Catching Thoughts

by Bonnie Clark, Summer Macon (Illustrator)

Overview

Have you ever had an unwelcome thought that you just couldn't get rid of, no matter how hard you tried to push it away?

In Catching Thoughts, a girl is plagued by an unwanted thought. No matter what she does—ignore it, yell at it, cry about it—the thought won't go away. Frustrated and discouraged, she finally looks that bad thought in the face and says, "Hello." At last, she is able to notice other more beautiful, positive thoughts all around her. As she catches hold of new thoughts, the girl discovers she can fill her mind with whatever she chooses.

For every child who has been weighed down by sadness or anxiety, this story teaches kids how to acknowledge unwanted thoughts, show them compassion, then actively replace them with positive thoughts instead. Catching Thoughts is a quiet, thoughtful story that teaches readers how to practice mindfulness, focusing on thoughts that bring beauty, joy, and calm into their lives.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781506464169
Publisher:	1517 Media
Publication date:	08/11/2020
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	123,689
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD510L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Bonnie Clark lives in Canton, Georgia, with her husband and three children. She enjoys writing for children because she believes that childhood is the most important time in a person's life—the part that shapes who we become as adults. She believes that picture books are magical and can encourage children to love who they are, to look outside themselves, and to find their place in the world. Clark hopes her children (and others who read her books) will remember the messages and draw from them when they need to.

Summer Macon was raised in an itty-bitty town in southern New Mexico. As a child, she quickly became known as "Tiger" as this is how she would sign her homework next to the many doodles covering the pages. However, she has now decided to go by her real name and currently lives in an even smaller itty bitty town (population 32!) in the beautiful mountains of Colorado. In the summertime you can find her rock-climbing, paddle-boarding, mountain-biking, or doodling on her contracts.

Editorial Reviews

"An excellent choice for sharing with children who struggle with anxiety and even just low-grade worry." —School Library Journal

"Catching Thoughtsis absolutely the book we need right now —simple yet impactful! You can't help but go searching for more true, joyful, and calm thoughts after reading this delightful book." —Emily Kilgore, author of The What-Ifs

"Families with little big-thinkers and big-feelers are sure to find this lovely book simultaneously calming and empowering." —Britney Winn lee, author of The Boy with Big, Big Feelings

"One of the loveliest dances between words and pictures I've seen. It hits a deep, true chord within me from dealing with my own anxieties." —Shanda McCloskey, author of DOLL-E 1.0, T-Bone the Drone, and Fire Truck vs. Dragon

"Bonnie Clark gently reminds us that we have the capacity to reframe our encounter with unwanted and difficult thoughts. It is in our nature to welcome our challenges with grace and, more importantly, without shame." —Dr. Jerome Lubbe, author of The Brain-Based Enneagram: You are not A number

"This book's truth needs to get into the hands of every child: Releasing our negative thoughts allows space for things that are good and beautiful. Catching Thoughts offers a fun approach that is simple enough for every child to understand." —Vikki Fraker, Founder of Revival 356

"This book offers a practical and engaging approach to replace negative thoughts with ones that are good. Parents will quickly realize what a huge asset this little book can be in helping children understand the power they have over their own thoughts." —Elizabeth Pehrson, Mom of Eight, Women's Speaker, Founder of The Exchange

"It isn't through force or willpower that a thought is transformed, but rather through a simple 'hello.' Clark has offered us a real gift with this book, and Macon brings it to life with illustrations that are both vivid and inspiring." —William Meyer, author of Big Breath: A Guided Meditation for Kids

From the Publisher

08/07/2020

K-Gr 2—A thought begins to form in the mind of a young Black girl, and at first she doesn't pay it much attention. Sure, she doesn't like the thought, but it's just a small one. But as the thought begins to grow, she is unable to think about anything else, with it growing and popping up at times, even when she doesn't expect it. After trying to run away from it, she turns and bravely faces the thought, unleashing many new, positive thoughts in place of the negative. A blue-gray balloon surrounded by dark gray represents the negative thought following the young girl around, a perfect metaphor for readers; it's impossible to shake off. Happy, positive thoughts are represented by colorful balloons floating under a sunny, clear sky. The young girl's expressions—from a worry-filled face to anger to happiness and calm—will be easy for young readers to interpret, and together with the simple but effective text and emotion-colored illustrations create a picture book that introduces young readers to a range of new coping mechanisms. VERDICT An excellent choice for sharing with children who struggle with anxiety and even just low-grade worry.—Selenia Paz, Harris County P.L., Houston

School Library Journal