Oh, no! Too many malasadas make Stomach hurt! But who is to blame? Is it Hands, who put them there? Or Eyes, who saw them? Or is it Brain, who gives orders? In Mindfulness with Aloha Breath, Bear Awareness, Dino, Hippo and the Body Parts teach children about using breath to connect with aloha as a mindfulness practice. “These values,” author and Human Development and Family Studies professor Thao “Kale’a” Le, PhD, MPH, says, “allow us to relate wholesomely with ourselves and others, leading to understanding rather than blame.”

In this charming narrative, Le ties together Aunty Pilahi Paki’s meaning of aloha, as designated in the “Aloha Spirit Law” (HRS [§5-7.5]), with basic concepts of neurological and biological function in a simple, expressive lesson for children. Bear Awareness, the personification of the mindful frontal cortex, invites keiki to remember and cultivate each aloha value—akahai (kindess), lokahi (unity), ‘olu’olu (gentleness), ha’aha’a (humility) and ahonui (patience)—with every in-and-out breath, rather than allowing the fault-finding mind to take control as memory-emotion-driven Hippo—the hippocampus—and instinct-driven Dino—the reptilian brain—argue. In addition to the lessons of self-control and mindfulness, children also learn the Hawaiian names for body parts and their functions. Vibrant illustrations by Storm Kano bring this delightful tale to life with humor and emotion.