There is time by Lisa Melichar & Lisa A. Kennedy

Taking time to do the most ordinary things is lauded in this verse story which encourages imagination, observation and slowing down. The child in the tale is shown idly getting out of bed, observing the day through the window, having a dressing gowned mum brush her hair, then doing a few stretching exercises to start her day.  Dressed, she spends time playing her musical instrument, then goes outside to smell the flowers, to observe and play. She sings and dances, writes and performs; she hops and skips, runs and jumps. There is always time to explore, to read and dream, and time to pretend. At the end of the day there is time to eat, laugh, play and bath, ready to hear a bedtime story read by someone close.

And looking at a wider landscape, to learn when the child goes to school, and time to accept change as it comes along, especially in the shape of a new sibling. The book ends with supporting children to take time out to laugh and play, to greet each new day as it arrives, making the time to observe and interact. 

Gentle illustrations support the text, and reflect the things the child is doing as she sees each day anew, seeing all the things that make up the environment in which she lives. An emphasis on wellbeing, of being mindful, of taking time to look at all around them encourages the reader to stop and smell the daisies with her.

Themes: Mindfulness, Time, Observation, Environment, Family, Siblings.

Fran Knight