Homeschool Friday - Slow Down: 50 Mindful Moments in Nature

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review for each.

Slow Down: 50 Mindful Moments in Nature to Inspire Calm, Curiosity, and Wonder

By: Rachel Williams

Illustrated By: Freya Hartas

Publication: September 1, 2020 by Harry N. Abrams

111 pages

Genre: Children, Picture Book, Non-fiction, Nature, Science

Source: Personal Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--All around us, nature is working wonders. Every day, hour by hour, magical transformations happen right in front of you. But its not always easy to see them . . .

Discover 50 nature stories, paused just long enough for you to watch them unfold. Then go outside and see what you find when you take the time to slow down.

"The little things?
The little moments?
They aren't little."
—Jon Kabat-Zinn

I got this book as a part of my homeschool morning time with my kids on the recommendation of several YouTube videos from other homeschooling moms. I feel like it's a good coffee table type book, if anyone does that anymore. I don't. I don't actually even currently own a coffee table.

The artwork in Slow Down: 50 Mindful Moments in Nature is stunning and really what drew me in. It covers a range of nature topics: insects, mammals, the water cycle, rainbows, birds, amphibians, and more. Each topic covers one opening, so two pages each. The concepts are presented in a very simplistic way. None of the topics goes too far into detail, but they do leave me feeling like my children probably understand each one.

I will say that we teach a young-earth scientific approach, so I was discouraged to find "millions of years" mentioned within the text. That might not matter to you. My kids roll their eyes anytime they hear "millions of years." But I mention it in case this is something that you also take issue with, or if it's something that you appreciate. Now you know.

I can't say that I'm surprised that a science book would include an old earth model, but it always annoys me when I come across it as I try to find resources in the opposite direction. Regardless, Slow Down: 50 Mindful Moments in Nature is a beautiful, simplistic, informative book that my kids have enjoyed. I'm giving Slow Down: 50 Mindful Moments in Nature 4 Stars. Have you read Slow Down: 50 Mindful Moments in Nature? What did you think? Let me know!