Take a breath by Sujean Rim

Bob is a very chatty, humorous and likeable bird but he has a big problem. He cannot fly. No matter what he does and how hard he tries, he just cannot get off the ground. His flock are off on their first flight of the day and Bob is left alone. He practises and practises repeatedly and starts to worry he will never fly. He becomes very despondent but a kind and helpful crow passing by notices Bob crying and offers to help. He also had trouble flying so he knows exactly how Bob is feeling. He tells Bob to take a breath, but Bob is not convinced, after all he is breathing! However, the crow insists that Bob does deep breathing and teaches him how to do it. After a few failed attempts at deep breathing Bob finally masters it and feels great. He continues to practise his flying and it does get better.

This picture book has detailed instructions on how to breathe deeply and would be best read and shared by a teacher or parent with younger children. Learning to breathe deeply can help in times of stress and worry. The appealing yet simple illustrations will delight young children and add to their engagement in the story.

Themes: Self-esteem, Wellbeing, Birds, Deep Breathing, Persistence, Friendship, Humour.

Kathryn Beilby