Sometimes I wonder if picture-book authors really understand children at all...

Finding Om is a simple explanation of mindfulness and meditation using the Om mantra. Anu learns about Om from her grandfather, Appuppa. Then she goes on to practice, eventually finding peace within herself.

What I'm struggling with are two things. First, Anu is depicted fairly unrealistically. After learning about Om, she struggles to maintain focus... until she obsessively starts chanting while letting the world go on around her. Do children really need to be that mindful? (There's one illustration that I found particularly disturbing, in which she's sitting and meditating while the rest of her family are simply enjoying their lives. What's the message? Kids are supposed to give up joy in favour of enlightenment? Her family are unenlightened boors who need to be taught a lesson? In fact, the book ends with Appuppa suggesting they teach the even-younger sister about meditating. I'm not sure how well that's going to work, given the girls' apparent ages.)

The second thing that's bothering me is the way the book is written. It's difficult to understand, even for adults! The main narrative itself isn't so bad, but check out one of the definitions provided for clarity:

"Meditation: an introspective practice for becoming more familiar with ourselves in relationship with internal and external life experience; depending on the style of practice, may cultivate certain modes of paying attention, like focus and/or receptivity; may also reinforce connections to various attitudes and intentions for attending with presence, awareness, wisdom, and care"

Got that, kids?

The pictures are cute, and the overall premise is commendable, but I think this is aimed at the wrong age group. Do young children really need to be reminded to notice things around them? I don't think so. These are valuable lessons for older readers who may have forgotten how to be mindful, but I question whether encouraging kids to get obsessed with chanting and trying to be mindful 24/7 is that healthy.

This was so adorable. The illustrations were so beautiful I was in awe the whole time. I loved that this was about a little girl discovering mediation and bonding with her grandpa. This was so wonderful to read, I loved every part.

This was an informative look into the practice of meditation and breaks down the principles using easy to understand prose and beautiful illustrations!

The illustrations in this book are as gorgeous as the story. My little girl loved reading about Anu and her Appuppa. Teaching children how to be mindful and that they do control their own thoughts is a great lesson for children of all ages and adults. I think this would make a stunning addition to my children's library.

What a wonderful children's book! Finding Om teaches the basics behind meditation and awareness in a simple way that allows children to understand one of the oldest practices in most western religions. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this to my stepdaughter, as she is five and already finding her own love of yoga. I also loved the diversity that this book allowed me to share with her. Beautifully illustrated and wonderfully executed, Finding Om was an absolute pleasure to read.

The art in this book was absolutely stunning. The message was beautiful and easy for my children to grasp.

"A mantra is an instrument for the mind"

Such a short book and yet it contains so much. This is the story if Anu in her self-discovery after having her grandfather teaching her about meditation. It's so gorgeous illustrated and insightful! And children will have been taught a way to best deal with their feelings and explore mindfulness since a young age. Not to mention, have fun while doing it. Highly recommend, I'm definitely buying this for my little brothers.

When Anu asks her Appuppa why he keeps saying "um", she doesn't realise that she is about to embark on a journey of self-discovery.

Through this gorgeously drawn book, children can explore meditation and mindfulness by following along with Anu's journey. The story is soothing and gentle, encouraging the reader to try exploring the power of om without feeling as though it is pushing an ideological agenda.

A great book!

Finding Om is an educational story of Anu and her grandfather about mediation and learning about it. It is accompanied with colourful, fun illustrations that demonstrate the message very well. This would be a good fit in classrooms and parents who want to teach their child(ren) about meditation and calming down.

I freely admit, I wasn't sure of this book. The description of the book and the cover image interested me, but the first few pages of questions and answers between grandfather and child seemed a bit condescending. I did find that as I finished the book it was better than the beginning. I think the mindfulness techniques would sink in with more thoughtful children. Possibly a read aloud for a class talking about mindfulness or a small group of children learning yoga.

Finding Om by Rashmi S. Bismark is the kind of book that every little library should have. It is a wonderful multigenerational and multicultural story that is perfect for teaching your children about diversity and that not everybody is the same as them. They can see a family from a different country as well as a different religion. The illustrations are truly stunning. I cannot think of many children's books that are this beautiful.

Finding Om is a rich, beautiful, and engaging narrative -- ready to be read and appreciated at any age. Rashmi S. Mismark is clearly a talent and offers an eye-catching book for us to enjoy.

Love, love, love! We practice mindfulness in my family and I love how Finding Om puts meaning behind the practices. The illustrations were vibrant and engaging!

Finding Om is an adorable, accessible, diverse book that explains mindfulness in a youthful way for a younger audience, which would be very helpful for those with younger children.

This is a very thoughtful and beautiful book, teaching children meditation and mindfulness. I really loved the illustrations and the easy but effectful way of explaining the Mantra om.

My two toddlers and I really enjoyed reading about the meaning of OM. As yoga and meditation fans this is a great book to add to their collection. It teaches mindfulness in a way that is easy for young children to understand.

OM-MAZING!!!! This book is a gem! It's an amazing introduction to meditation, quieting one's mind, and connecting with nature and the world around you. Every part of this book was pure magic! I loved it and would absolutely read this book to my children or my Girl Scout troop!

Definitely one of its kind. I have been looking for books to read to my nephew. He's 4 years old and I wanted him to cultivate the habit of reading rather than wasting away his time on ipads or television. I do know a bit about the mantra "OM". This book did shine light upon the mantra and was also easy for the child to understand. I'm glad to have read this book.

I thank NetGalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Finding Om by Rashmi S. Bismark is an exceptionally thoughtful book for children. The short book and the protagonist Anu are just too cute. Anu finds her grandfather chanting 'Om' one day and persisits on knowing what is its significance.

Slowly, we find how Anu finds peace, love and kindness in her heart throught two little syllables.

The book, its story and the illustrations are all up to the mark. Learning, compassion and meaning, all needs to be inculcated am9ng children young at age and reading them these kind of books will certainly lead to a better future.

Though the book may require a little bit of explaining for some children, I would surely recommend it for every child.

I totally love this picture book!
The illustration is so vivid and accurate.
The characters stand out and the writing is so simple, exact and appropriate for the targeted age group.
The book serves its purpose to educate kids about the importance of meditation through simple steps and tips to have an understanding of the word 'Om', the meaning behind it and it's objective.
Loved it!
Even adults will find this amazing book useful while reading it to the kids!

Thank you #NetGalley for the copy of #FindingOm