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Puppy Mind

Author Andrew Jordan Nance
Illustrated by Jim Durk
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Hardcover
$18.95 US
Parallax Press | Plum Blossom
9.81"W x 8.88"H x 0.29"D  
On sale Sep 13, 2016 | 32 Pages | 9781941529447
Preschool - 2
Reading Level: Lexile 820L
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In this charming, simple story, an irresistible puppy teaches a little boy how to calm himself through breathing when he feels anxious, distracted, or upset

Parents will love this picture book that helps children see that strong emotions are normal, and they can learn to calm their minds and bodies

A young boy discovers his mind is like a puppy, always wandering away, into the past or the future, and he is just not sure what to do.

After noticing when and why his puppy mind wanders away, he sets about learning to train his puppy mind to heel to the present moment. Through remembering to breathe, the boy becomes a stronger and more caring master of his puppy mind, keeping it in the present, if only for a moment.

With helpful parent/teacher questions at the back of the book, adults can skillfully guide children in noticing when and where their own puppy minds like to wander.
Andrew Jordan Nance has been an educator for 30 years. He is the founder of Mindful Arts San Francisco, whose mission is to provide volunteer educators to teach at underserved San Francisco Schools. Nance is also an award–winning actor and director who taught performing arts to students from diverse backgrounds as the Conservatory Director at San Francisco’s New Conservatory Theatre Center for 18 years. He is on the board of several educational nonprofit organizations including the Mindful Life Project in Richmond, California and Arts Ed Matters, a California–based arts–integration organization. Andrew Jordan Nance lives in San Francisco.

Illustrator Jim Durk has over 30 years of experience working on children’s books. He’s drawn iconic characters including Clifford the Big Red Dog, Thomas the Tank Engine, The Rugrats, The Wild Thornberrys, and many more. He received a BFA from Ohio University in 1983 and currently lives in Bay Village, Ohio.
Andrew Jordan Nance View titles by Andrew Jordan Nance
Jim Durk View titles by Jim Durk
PUPPY MIND
 
My mind is like a puppy,
it likes to wander and explore.
If I don’t watch it carefully
it goes through any open door.
 
When my puppy mind is bored it runs
to the future and the past.
If I am not really careful,
it will take me far away super fast.
 
My puppy mind likes to dig up memories,
like when I got yelled at for not sharing my things.
My mind scampers to the future
and I don’t always like the pictures that it brings.
 
In class I try to listen to the teacher,
but my puppy mind starts to stir,
I quickly loose my focus,
and the day becomes a blur.  
 
I get mad at my puppy mind, 
“Why don’t you just sit and stay!”
but when I yell it gets scared
and hides or runs away.
 
My puppy mind only heels
if I take three slow deep breaths. 
If I do it often enough,
I do feel calmer in my chest.
 
Practicing being patient,
is the best way to still my puppy mind.
I am learning to be my mind’s best friend
It responds best when I am kind.
 
So whenever I feel my puppy mind
tugging at my sleeve, 
I try to remember
to breathe and breathe and breathe.
 
If I practice every day,
and remember to be kind, 
I will have more fun being
with my best friend, my puppy mind.
Copyright © 2016 by Andrew Jordan Nance. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
"What a lovely way for children to learn the heeling/healing potential of paying careful attention." —Sylvia Boorstein, cofounding teacher, Spirit Rock Meditation Center, and coauthor of Solid Ground: Buddhist Wisdom in Difficult Times

About

In this charming, simple story, an irresistible puppy teaches a little boy how to calm himself through breathing when he feels anxious, distracted, or upset

Parents will love this picture book that helps children see that strong emotions are normal, and they can learn to calm their minds and bodies

A young boy discovers his mind is like a puppy, always wandering away, into the past or the future, and he is just not sure what to do.

After noticing when and why his puppy mind wanders away, he sets about learning to train his puppy mind to heel to the present moment. Through remembering to breathe, the boy becomes a stronger and more caring master of his puppy mind, keeping it in the present, if only for a moment.

With helpful parent/teacher questions at the back of the book, adults can skillfully guide children in noticing when and where their own puppy minds like to wander.

Author

Andrew Jordan Nance has been an educator for 30 years. He is the founder of Mindful Arts San Francisco, whose mission is to provide volunteer educators to teach at underserved San Francisco Schools. Nance is also an award–winning actor and director who taught performing arts to students from diverse backgrounds as the Conservatory Director at San Francisco’s New Conservatory Theatre Center for 18 years. He is on the board of several educational nonprofit organizations including the Mindful Life Project in Richmond, California and Arts Ed Matters, a California–based arts–integration organization. Andrew Jordan Nance lives in San Francisco.

Illustrator Jim Durk has over 30 years of experience working on children’s books. He’s drawn iconic characters including Clifford the Big Red Dog, Thomas the Tank Engine, The Rugrats, The Wild Thornberrys, and many more. He received a BFA from Ohio University in 1983 and currently lives in Bay Village, Ohio.
Andrew Jordan Nance View titles by Andrew Jordan Nance
Jim Durk View titles by Jim Durk

Excerpt

PUPPY MIND
 
My mind is like a puppy,
it likes to wander and explore.
If I don’t watch it carefully
it goes through any open door.
 
When my puppy mind is bored it runs
to the future and the past.
If I am not really careful,
it will take me far away super fast.
 
My puppy mind likes to dig up memories,
like when I got yelled at for not sharing my things.
My mind scampers to the future
and I don’t always like the pictures that it brings.
 
In class I try to listen to the teacher,
but my puppy mind starts to stir,
I quickly loose my focus,
and the day becomes a blur.  
 
I get mad at my puppy mind, 
“Why don’t you just sit and stay!”
but when I yell it gets scared
and hides or runs away.
 
My puppy mind only heels
if I take three slow deep breaths. 
If I do it often enough,
I do feel calmer in my chest.
 
Practicing being patient,
is the best way to still my puppy mind.
I am learning to be my mind’s best friend
It responds best when I am kind.
 
So whenever I feel my puppy mind
tugging at my sleeve, 
I try to remember
to breathe and breathe and breathe.
 
If I practice every day,
and remember to be kind, 
I will have more fun being
with my best friend, my puppy mind.
Copyright © 2016 by Andrew Jordan Nance. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Praise

"What a lovely way for children to learn the heeling/healing potential of paying careful attention." —Sylvia Boorstein, cofounding teacher, Spirit Rock Meditation Center, and coauthor of Solid Ground: Buddhist Wisdom in Difficult Times

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