 |
Bollendorf teaches about mindfulness using the fictional story of Tall Moon. Tall Moon is a daydreamer, and he always has had great difficulty paying attention. This often gets him into trouble with elders and his teachers. When he goes on a vision quest, he knows it will be difficult. His Uncle Deep Waters gives him some advice to ground himself and practice mindfulness before he leaves. When Tall Moon is on his own, he finds himself not only alone but also hungry. He remembers his uncle’s advice and tries to put it into practice. After a while, he is able to practice mindfulness with great results. He focuses himself in the present and uses exercises to harmonize with his internal state. The book ends by including some guidance on how to enact mindfulness in the reader’s own life.
The book is written as a chapter book with related, small images appearing throughout. The images depict certain aspects of the story, such as bears or the mission school the protagonist attends. These illustrations add to the story nicely without breaking up the flow. Tall Moon’s story is simple but helps to demonstrate to the reader how to practice mindfulness even in difficult situations, which can be full of stress and anxiety. The end of the book offers good guidance on how to start practicing in the reader’s own life. These instructions are a good beginner’s guide to mindfulness and grounding oneself through thoughtful exercises. Another important aspect of the book is the demonstrated need for practice in order to master mindfulness. Overall, this is a good starter book for mindfulness, which uses a story to illustrate the technique and exercises.