The Spaces In Between

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great read for so many reasons. First, the illustrations are delightful! Second, the rhythm of the text creates a peaceful and relaxing experience. Third, and most importantly for me, the author is highlighting ways for children to be mindful. The author does a really great job acknowledging the fears and anxieties that can occur in a loud and busy environment. Children don't have control over where they live or when they need to run errands, but now they will have strategies to create moments of calm in the chaos.

This reminded me of Richard Scarry and I really enjoyed it. The illustrations are adorable and bright and well-done and the storyline was cute and easy to follow.

This is such a wonderful story for children and their adult caregivers! Everybody needs to be reminded to find magic in the spaces in-between...magic and silence/peace. We live in a fast paced world, for children especially I believe it's got to put pressure on them and forces them to grow up even quicker (as a mom of two littles let me tell you this happens quick enough, thank you very much). Having spent time in Chicago during college but now living in a small town I can see how even in a quieter city the world can still get noisy and wreak havoc on one's mental health. This book, again, is a powerful reminder to people of all ages and backgrounds that it is OK to slow down and smell the roses, or the coffee if you prefer!

The graphics are also super stunning, can't wait to buy this one for my best friend and her kids since they still live in Chicago!

This is a great book for children living or traveling to large cities! The illustrations are so beautiful and feature a diverse set of characters. I love that everyone was included in The Spaces In Between!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

I liked the idea of this book, but the writing seemed off the mark for me. As a parent and an educator of children with anxiety and sensory processing challenges, I loved the idea of a picture book that explored the “spaces in between” you can find comfort and solace in a bustling city… but the book’s message seemed a bit like a disjointed look-closer-to-see-loveliness-in-the-gritty-city and a halfhearted mindfulness mantra…? I don’t know. Several pages featured awkward text to force a rhyming scheme, and other pages didn’t rhyme at all. I’ll still add a copy to our library’s shelves, though.

As a 3rd grade teacher I am always on the lookout for books that I can integrate into my classroom. I shared this book with my students and they enjoyed it. They liked the coloring of the illustrations and how well the pictures went with the words. They also caught the pictures on the wall of the last page were things that the girl saw during her day. They liked the rhyming beat of the story.

My students do not live in a big city, so they had a harder time understanding why finding the quiet was necessary. We did talk about the message of the book that no matter where you are, you can find calm happy spots.

Loved the theme of this book, loved the illustrations, and loved the mindfulness activities in the back. This is a perfect book to read with your littles if you live in a busy city. I'm not sure my rural students will quite understand the chaos of a big city, but everyone could use a quiet spot in the spaces in between!

Wow!! The illustrations in this book are breathtaking. The color & details really tell a story, as if we were really in the city.

As a mama to two neurodivergent children, this book really hit home for us. Sometimes places (especially big cities!) can seem so overwhelming and scary.

We all sat down and read this book together, it sparked a lot of conversation about the things that may overwhelm them and how we can find spaces/tools that are more calming for us. We also talked about our "spaces in between" and did some coloring pages that went along with the story of this book!

We loved at the end of the book where there is two pages that talk about mindfulness. These pages give you different ideas and exercises to help you be brave in the big city, or in any overwhelming situations!

I highly recommend this book to any parent/guardian. This book sparks a lot about big feelings and how you can handle them. Love love LOVE!

A different twist on mindfulness, providing many opportunities to overcome overwhelm in a big city. Loved the bright, inclusive illustrations and the additional suggestions at the back of the book.

I think this book would work perfectly for all children in primary school right from age 5 to age 11 with an engaging rhyme scheme and a lovely message that ties into important conversations we need to be having in the classroom. I could also imagine a thoughtful art or literacy task coming from this book where children think about their own spaces in between where they feel safest.

This book is wonderful for kids at helping them identify when they’re becoming anxious and on what to do when those big feelings arise. I read this to my toddler and even though we do not live in a big city, we were able to take what the story told and apply it to our everyday. My toddler also really enjoyed the story and the beautiful illustrations. This is going to be a great addition to our bookshelf.

This book is a great exploration of mindfulness when presented with sensory overload. While it is is specific to the living in or being in the city the message is broader than that. It also had a a wonderful flow to it and had beautiful and detailed illustrations.

This is such a good self-help picture book to get the readers out of their anxiety and personal issues by telling them to visit the places around them. In the today's hustle-bustle, it is so hard to keep self calm and stay peaceful with family without creating chaos on daily basis. That frustation of work and failures need an escape route and we need to find it in the places already there but unidentified.
In this picture book, Jaspreet is telling with rhyming for what one should do and where one could go to get rid of mental tensions generated on daily basis. Illustrations were so good and apt only at one point I found a girl & her father standing with ice-cream cone but poem says they were sitting, such small things also need to be checked and corrected while publishing/editing.
Overall, this is a nice apt work for all age groups, I would suggest.

Great book for kids, my children loved it! Will defiantly look out for this author more often.
I loved that it thought real life lessons, and came off as being relatable.

I am the ultimate fan of this book!

I love the hustling city life. However, I also suffer from the effects it has on me. The representation of the conditions the young ones get affected in this case is as real as it gets because of the fast paced noisy lifestyles.

The book offers some of the best alternatives on how we can change things and what we can do to make things better. I find the tips quite useful and practical.

The illustrations are wonderful!

Thank you, Mayo Clinic Press Kids, for the advance reading copy.

The Spaces In Between, written by Jaspreet Kaurand illustrated by Manjit Thapp, is a wonderful new resource for parents of introverted, shy, or highly sensitive children who do not like to be surrounded by loudness and chaos. This beautifully illustrated picture book is a love letter to cities, highlighting the wonderful diversity of such highly populated areas while finding the "spaces in between" where people who wish for calm and quiet can find it. The illustrations are gorgeous and bold while incorporating the text in playful, imaginative ways. Of course, I love that the library is one of the featured "spaces in between" to find serenity in the city. A much-needed representation of neurodiversity that will serve as both a mirror and a window for all children, this book should be available in every public and school library. I can't wait to recommend it for our elementary libraries!

This books shows the different ways so calm down in scary situations by changing your perspective. I think it does a good job of explaining and giving examples that are helpful.

I really like the idea of this book, but the writing feels a little disjointed to me. The author mentions using our eyes to find the hidden spaces that can calm us, but then focuses on all 5 senses for suggestions. I wish she'd organized her ideas BY the 5 senses, mentioning each one and how to use it to calm anxieties. The charts included with activities to calm anxiety were helpful, and I liked the illustrations as well. Overall, a helpful book to have, especially to look at pictures and discuss individual ideas to implement, but missing a rhythm that I look for in a read-aloud.

Love this super cute book about finding peace and calm in the city. Simple story with lots of positive vibes and some mindfulness tips for kids in the back!

This was a fun book to read with my son. He is also overwhelmed with all the sounds and people in the city. So this was a great way to talk with my son about the city. The pictures are beautiful and so detailed.

This book was such a beautiful story. This children's book addresses feeling anxious in a big city. This book had such great diversity and representation. I loved the illustrations. They were very well done. At the end of the book the author gives different exercises that people can do to help with anxiety. I really enjoyed this book. I hope more books are made like this one

I received an ARC copy of this book. All thoughts are my own!

I liked this, and really enjoyed the message. The rhyming made it an easy read, and I would use it in storytime if it were translated to Spanish. I really hope this title will be translated.

What a gem of a picture book.
The Spaces in Between follows a child and their guardian through a day in a loud and busy city. The child is overwhelmed by the noises and action all around them, but they are reminded to look for the "spaces in between," things such as the silent oasis of the library, baby birds in a tree, friends sharing their lunch on a park bench, a smile from the train conductor, moments and places which offer a respite from the noise and a chance for peace and mindfulness.
The art in this book is just as beautiful as its meaning, full of lush imagery of city life, diverse community members, and beautiful interactions between people. The book even includes a final page with real advice on how to deal with overstimulation or anxiety, such as listening to music on the bus, stretching, deep breathing, and noticing nature, all of which are great ways to introduce coping mechanisms and mindfulness to young kids in a very digestible and memorable way!

The Spaces In Between offers a thoughtful exploration of emotions, making it a valuable resource for young readers. The book effectively delves into various feelings, including anxiety, in a relatable and accessible manner. Through its engaging narrative, readers are encouraged to reflect on and understand their own emotions. Additionally, the book is enhanced by its charming illustrations, which bring the story to life and add an extra layer of visual appeal.

Thanks NetGalley for the preview!

The illustrations in this story were vivid and detailed and we enjoyed them very much. I felt like the story overall had a downer feel and didn’t quite turn around. Definitely helps explain anxiety but could have a little more positivity.

I really enjoyed the idea of this book, but it did feel like it was missing a little something. I'm not quite sure what that is, but possibly it's that a lot fo the 'between' spaces were quite specific. I think it would have a wider appeal if it had more focus on abstract ideas, rather than 'library' or 'coffee shop'.

I do feel it might be good for an adult/child to read together though, as a starting point for finding 'calm' places in a busy world

I received an advance copy for free from NetGalley, on the expectation that I would provide an honest review.

This was very cute and I think very effective to teach about feeling overwhelmed and anxiety in big and loud places. The use of sound words and bolding important words was great. I also really love a book that rhymes, it always feels like it flows well and is very effective. The colours and the illustration styles were gorgeous and I loved all of the fun details. 100% loved this book

Love this book! It addresses how we can support children with navigating a path through the noise of life and find those mindful pockets, those peaceful spaces and places throughout the day. The book, though aimed at kids is a gentle reminder to grownups about relaxing and taking care of their own mindfulness.

I received an ARC of this children's book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a wonderful book. The pictures are adorable and the text is great too!