We are so excited to have Joy Givens join us today to share information about Mindfulness Picture Books!

Joy Givens is the author of several award-winning short stories and the lucky mother of four young superheroes, including her son Joshua, who inspired The Unstoppable Jamie. She also leads after-school programs that serve refugee and immigrant youth throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania. Joy lives in Pittsburgh with her family. Follow her @joyeilene on Instagram or visit her at www.joygivens.com.

Joy's debut picture book, The Unstoppable Jamie has been called "Heartwarming and reassuring" by Kirkus Reviews and "A wonderful and educational story" by Midwest Book Review. Find it online HERE or at your favorite local bookstore!

Huge thanks to my gracious friend Stefanie Hohl for hosting me on her gorgeous blog today—and huge thanks to you for reading! I’d like to tell you a little about my debut picture book, The Unstoppable Jamie (illustrated by Courtney Dawson), and how I approach the intersections of mindfulness, empowerment, and children’s literature.

The Unstoppable Jamie is dedicated to and inspired by my oldest child, Joshua, who is 11 now and has Down syndrome. Ever since he was born (even before, since we had a prenatal diagnosis), I have wished for a book that stars a kid with Down syndrome but isn’t about having Down syndrome—a book that tells a story specific to a kid with Down syndrome but that is also relatable to any kid, and a book that saves the (important) educational content for the back pages and just lets the kid be the star of the show.

Jamie is a self-proclaimed superhero who travels to New York City with his family to see his picture in Times Square for the NDSS Buddy Walk. When his noise-controlling headphones get lost upon arrival, though (and his superhero cape “stops working”), Jamie quickly experiences sensory overload and shuts down. With the help of mindfulness exercises and some tight hugs from his family, he realizes that he is super not because of his cape or super gadgets, but just as he is. The last few pages are full of information for kids and caregivers who want to learn more about Down syndrome, genetic differences, and the Buddy Walk.

When I’m not writing children’s books (or chasing Joshua and his three younger siblings around), I also work for JFCS Pittsburgh as an Immigrant and Refugee Youth Services Specialist. One of my primary responsibilities is leading the Bridge Builders program, a mentoring and enrichment program for resettled refugee youth ages 5 and up. In other words, I spend time with a lot of young superheroes, and mindfulness and restoring autonomy are at the forefront of what I do.

When we talk about mindfulness, we are talking about developing the ability to be aware of experiences without judgment. That is a powerful—and empowering—experience for a kid. When we can invite young readers to develop awareness of their own feelings, and not code them as “good” or “bad,” we are giving them space to sort through their experiences. Even in the static medium of a picture book like The Unstoppable Jamie, a child can join a character through the experience of sensory overload and choose to breathe through it alongside them.

A picture book is a safe environment to try out feelings and process them. When my book shows New York City overwhelming Jamie, the reader doesn’t have to experience sensory overload firsthand in order to understand it better. They (or their caregiver) can read the siren aloud with a blaring “WEE-YOO WEE-YOO” or take it quieter. They can use the printed, comic-style words or focus on the faces. They can skip or repeat. And they can try out the focused breathing in the illustrations to find calm alongside Jamie, and the restored confidence that empowers him to feel unstoppable. All of that active reading is a mindfulness exercise in itself.

The last reflection I want to share about The Unstoppable Jamie and my approach to writing it focuses on empowerment. It’s a book starring a kid with Down syndrome—and as the mom of a child with Down syndrome, I wanted to make sure that the kid was the star, not the chromosomes. I had always wanted to see a book (or multiple books!), featuring kids like mine, in which Down syndrome was a key part of the story but wasn’t the point or plot. I didn’t want to swoop in like a superhero and blare to the reader, “This kid has Down syndrome, but he doesn’t let that stop him!”

I specifically wanted to get out of the way so Jamie could be the hero, and the reader could be right there alongside him—to set a stage on which he can star not in spite of who he is, not even because of who he is, but just as he is. Jamie isn’t a superhero because of his speed or strength, or any other stereotypical “power,” but because he doesn’t give up. He uses his mindfulness skills and the support of trusted loved ones to regain his focus, and then he gets back to being super, just as he is.

After all, what could be more empowering than being a superhero just as you are?