The City Takes A Breath Today was the winner in the Kids category of the 2021 IndieReader Discovery Awards, where undiscovered talent meets people with the power to make a difference.
Following find an interview with author John O’Trakoun.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
The book is called The City Takes A Breath Today and it was published April 20, 2020.
What’s the book’s first line?
“Early morning! Rise and shine!”
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
“The City Takes A Breath Today” introduces mindfulness meditation to younger readers through illustrated poems. Readers follow along with a diverse cast of characters as they navigate everyday situations and complex emotions with the inviting and calming power of meditation.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
I started meditating in college and since then I’ve been amazed at how the practice has helped me deal with so many difficult challenges in life. It made me wish I had started meditating when I was younger. But looking at the available books on meditation for children, they weren’t quite like the books I loved when I was young. So I wrote “The City Takes A Breath Today” to be the book that I wish I had available when I was a kid. When the COVID pandemic hit, it seemed like more than ever people needed to find ways to deal with the stress and mental health challenges of the unprecedented situation, which inspired me to finish writing it.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
There’s no one main character, but I will say the overall structure was inspired by books like “Chicken Soup With Rice” and “Green Eggs and Ham” which were short, poetic, and fascinated me as a kid.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
Meditation isn’t just for people of a certain age. It doesn’t require any fancy postures, equipment or knowledge. Anyone, anywhere can benefit from it. It’s as simple as bringing yourself back to the present moment. It’s something you can do with a single breath, but sometimes we need little reminders to do it. I hope this book can serve as a little reminder for any reader–of any age–to take the time to settle their mind and develop compassion for themselves and others.