One Year Wiser: An Illustrated Guide to Mindfulness

Gr 7 Up—Medaglia takes readers on a journey from spring to winter, each season illuminating ideas related to mindfulness. These concepts include valuing oneself, practicing gratitude, and coming to grips with impermanence. Through clear, conversational prose and skillful artwork, the author/illustrator outlines ways in which meditation can help deal with struggles such as anxiety and anger. Each section culminates with a variety of practical exercises. Medaglia's drawing style ranges from realistic to cartoonish, blending concrete and abstract images. The simplicity advocated by the text is reflected in the clarity of the illustrations and the generous use of white space. The various sections are almost entirely monochromatic, varying only occasionally, most chiefly in the depiction of pink hearts that jump out of the otherwise cool-colored backgrounds—a subtle choice that emphasizes the importance of love and relationships.