Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In a mellow companion to Angry Me, Feder catalogs situations in which an experience of peace might arise as well as actions that can help one to feel peaceful. Digitally finished spreads with a printmaking feel by Jomepour Bell portray the book's narrating child with brown skin: "I like feeling peaceful," simple text begins. An accounting of calming experiences follows: "Sometimes" the narrator feels peaceful when with others, when alone, when things go well, or when outside. By a body of water, the child gazes at the sky (" 'Fluffy clouds,' peaceful"), then bobs blissfully (" 'Floating,' peaceful"). But "Sometimes I don't feel peaceful." Now, the text turns to ways that the mental and somatic state might be restored: breathing deep, imagining favorite things, finding a quiet place, getting a hug. At last, peace returns. Acknowledging that the sensation of grounded ease can be both easy and difficult to come by, this calming read gives readers words to talk about their experiences, and uses lulling lines to model settling one's body and mind. Ages 3--6. (May)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--A brown-skinned child with black hair describes all the ways that they feel peaceful: with other people or alone, inside or outside, having fun or doing kind things. They also describe how to regain that peaceful feeling when it doesn't come naturally: "Sometimes being peaceful is easy. Sometimes it takes work to get there." The child takes a deep breath in and out, finds a quiet place, pictures favorite things, or finds a hug. The first-person narration is simple and direct, and the art, created with hand-printed textures, complements and enhances it beautifully: the child's exhale appears as a spiral, and a bird's-eye illustration of them floating in the water is stunning: ripples form a ring around them, light bounces off the water, leaves float on the surface with a sliver of shadow beneath. Like Deborah Underwood and Renata Liwska's The Quiet Book, and Julia Denos and E.B. Goodale's Here and Now, this is a book that refrains from didacticism and connects directly with children through its text and pictures equally and effectively. VERDICT There is much to ponder, practice, and observe here, and the book has a sense of play; some readers will enjoy finding a little black cat on many pages. Highly recommended, a first purchase for all libraries.--Jenny Arch
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A child reflects on all the different ways to experience peace. An unnamed, Black-presenting protagonist looks serenely out a window beside a happy black cat. The child narrator describes moments when they feel peaceful: when connecting with others, when they're by themself, or "when things go well." This gentle story introduces different flavors of peace--" 'Good game!' peaceful." " 'Cuddle time,' peaceful." " 'I'll help,' peaceful." Bell's dynamic, textured illustrations make peace feel particularly palpable, such as when the protagonist describes the " 'floating,' peaceful" they feel when swimming outside; Bell's depiction of the contented main character, buoyed on the light-webbed surface of a lake, is mesmerizing. But the child does acknowledge that they don't always feel peaceful--"So I slow my breathing down--deep breath in, deep breath out." The rest of the story details strategies for finding peace, with the narrator concluding that "Sometimes it takes work to get there. But when I do, I'm happy to be peaceful me." With no validation of nonpeaceful emotions, some young readers may get the impression that distress and agitation are bad feelings to fix rather than normal emotions that just require processing. The book would have benefitted from a slightly more expanded narrative that spends more time on negative emotions; caregivers and educators may want to pair it with the creators' earlier title Angry Me (2022) for a more in-depth look at the emotional spectrum. Still, overall this is an age-appropriate exploration of how to stay centered and calm. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A vibrantly illustrated ode to tranquility. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
