Mop Rides the Waves of Life: a story of mindfulness and surfing - a bookwrap

Unwrapping 

Mop Rides the Waves of Life: A Story of Mindfulness and Surfing

Authored by Jaimal Yogis

Illustrated by Matt Allen

* Ages:  5-8

* Grade Level:  K-3

* Hardcover:  40 pages

* Publisher:  Plum Blossom

* Pub. Date:  June 30, 2020

* Language:  English


Praise

“Pure gold—especially now. During a time when even the most angelic kids are prone to temper tantrums because of quarantine, Mop is an invaluable teaching tool and an all-around heartwarming read.”

—Alexis Burling, San Francisco Chronicle

“Kindergarten story times will benefit from the focus on emotions and learning mindfulness, with the simple breathing exercises to help children discover how to navigate daily highs and lows.”

—School Library Journal

“Tells how one little boy navigates conflicts at his school by channeling the same techniques he uses when he hangs 10.”

—The New York Times

“The book every kid needs right now to navigate their emotions.” 

—Bonnie Tsui, New York Times staff writer and author of Why We Swim

“Our minds can be as peaceful or as wild as the seas. Mop is a perfect cool character to introduce children (and overgrown children) to mindfulness so they learn to turn wipeouts into opportunities.”

—Robert Thurman, author of Man of Peace: The Illustrated Biography of the Dalai Lama of Tibet

“The Waves of Life are never easy to ride but these are our waves. They are waves we must ride because they’re a part of us. No one can ride our waves for us. Embrace the process and the ride becomes smoother and sweeter.”

—Gerry Lopez, aka Mr. Pipeline

“What if every kid on the planet understood and had access to their blue mind? Mop, Jaimal, and Matthew are making the world healthier one wave at a time.”

—Dr. Wallace J. Nichols, author of Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do

“Through clear language and charming illustrations, this book offers children and adults a useful metaphor for how to be mindful in every aspect of our lives—in times of joy, and also in those inevitable moments that challenge us.” 

—Lion’s Roar

“What Mop and his classmates learn—what we can all learn—is that life presents endless challenges and equally innumerable opportunities for growth. Learning to recognize when we’re wrong is an invaluable tool.”

—Memphis Parent

“Mop shows kids how he rides the waves of emotions in this delightful and summery story.”

—First Time Parent Magazine

Unwrapping Some Illustrations for You

 The Book

Mop's passion is surfing in the ocean.  He struggles with relational experiences at school but once he hits the waves all his cares and troubles disappear.  Why can't his life be like that... free and easy and fun? 

Luckily he has loving adults around him to help him sort out how he can control his feelings and emotions.  His wise mom senses his dilemma and has a discussion with him one day when they both are surfing together.  

""You're a great surfer.  But you can learn to surf life, too." 

 Mop blows off her suggestion at first thinking it's silly and then he listens more intently to his mother's words.  Could she be right?  

" You start by feeling your breath go in and out like the tides.  Breathing mindfully helps you notice the emotional waves inside."  

It all starts to make sense to him now.  His mom encourages him to breathe and let the bad waves go by while riding the good ones... because the good ones will come back.   Mop learns to practise mindfulness and apply the joy he feels when he is surfing to his whole life.  

Mop Rides the Waves of Life is not only a fun read but an important one.  The positive message of the book can help kids control their emotions and deal with the stormy waves that crest into their lives.  The analogy of using surfing to explain how to handle conflict is a winning strategy that kids will understand.   A fun aside is that both the author and illustrator are avid surfers.  I highly recommend this book. 

Storywraps Rating - 5 +++ HUGS!

Meet the Author

Jaimal Yogis is an award-winning writer and frequent speaker with a special love for the outdoors, especially surfing. His three memoirs – Saltwater Buddha, The Fear Project, and All Our Waves Are Water – have been internationally praised and translated into numerous languages. Jaimal’s first children’s picture book, Mop Rides the Waves of Life, will be released June 30th, the first in a series. His middle grade graphic novel series, City of Dragons– co-created with artist Vivian Truong – will be released from Scholastic in 2021. A graduate of Columbia Journalism school, Jaimal has also written screenplays and his journalism has appeared in The Washington Post, The Atlantic, ESPN Magazine, and many others. A frequent TV and media guest, Jaimal also speaks regularly at grade schools, universities, and businesses. He lives in San Francisco with his wife, Amy DuRoss, and their three sons.

About the Illustrator

Matthew Allen is a surfer and artist from Southern California. A former Surfer Magazine Art Director, Matthew now spends his days creating art based on his favorite muses, the mercurial sea and the amalgam of people and vessels that operate in and around it. Matthew lives in Costa Mesa, California.

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