Hot Cocoa Calm: A Cozy New Mindfulness Moments Book

Hello and happy holidays! As I’m writing this there is frost sparkling on all the grass outside, it’s 0 degrees C, and there are only eight days till Christmas! It’s the perfect backdrop for an introduction to my latest collaboration with the amazing and talented Kira Willey — Hot Cocoa Calm. It’s the fourth in the series of Mindfulness Moments board books for little ones, and I think it’s my favorite so far. 

Hot Cocoa Calm just hit the bookshelves last week, and it’s perfectly timed for the season as it tells the story of a little fox drinking hot cocoa with her forest friends on a chilly day. As the fox takes a deep breath and blows on her hot cocoa to cool it down, she’s teaching the important skill of using breath to relax, create calm, and feel good. 

These are some of my favorite spreads in the book, but the whole thing was a joy to illustrate. I really loved creating a cozy woodland world full of rich colors and lots of plants and animals, and it was extra fun putting hats and scarves on all of the critters! Plus, there are lots of swirls of steam coming from the cups of cocoa, and if you know me, you know I like to draw swirls. 

As always, the text is perfectly written by Kira, creating a lovely cozy story and a calming rhythm. Creating calm is a skill we can all use, especially little ones, and particularly lately with anxiety levels fairly high around the globe. My sister in law pointed out we probably know some adults who need this book as much as (more than?) the kids!

The team at Random House, especially my art director Jan Gerardi, were so easy and great to work with, as they always are. The book is available wherever children’s books are sold, and you can find it on Amazon US here, and Amazon UK here. It’s a little close to Christmas as I write this, but it would still make a great Christmas present for someone tiny and special in your life, or really it’s great any time of year because everyone loves hot cocoa. Thanks as always for reading, and have a great holiday season!