Book Reviews: The Present is a Gift by Elchanan Ogorek

Seven weeks back, I told you about a Kickstarter campaign for a children’s book called The Present is a Gift by Elchanan Ogorek. With the help of many generous donators, Ogorek has been able to make that book a reality. It is available for sale on Amazon, and I have the pleasure of reviewing it here on The Writer’s Scrap Bin.

In its short 24 pages, The Present is a Gift follows a teacher taking their students on a brief journey to visit and learn from nature. Readers encounter a sloth, a wolf, a squirrel, a turtle, a seal, a frog, a bear, and a cat through colorful illustrations and tidbits about each animal. The animals teach readers different aspects of mindfulness as well as eight yoga poses. By the time the teacher returns their students to the classroom, the students have a firm list of mindfulness principles to help guide them through the most relaxed and most stressful times. Children will love the colorful images, and their parents will love the chance to teach their children about living in the present.

While there is no proper story arc, this book is still very engaging. Ogorek has chosen just the right animals to highlight each principle and pose, from the gentle turtle to the powerful bear. My personal favorite is the wolf. Not only is the wolf my favorite animal, but the wisdom which accompanies it in this book resonates with me personally:

 

Wolf shares its gratitude for practice.

Wolves howl to communicate to other wolves.

I am proud of myself and share that with others.

 

I already know a lot about wolves and how they communicate; for me, it’s the mindfulness snippet which has won my heart. “I am proud of myself and share that with others.” I have a problem with being proud of myself and letting others see it. I’m just naturally too humble to show off—or I’ve been conditioned by society to think that it’s egotistical to show any pride, I don’t know. Either way, I become embarrassed and a little ashamed when I let myself feel good about my accomplishments and show others that I’m proud of them. For that reason, I think it’s very important that Ogorek has chosen to include this principle in this book, as well as associating it with the majestic wolf. We don’t want our children to be narcissistic or egotistical, but pride in themselves will nurture their self-confidence and grow them into happier adults.

I also find the wolf to be the best of all the illustrations. All of the illustrations are beautifully done and color—the frog in particular is incredibly vibrant—but the smooth curves and accurate shading in the wolf illustration makes it stand out from all the others.

Ogorek has also included a depiction of the yoga poses in the beginning and end of the book, along with a handy summary of the mindfulness principles the animals have taught the reader. These are especially useful when dealing with young readers as they’ll need to revisit these lessons often in order for them to stick. The chalkboard writing of the recap is also fairly clever on Ogorek’s part; it fits with the frame narrative of the story and utilizes an image which children are used to seeing and learning from almost every day.

Of course, it’s not just children that can benefit from this book. Adults can, too. Adults can be very uptight and stressed, focused more on money and gain than what’s around them. They are stuck on regrets from the past and concern for the future, never really stopping to engage with the present. A children’s picture book can’t get them to change their habits entirely. However, reading it with their children (or their nieces/nephews, grandchildren, kid next door they sometimes babysit, etc.) will allow the lessons to seep in subconsciously. Who knows, adults might even engage in the yoga poses, if for no other reason than to help their children do them.

The Present is a Gift by Elchanan Ogorek is a cute picture book that will help children become more balanced adults. While I think adults can benefit from it as well, this book is best suited for very young children, around preschool, kindergarten, or first grade. The colorful illustrations will keep their attention, and they’ll learn about animals and mindfulness along the way. Obviously, this book isn’t the end-all answer to how we can make our society less stressed. However, it is a helpful tool for getting children on the path to mindfulness.

You can buy The Present is a Gift by Elchanan Ogorek as an eBook or in print on Amazon. I highly recommend ordering a print copy; the illustrations look better on paper than a screen.

Also remember to visit the book’s Facebook page for more information about The Present is a Gift and its author.

Do you know of any books I should read? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com and let me know!