Deep Breaths

July 15, 2019
Dolly and Jack are a pig and a rabbit whose lives are immensely enriched by their friendship. Dolly and Jack love playing together. They bolster each other with continual giggles and compliments. When a day comes that they have an emotionally charged misunderstanding, it is devastating to them both. They go their separate ways and are shown individually processing their feelings of anger and hurt. They each use their own self-care strategies to return to a place of calm; Dolly takes deep breaths and a warm bath while Jack counts slowly and visualizes something that makes him happy. These individual practices allow each character to return to the friendship and start anew. The story is immensely in tune with young readers and does a wonderful job depicting the full process of self-regulation: Big feelings are identified and named, and known calming strategies are selected and implemented. The childlike illustrations are delightfully messy, with bold lines and colorful shading. Upon return to the friendship, the two friends are shown expressing their care through appropriate, gentle touch. The yoga poses thrown in at the end are more of a distraction than a meaningful addition, but it's a minor flaw. Though originally published in Australia nearly 10 years ago, it's a fresh, relevant exploration of social-emotional regulation. (Picture book. 3-7)

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 22, 2019

K-Gr 4-Though Dolly the Pig enjoys playing by herself, she especially loves spending time with her best friend Jack the Rabbit, whether engaged in quiet activities like watching clouds or rambunctious ones like bike racing or trampoline jumping. Trouble arises when the duo decide to paint each other's portraits, as both get upset with the other's painting. The friends storm off in anger but then take time to reflect on their feelings. After some thinking and meditation, they cool off and reunite at their favorite tree, practicing their relaxation techniques together. Thompson's scratchy cartoon line illustrations colored with soft washes have a childlike quality to them, capturing the tempestuous emotions of the two protagonists. VERDICT A sweet story of friendship that will benefit many young readers through its techniques for coping with strong feelings.-Yelena Voysey, formerly at Pickering Educational Library, Boston University

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.