I Am a Peaceful Goldfish

PreS-Gr 2–Toddlers, children, even adults can take a cue from the relaxed cat and other critters and objects that appear in this sweet book when strong emotions overwhelm us—just b-r-e-a-t-h-e. A young white girl with large, round black glasses and an older Black boy whose eyes appear to be closed in thought most of the time consider all the ways they can imitate other objects, like a goldfish in a glass bowl or a dandelion gone to seed, to calm themselves. As a wind chime, they can imagine themselves swinging from a tree, letting out all their air and making beautiful music. As a dandelion, they can disperse all their seeds with one big blow to send their wishes up high. As they talk about the different ways they can act and breathe, each of the objects or creatures represented take on an amusing likeness to the two children: one wears glasses like the girl’s while the other has its eyes closed. By taking on characteristics of each entity they name, the two children engage in calming practices. The illustrations are brightly colored and the layout is uncluttered, which draws the eye to the few things depicted on each page. The author’s note acknowledges that it’s OK to have big feelings like anger, frustration, and sadness, but that it’s also important to be able to calm oneself. Very young children might enjoy imitating the boy and girl’s actions as they listen to the story.