Somewhere out There, Right Now

A dreamlike picture book introducing – in the form of a story – the concept of mindfulness and empathy to the very young.

This unusual, and engaging book takes the child on a journey through the peacefulness of the natural world and back again, to the gentle rhythms of their own bodies, inducing a sense of calm and peace, for both read to and reader: ‘Somewhere out there, right now… A monkey is sheltering from the pitter-patter of the heavy rain. Somewhere out there right now… a litter of soft kittens is cuddling their mother’.

We continue through this world and are introduced to a flock of birds coming in to roost, a fox slipping through a dark city street, plankton gently floating in the ocean plus a myriad of other natural scenes, before returning to the child’s own internal world.

‘In your mind, right now… there are lots of quite thoughts. In your body, right now…from the tips of your toes to the top of your head you feel peaceful’

The language and repetition within the story reinforce the sense of calm and peacefulness, as well as instilling a sense of our connection with the natural world. Wells’ warm illustrations perfectly catch the mood of the book and give a child plenty to engage with and explore.

A perfect book for sharing at bedtime but also for calming a potentially anxious or fretful child.

Although I have categorized this as a book for children under five, it could easily be shared with older children in a variety of settings.