick and Madden pair up once again ( What If Everybody Did That?, 2010 and What If Everybody Said That?, 2018), this time to address bullying in a school setting. Thinking mean-spirited thoughts can be just as damaging as saying them out loud.

A guided-meditation exercise offers interactive opportunities for readers to create their own mindful time.Ī gentle, helpful tool for cultivating kid mindfulness.

Vignettes of the child in a balance pose, feeding birds, and meditating beneath a tree (magically sprouting from fallen birdseed) reinforce messages of kindness, compassion, and self-awareness as worry melts into bliss. Drawn in loose, black outlines and then washed with rainbow hues, the somewhat androgynous child resembles a young yogi with black hair, light-brown skin, bare feet, turtleneck, cropped pants, and a hat and necklace appropriately adorned with peace symbols. The spare, seemingly hand-lettered, first-person text and sprightly illustrations, executed in ink, gouache, watercolor, and tea, stand out against pristine white backgrounds. Yoga instructor Verde and illustrator Reynolds reunite ( I Am Yoga, 2015) in this introduction to mindfulness featuring a worried child who focuses on the moment.įeeling “like a boat with no anchor,” the child announces, “there are times when I worry about what might happen next and what happened before.” Taking a moment to breathe, become grounded, centered, and aware of “the here and the now,” the child’s thoughts settle, and “worries gently pop and disappear.” Through acts of kindness, connecting to nature, and using the senses, the child now feels anchored and at peace within the moment.

I am peace by susan verde