See our other Year in Review Guides:
Theravada/Pali/Insight | Zen and Chan | Tibetan Buddhism
Yoga | Personal Development | Kids Books
We are very happy to share with you a look back at our 2022 books for Kids
Jump to: Books | Audiobooks
I Am Quiet: A Story for the Introvert in All of Us
By Andie Powers and illustrated by Betsy Petersen
An Indie Next List Pick
Goodreads Best Children's Book of 2022
Emile is not shy—he is quiet.
Emile may seem timid and shy on the outside, but on the inside he is bustling with imagination. While grownups and even other kids may see Emile as the shy kid who doesn’t raise his hand in class, we know that Emile is actually a high-seas adventurer, a daring explorer, and a friend to wild beasts.
This story honors and encourages the beauty of knowing ourselves for exactly who we are. Emile’s world shows us that the mind of a quiet child can be as rich, expansive, and bold as that of any other (more extroverted) child.
I Am Thinking My Life
By Allysun Atwater, illustrated by Stevie Lewis
I am thinking my life.
Every day.
I am creating a universe.
I am communicating with the world.
I think stars. I see stars.
I am stars.
I think myself smiling. I see myself smiling.
I am smiling.
I am sculpting my world. I am clay. I am motion. I am light.
I am what I think.
Follow along as a young girl discovers the relationship between her thoughts, actions, and her place in the world. This empowering story is all about dreaming, doing, and becoming, and how the power of positive thinking can transform our lives—and the lives of those around us—forever.
Leo Learns to Meditate: A Curious Kid’s Guide to Life’s Ups and Downs and Lots In-Between
By Francesca Hampton, illustrated by John Ledda
A wildly engaging and imaginative story that introduces the world of meditation to kids ages 6–10 through a relatable character named Leo, who learns to cultivate relaxation, mindfulness, and lovingkindness.
Everyone in Leo’s family meditates but him—his mom, his dad, his older sister, and even his stuffed bear, Teddy! But what does it mean to “meditate,” and is it something that Leo can do too?
When Mom becomes his meditation teacher, Leo discovers that it’s about more than just sitting still. After starting to get the hang of it, he’s got to apply what he’s learned off the cushion and out in the world when a bully targets him at school and steals his piece of apple pie.
Through his experiences, Leo learns to meditate in the up times, the down times, and the in-between times. A graphic-novel illustration style gives Leo’s story a fun and easy-to-follow narrative arc. It gives parents, guardians, and teachers an opportunity to playfully introduce children to meditation and even includes a step-by-step guided practice at the end to get their kids started.
Everything Changes: And That’s OK
By Carol Dodd, illustrated by Erin Huybrechts
Change is all around, but it can be overwhelming! Explore how change exists everywhere in a way that is natural, and even beautiful, in this vibrantly illustrated book with fun rhyming couplets, for children ages
3 to 7.
The moon is full, but then it’s gone,
chased away by the dawn.
Stars that shine all through the night
disappear in morning’s light.Everything changes, night to day.
Everything changes, and that’s OK.
From an apple seed growing into a brilliant tree to a child watching a family member grow old, this book offers a thoughtful look at why change doesn’t always have to be negative and can instead be observed with appreciation. It poetically presents a story that prompts kids to recognize and adapt to the change they see in their daily lives.
This beautiful exploration of impermanence is accompanied by vibrant illustrations that explore every corner of the world, from rolling fields in Tibet to the cozy, fireplace-lit living room of a family members home. The illustrations remind children that everything changes no matter where you are, no matter who you are, and that’s all right.
The Monster Parade: A Book about Feeling All Your Feelings and Then Watching Them Go
By Wendy O'Leary, illustrated by Noémie Gionet Landry
Here’s the angry monster,
headed this way.
It growls so loud,
but you know it won’t stay.Say hello as Anger passes!
It has been here before.
Don’t jump in and join it.
Feel your feet on the floor.
Watch as the anger monster passes and the sadness monster disappears . . . it’s all part of the parade we experience every day. Instead of holding on to our emotions, we can acknowledge them and let them go on their way.
What’s happening in your parade today?
Sophie Learns to Be Brave
By Joan Halifax, illustrated by Kiersten Eagan
A story for kids ages 4–8 about a young girl and her encounters with a dog that teaches her friendship, presence, loss, and bravery.
This story follows a young girl named Sophie and a sweet old dog who cross paths in the midst of a storm. “Breathing in, I am safe; breathing out, I am free,” Sophie repeats again and again to remind herself and the "old one" to stay present and brave when feeling scared or unsettled. In helping each other through their fears, a deep kinship is formed that makes a lasting impact on Sophie’s life.
The Animal Adventurer’s Guide: How to Prowl for an Owl, Make Snail Slime, and Catch a Frog Bare-Handed—50 Activities to Get Wild with Animals
By Susie Spikol
2022 National Parenting Product Award (NAPPA) Winner!
Let’s get wild!
Have you ever followed animal tracks in the mud or chased after the glowing trail of a firefly in the night sky? Want to know how to hold a snake, feed a bird from your hat, and help salamanders cross the road? If so, you’re not just an animal lover—you’re an animal adventurer, and this is the book for you. It’s packed full of hands-on activities and projects that bring you closer to wild animals than ever before—from feathery birds and furry mammals to slippery herps, crawly arthropods, and other intriguing invertebrates. You’ll get insider tips about tools and techniques of the trade, become a citizen scientist, and then record handy field notes about all your amazing animal discoveries.
Look inside to learn how to:
- Track wild animals any time of year
- Use a flashlight for night vision to spy on nocturnal animals
- Start your very own animal scat collection and impress your friends
- Build a wildlife blind and become invisible to animals around you
- Collect things like snakeskins, fossils, and feathers
- Keep a wild guide to your own backyard
- And so much more!
The Little Frog Awakes: Mindfulness Exercises for Toddlers (and Their Parents)
By Eline Snel, illustrated by Marc Boutavant
Parenting toddlers can be challenging but mindfulness can help! The popular author of Sitting Still Like a Frog offers advice and tools for parents of kids ages 18 months to 4 years to respond skillfully and with mindful intention, especially in difficult moments.
In The Little Frog Awakes, Eline Snel offers parents of young children advice and tools for responding mindfully and effectively in the moment. These skills help us regain trust in ourselves and in the integral wholeness of our kids. And when we make mindfulness practice a part of daily life, it gives our children a powerful message on how to recognize, name, and deal with emotions and situations.
This practical guide will help you to:
- connect with and respond mindfully to your own feelings as they arise
- cultivate compassion for yourself as a parent or caregiver through meditations and breathing practices
- encourage serenity, self-confidence, and emotional regulation in your children, through stories and activities
- strengthen your bond with your kids and help all of you manage stress
- be more fully present with your children, and more able to give them your undivided attention
- embrace imperfection and focus on the things that really matter
- and more
The book and the accompanying audio include activities, practices, and stories for both you and for your toddler that cultivate mindful moments and action, and self-compassion.
Buddhist Stories for Kids: Jataka Tales of Kindness, Friendship, and Forgiveness
By Laura Burges, illustrated by Sonali Zohra
A wise and colorful collection of ten Buddhist fables, this modern telling of ancient Indian stories, centering around animals and nature, teaches vibrant and timeless life lessons. (Ages 4–8)
Long ago, the Buddha told his followers Jataka Tales, or “birth stories,” about the many lifetimes he lived before he was born as Prince Siddhartha. In this beautiful retelling of ten such stories, the Buddha is introduced as the Queen of the Dogs, a loyal Parrot, a mischievous Monkey, a wise Lion, a brave Forest Owlet, and more.
Each story conveys important morals that are short, sweet, and to the point, giving children a handful of useful lessons to apply to their lives, like “Always try to do the right thing, even when no one else is watching.” These tales are brought to life with stunning and dreamlike illustrations by Sonali Zohra (illustrator of Ashoka the Fierce), exploring in vivid detail how one’s actions affect others; the importance of kindness; the strength of friendship; the value of thoughtful decisions; and the importance of letting go and learning to forgive. With a beautiful paper-over-board package to tie it all together, this book will serve as a timeless and treasured offering for both children and adults.
The Warrior's Code: And How I Live It Every Day (A Kid’s Guide to Love, Respect, Care, Responsibility, Honor, and Peace)
By Kate Hobbs, illustrated by Savannah Allen
2022 NAPPA Award winner
Kai is a warrior! And as a warrior, Kai has a code to live by and share with others. This is the warrior’s code: to be peaceful, to be kind of heart, and to respect all living things.
This empowering book teaches that bravery and courage mean treating others with kindness, standing up for what's right, and demonstrating peace and self-respect.
For ages 4–8.
The Hero of Compassion: How Lokeshvara Got One Thousand Arms
By Harry Einhorn, illustrated by Khoa Le
The magical story of a compassionate hero who learns how to always care for others and to never give up—for kids ages 4–8.
Lokeshvara shows us that with compassion,
we can always pick up the pieces of a broken heart,
and be stronger, more loving, and more wise than before.
Lokeshvara is a compassionate hero who lives above the moon. He tries to help every single being in the world but gets frustrated when he realizes that he can’t save everyone. Lokeshvara becomes so disheartened that he explodes into a thousand pieces. With a little help from a wise friend and teacher, the pieces are put back together in a way that can benefit even more beings than before.
Lokeshvara’s tale of compassion and resilience teaches us that even when we feel overwhelmed by the suffering we see in the world, we can still find creative ways to help those around us.
With beautiful illustrations that use a unique approach to color, shadows, and perspective to evoke a sense of magic and wonder, this retelling of a classic Asian Buddhist tale is timely and meaningful for kids and grown-ups alike.
