The Spaces In Between: Finding Mindful Moments Anywhere

by Jaspreet Kaur, Manjit Thapp (Illustrator)

Traffic! Road works! Ambulances! Where do you go when the hustle and bustle of the city gets too much?
The Spaces In Between weaves between the busy lives of several children who are all seeking secret spaces where they can go to find peace and quiet.
 
With themes of anxiety, fear, kindness and joy, join the children over the course of one day, and explore how each of them copes with their emotions. From the warm embrace of a loved one, finding joy by splashing through puddles, and feeling the crunch of autumn leaves on the pavement, this book is full of ideas on how to find calming spaces in the middle of the hubbub.
 
Tips and suggestions at the back of the book are full of ideas that are accessible to all children, wherever they are in the world.

Mayo Clinic Press Kids creates empowering health and wellness content in partnership with pediatric experts. Proceeds from the sale of every book go to benefit important medical research and education at Mayo Clinic.
 

Genres: Picture Books, Mental Health, Childrens, Nonfiction, Ebooks

36 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 27, 2023

Reviews

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: Love the intent and the parting note about ‘mindfulness in the city.’ The content left me with mixed feelings.


Cities can be overwhelming. Storybooks often highlight the joy and peace of country living, and cities are shown as busy and bustling places with lots of noise and crowds. The portrayal is valid, no doubt. But does this mean that city dwellers can seek no respite from the noise? Where can children who feel anxious about city hyperactivity find their safe bubble? The book offers some potential spots of respite, where children can take a breather.

At the end of the book is a two-page note about how we can practise mindfulness in the city. This has some helpful and practical tips on finding inner calm. My favourite section of this book, by far.

I loved the idea behind the book. Calming spaces are very important, and especially for sensitive children who live in cities, it will be reassuring to know that they too have several options of relaxing their senses within the city. Some of the options offers are quite sensible: parks, coffee shops, libraries,.. However, I couldn’t understand how a bus or a train might lead to peace of mind. A bus can be overcrowded or stuck in traffic. And as far as the train is concerned, the idea of standing beside the platform and watching the trains come and go to escape the crowd negates the line on an earlier page that indicates the overwhelming of the senses caused by “the thundering trains go(ing) clitter clatter.”

Rather than focussing only on external public spots, the book could have highlighted the importance of finding your own peace through music or through creative hobbies such as colouring or craft. Some of these self-calming options are explored in the final note but not in the main content.

The content is written in simple rhythmic prose in the ABCB scheme. When a picture book uses rhymes, I like the lines to adhere to a consistent metre so that reading the verses aloud in cadence is easy. That doesn’t happen in this book. The verses are quite free flow, and the metre varies from sentence to sentence. So the rhymes herein did not work for me.

The illustrations were good in terms of their detailing, though somewhat muted in their colour tone. The humans are diverse, with the main character seemingly of South Asian origin. However, at times, the illustrations did not match the content on that page. Also, some of the illustrations showed us a view, as seen through windows, of people doing relaxing things inside their homes. This left me with mixed feelings. Are the sketches unintentionally promoting the idea of peeking into others’ houses to find the peaceful “spaces in between”?

All in all, I loved the heart of the book, but I feel that the implementation could have been somewhat fine-tuned. It still offers a lot to its target age group of kids aged 4-7 years.
Recommended but to be read with other supporting material and with adult guidance and discussion.

3.25 stars.


My thanks to Mayo Clinic Press Kids and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Spaces In Between”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.




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[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am the ultimate fan of this book!

I love the hustling city life. However, I also suffer from the effects it has on me. The representation of the conditions the young ones get affected in this case is as real as it gets because of the fast paced noisy lifestyles.

The book offers some of the best alternatives on how we can change things and what we can do to make things better. I find the tips quite useful and practical.

The illustrations are wonderful!

Thank you, Mayo Clinic Press Kids, for the advance reading copy.

[Ankit Saxena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a good self-help picture book to get the readers out of their anxiety and personal issues by telling them to visit the places around them. In the today's hustle-bustle, it is so hard to keep self calm and stay peaceful with family without creating chaos on daily basis. That frustation of work and failures need an escape route and we need to find it in the places already there but unidentified.
In this picture book, Jaspreet is telling with rhyming for what one should do and where one could go to get rid of mental tensions generated on daily basis. Illustrations were so good and apt only at one point I found a girl & her father standing with ice-cream cone but poem says they were sitting, such small things also need to be checked and corrected while publishing/editing.
Overall, this is a nice apt work for all age groups, I would suggest.

My NetGalley reviews: https://www.netgalley.com/book/283392...

[Kartik Chauhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous little book about finding peace and comfort in the middle of the cacophony of everyday urban living.

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review as part of the book tour hosted by Lovebookstours.

The Spaces In Between is a bright and colourful rhyming picture book for children to help introduce mindfulness and ease anxiety for children. Life is so busy today more than ever for most of us, and it can become overwhelming. The constant hustle and bustle, heavy traffic, noise, overcrowded spaces, etc. This book helps children look for places they can step into to get some peace and time out from the daily grind such as a library, a museum, a shop, a park, listening to music on headphones to shut out other sounds etc. This would be a great book for children to read with their families to get ideas of places they can escape to for time out when overwhelmed. The back of the book has more suggestions and info for parents and children and would be good to use to discuss ideas with said child(ren).

[Sarah S. Smee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I applaud the Mayo Clinic for putting out a book to help kids with anxiety. This short picture book follows a girl and her dad as they go around the city and she gets overwhelmed. The main text is in verse, and the rhymes are a little awkward in places, but the end matter makes up for any deficits. You won't want to miss the brief but powerful collection of grounding and mindfulness techniques on the last few pages.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review]

The Spaces In Between offers a thoughtful exploration of emotions, making it a valuable resource for young readers. The book effectively delves into various feelings, including anxiety, in a relatable and accessible manner. Through its engaging narrative, readers are encouraged to reflect on and understand their own emotions. Additionally, the book is enhanced by its charming illustrations, which bring the story to life and add an extra layer of visual appeal.

[Sayani · Rating 5 out of 5]

---🍃🍄🍃---

🍄When the hustle and bustle of the city gets too much for us, a secret comforting secret spaces is what we seek, where we can go and find comfort for ourselves. The Spaces In Between weaves between the busy lives of several children who are all seeking secret spaces where they can go to find peace and quiet
🍃

🍄Dealing with themes of anxiety, fear, kindness and joy. This book feels like a warm embrace, this is a very thoughtful guide with gorgeous and colourful illustrations this book beautiful showcases the journey of finding calm and comfort in busy places where getting lost or feeling anxious is common how the warm embrace of a loved one, joy by splashing through puddles, and feeling the crunch of autumn leaves on the pavement, listening to music, sending good wishes to dear ones, noticing nature and how this little things becomes our safe refugee from the hustle bustle of the world.
🍃

🍄This book is full of ideas on how to find calming spaces in the middle of the hubbub. Also concerning mental health problems and illnesses affecting children and teenagers, this book does an effective job in raising public awareness of these issues. Mindfulness in the city and claiming little spaces in between, the places no else has seen and activities to relieve our systems of stress and anxiety along with illustrations inspired by colourful patterns, nature and everyday feelings this book will be loved by everyone.
🍃

[Sonja Charters · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book aimed at ages 4-7 but I honestly think that it can be used with a much older audience.
Designed to ease and relax those suffering from anxiety and overwhelm, I believe that the tips in this book could help anyone of any age.

The story points out all of the things that are around us in everyday life like loud noises, traffic and busy places full of people that can cause stress and anxiety.
This is great as it helps the reader to see that these things are both normal and that it's not unusual for people to be overwhelmed by them - helping them to not feel so isolated and able to talk about their worries.

The illustrations are bright and busy prompting lots of discussion during or after the story is read.
I also love that the important little things within the bigger illustrations are then enlarged and explained further.

At the end of the lovely story, there is then a list of tips and strategies for reducing the feeling of panic or anxiety that we can sometimes feel. For example breathing techniques, distraction, talking, listening to music etc.

In the current climate, with so many suffering overwhelm and anxiety, this is a must have for every home - even if used as a preventive measure or encouragement to talk more.

Absolutely adorable. Loved reading this one.

[kirsty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you found the spaces in between?
The secret places no one else sees?

This book is so cute and has such a wonderful message centred around promoting calm and relaxation and finding the little things when things get tough.

The book is simple to understand but very effective with a lovely rhyming prose all the way through it and really bright and eye catching pictures.

This book was relatable to me on so many levels, I suffer from anxiety really badly and I feel like I need to implement some of the things in this book, but more importantly, my child who has various special needs suffers from anxiety, specifically social anxiety and noise anxiety from large areas such as city centres.

However after reading this I realise that he already does this and I have never realised or thought about it before. For example if we go to a city centre he will always find somewhere quiet to go like a museum/park or if travelling on a train or through a noisy street he will always see something that no one else has seen or something so small that it would be easily missed and this has always seemed to soothe him in his toughest times.

I loved the inclusion of the mindfulness exercises at the back as this is something I can really help him with.

A fantastic and helpful read

[Pauline Knox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I certainly liked the overall idea of this book. I loved that the majority of it was written in rhyming prose, which is a great way for children to enjoy the book whilst also taking on boards the messages in the book.
The illustrations were excellent, bright and colourful pages with lots of interesting details to hold the interest of young children for longer.
I think there are lots of helpful ideas throughout the story and I particularly liked the pages focussed on mindfulness, it’s such a great idea for children to understand that concept from a young age so that they grow up with that coping strategy as just a natural part of how they live.
My only niggle that I have is that I do feel that the book, at times, almost tells the readers that the city is a scary place, and at the targeted age of the readers I feel that they are very impressionable and could take on this belief when they may not have experienced it previously. Obviously that’s just my perception.
Overall a good book that I definitely recommend.
My thanks to the author, the publisher and to LoveBooksTours for gifting me this book. I am leaving this review of my own volition.

[Syd · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gem of a picture book.
The Spaces in Between follows a child and their guardian through a day in a loud and busy city. The child is overwhelmed by the noises and action all around them, but they are reminded to look for the "spaces in between," things such as the silent oasis of the library, baby birds in a tree, friends sharing their lunch on a park bench, a smile from the train conductor, moments and places which offer a respite from the noise and a chance for peace and mindfulness.
The art in this book is just as beautiful as its meaning, full of lush imagery of city life, diverse community members, and beautiful interactions between people. The book even includes a final page with real advice on how to deal with overstimulation or anxiety, such as listening to music on the bus, stretching, deep breathing, and noticing nature, all of which are great ways to introduce coping mechanisms and mindfulness to young kids in a very digestible and memorable way!

[Briana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!! The illustrations in this book are breathtaking. The color & details really tell a story, as if we were really in the city.

As a mama to two neurodivergent children, this book really hit home for us. Sometimes places (especially big cities!) can seem so overwhelming and scary.

We all sat down and read this book together, it sparked a lot of conversation about the things that may overwhelm them and how we can find spaces/tools that are more calming for us. We also talked about our "spaces in between" and did some coloring pages that went along with the story of this book!

We loved at the end of the book where there is two pages that talk about mindfulness. These pages give you different ideas and exercises to help you be brave in the big city, or in any overwhelming situations!

I highly recommend this book to any parent/guardian. This book sparks a lot about big feelings and how you can handle them. Love love LOVE!

[Bookread2day · Rating 5 out of 5]

This children’s book is for ages 4-7 year olds, with gorgeous bright colourful illustrations.

Anxiety can happen to children in busy cities.
London and some other cities, can be very busy with lots of noise around, which can be too noisy for your child. It can get quite confusing, or frightening with all different sounds, from trains, cars, buses, ice cream vans, ambulance, police and fire engines.

People can make noises too, talking loudly, laughing, and with some babies crying, that with out parents realising this may alarm your child.

It can get quite busy and crowded, with lots people walking around that maybe in front of you or walking behind you, parents need to be aware that may frighten your child, although a child may not say anything about being frightened walking in busy cities.

This author has good advice, if you look around you can find somewhere quiet, to take a child.

[Oldbookishwoman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderful illustrated childrens book
The Spaces in Between by Jaspreet Kaur, Manjit Thapp

This is a book about finding mindful moments anywhere.

It follows a young girl on a journey through a city. Told in verse the very shy young girl is anxious about the noise and strange things around her. Loud sounds, people shouting, traffic roaring amongst other things. It talks about how it makes her feel physically.
It then goes on to say how to look around and you can find calm, reassurance and safety if you look closely.
Then the narrative changes to finding positive things around.

As a parent of children who have severe anxiety and are neurodiverse. This book is a wonderful gift. It can be used as an aid to help children find their own way to calmness when all around them is noise and uncertainty.

It's always a helpful reminder to adults to remember to look around and within to find a calm within oneself.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a wonderful story for children and their adult caregivers! Everybody needs to be reminded to find magic in the spaces in-between...magic and silence/peace. We live in a fast paced world, for children especially I believe it's got to put pressure on them and forces them to grow up even quicker (as a mom of two littles let me tell you this happens quick enough, thank you very much). Having spent time in Chicago during college but now living in a small town I can see how even in a quieter city the world can still get noisy and wreak havoc on one's mental health. This book, again, is a powerful reminder to people of all ages and backgrounds that it is OK to slow down and smell the roses, or the coffee if you prefer!

The graphics are also super stunning, can't wait to buy this one for my best friend and her kids since they still live in Chicago!

[Syd · Rating 5 out of 5]

a big big thank you to netgalley for the eReader arc of this truly lovely picture book.
I work as a bookseller at an indie bookstore and one of my biggest priorities is finding awesome books for our kids room. I cannot wait to be able to order this one, which follows a young kid and their parent on a day in a bustling city, finding peace and community when the loud noises and constant goings-ons feel like too much.
I love this book. the art is stunning, the characters are diverse, the imagery really captured a big city feeling in a beautiful way. I also loved how the final pages offer real tips on how to find mindfulness in the city and manage feeling a bit overwhelmed or overestimated.
what a seriously valuable and digestible book for kids!

[Daisy Hollands · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely gorgeous. When I was a child I read a lot of Richard Scarry books which for those of you old enough to remember, were beautifully illustrated. As you can see, this one is very much in the same vein which I found very appealing too. Very colourful and a lot going on so plenty to talk about. I was hugely encouraged to find a book aimed at small children which talked about aspects of mental health in a non-scary way. I feel that the sooner children learn coping mechanisms and strategies to manage mental health, the better. I’m a big believer in normalising and destigmatising conversations around mental health and this book goes a long way towards that. There needs to be a copy in every reception class

[Alissa Manning-Telisak · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a 3rd grade teacher I am always on the lookout for books that I can integrate into my classroom. I shared this book with my students and they enjoyed it. They liked the coloring of the illustrations and how well the pictures went with the words. They also caught the pictures on the wall of the last page were things that the girl saw during her day. They liked the rhyming beat of the story.

My students do not live in a big city, so they had a harder time understanding why finding the quiet was necessary. We did talk about the message of the book that no matter where you are, you can find calm happy spots.

[Paula Learmouth · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is so much to talk about and that's just the front cover. A lot of people don't see that cover as part of the story, but I feel like this is the start. Each page was bright in colour, along with part of the story. You don't need the words for younger child and there is plenty to talk about and make a story of your own. My granddaughter read this book to me and we talked about what you can do if you are feeling a bit anxious or find it scary when out and about. Emily my granddaughter has ear defenders that she wears if it's to loud and it's really busy as they help. We found this book really helpful foe her. An easy read book for all ages, Emily is 9-years-old and loved it.

[Indyrra Chrisyadewi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is like that friend who gently reminds you to slow down, breathe, and actually be present in your own life.
Jaspreet Kaur takes big, sometimes heavy topics; like anxiety, burnout, identity, and healing; and breaks them down into relatable, easy-to-digest reflections. She doesn’t pretend to have all the answers, and that’s what makes it refreshing. Instead, she shares real stories, personal experiences, and small practices that help you notice the “in-between” moments; the little pauses in life that we often ignore but desperately need.
It’s part memoir, part self-help, part poetic therapy.

[Jenny Blacker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the idea of this book, but it did feel like it was missing a little something. I'm not quite sure what that is, but possibly it's that a lot fo the 'between' spaces were quite specific. I think it would have a wider appeal if it had more focus on abstract ideas, rather than 'library' or 'coffee shop'.

I do feel it might be good for an adult/child to read together though, as a starting point for finding 'calm' places in a busy world

I received an advance copy for free from NetGalley, on the expectation that I would provide an honest review.

[Gemma Best · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘The Spaces in Between’ is a lovely little book about finding a safe place in a busy and bustling city. Those spaces in between the craziness and all the noise. It’s a wonderful message for children with absolutely beautiful illustrations. It’s bright and colourful and easy for children to read. I think it is a really lovely way to talk about anxiety with children and about the importance of calming your mind.

I received a gifted copy of this book. This review is my honest opinion and written voluntarily.

[Marcia - itsabookthing2021 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Spaces in Between is a book exploring anxiety, it is aimed at children aged 4-7 and i thought it tackles the subject perfectly.
The book is full of colourful pictures, it is well written and it is in rhyming form which makes it quite fun to read.
I really thought this format was a great way to approach the topic of anxiety in young children and reinforce that anxiety is normal and it should not be a taboo subject. I think there should be more awareness around anxiety and this is a brilliant start.

[Ellee Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

Copyright date: 2023
Star rating: 5
Award: N/A
Genre: picture book
Summary w/ themes: This book talks about how busy city life can be and where you can go for some quiet or to gain a sense of peace. It has a theme of emotions and feelings.
Use for future classroom: This would be a good book to read to discuss how to practice mindfulness.
Thoughts of book: I enjoyed the colors of this book as well as the rhymes this book does. I also like the list of mindfulness ideas in the back of this book to get students thinking.

[Tiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a beautiful story. This children's book addresses feeling anxious in a big city. This book had such great diversity and representation. I loved the illustrations. They were very well done. At the end of the book the author gives different exercises that people can do to help with anxiety. I really enjoyed this book. I hope more books are made like this one!

I received an ARC copy of this book. All thoughts are my own!

[Book friends are my best friends]

The charts included with activities to calm anxiety were helpful, and I really liked the book's illustrations, as well. Overall, a helpful tool to have when working with/parenting children, especially to look at pictures and discuss individual ideas to implement, but it was missing a rhythm that I look for in a read-aloud.

**Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for letting me read and review an ARC; all opinions are my own.

[Bookish Coffee UK · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have sat and read this book with my 1 year old son every day since I recieved this as an arc.

I absolutely love this childrens book. I love the message of life can get chaos and loud, and we can find those calm spaces, such as libraries, parks, coffee shops, cosy corners at home and many more.

I feel its super important for children and young people to know that when it gets too much we can just take ourselves to these calm spaces!

[Andi Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I believe I know what this book is trying to do, but the rhyming scheme seems inconsistent and, for me, was a distraction. IMHO it would’ve been better without it. Cities are loud, congested spaces and these illustrations definitely convey that. They’re busy, bright and interesting with changes in scale relative to what’s going on. The final spread about finding those spaces to be mindful was what I liked most: white space for the eye to rest, and no rhymes.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for children living or traveling to large cities! The illustrations are so beautiful and feature a diverse set of characters. I love that everyone was included in The Spaces In Between!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review!