PPBF: Sloth At The Zoom

Today I'm excited because it's almost December, 
such a compassionate and caring time of the year.

A time of reflection.

A time of comfort and joy.
A time of hustle and bustle, if you let it be.

I've had a lot of time to think things through lately,

how my life is going, what my purpose is.
How to better embrace and unwrap the present.

How I want to spend the 1440 minutes I get each day.

On Giving Tuesday, I seized the opportunity to

stop by and visit some community helpers,

to thank them for their service with a smile.

It was so good to see our crossing guard again,

to sit with her for a spell and to show my gratitude.

Like the cars that she asks to stop for her pedestrians,

life tends to go zooming by, but this fierce friend

makes sure that when it does, our littles and their bigs

are taken care of and kept safe. Thank you, Erin; you are loved.

Talk about your segue into today's PPBF.

Title: Sloth at the Zoom

Author: Helaine Becker

Illustrator: Orbie

Publisher: Owlkids

Birth Date: August 15, 2018

Suitable for ages 3-7 (and beyond)

Themes: mindfulness, friendship

Brief synopsis: When Sloth is accidentally dropped off at the Zoom, she finds it a bit disconcerting that everything happens at warp speed. Wasn't she headed to the Zzzzoo? Will she find that special someone to be her friend despite the fast pace of this place?

Opening page: One bright day, a truck whizzed up to the front gate of the Zoom. There was a new animal being delivered.

Resources: 

For more info on the book, visit the publisher's page {here}.

To purchase a comprehensive book study, click {here}.

Read a review at Mom Read It blog {here}.

Take a book picture walk at Storywraps {here}.

Compare and contrast with Slowly Slowly Slowly Said The Sloth by Eric Carle 

and Score One For The Sloths by Helen Lester.

Why I like this book: It's adorable. And clever. I've actually bought it twice already, once for my friend who loves sloths, and again to donate to someone who might need a laugh. And a mindfulness break from a busy schedule. 

In this treasure, Sloth tries to figure out how to adapt to a fast-paced life on the move at the Zoom. The animals busily run from pillar to post and can't slow down to even notice her, much less make the time to be her friend. Screech. Swish. Whirr. It's an interesting parallel to life as we often know it. Until she meets and connects with Snail. Her soulmate. Or should I say her slowmate? 

My favorite part is that in the end, the two become fast friends and influence the other animals to slow down and see how it feels to just be. In a society that tends to glorify busy-ness, this tale's underlying mindfulness theme is a breath of fresh air. We must help our children (and each other) slow down and savor. Appreciate our breath. Be intentional about compassion for others and ourself. 

Life is too precious to let it zoom by;

how will you use your minutes with intention today

to unwrap the present? 

Check out this book, then visit

Susanna Hill's blog for more PPBF picks.

For those of you who expressed interest in my

Parenting A Mindset Hybrid workshop last night, 

my husband went along and recorded it for us.

If you'd like to download the ABCs self-talk handout I referenced,

visit North Star Paths for Kristin's beautiful images {here}.

Finally, I'm super grateful for this new t-shirt design

that I commissioned, to give as door prizes when I freelance.

Thank you for growing strong with me, dear reader.

Happy December.