Mop Rides the Waves of Life

June 5, 2020

PreS-Gr 2-Mop is a young kid with curly brown hair who loves to surf the ocean on his yellow surfboard. He also likes school, although sometimes things do not go well. After a troublesome week-Toby calls Mop a baby, so Mop pushes him into the sandbox, and Izzy makes fun of his hair, so Mop demolishes the block structure she is building-his mother teaches him to "surf life." Yogis's debut about a boy who is learning to control his "emotional waves" by breathing in and out mindfully is full of good will and good advice, but its first-person narration varies between one natural to Mop and another that veers into all-knowing adult. With a drawing of two-digit subtraction during math, the book seems aimed at second graders, while the emotional immaturity of the main character is far younger. Eloquent illustrations mix a palette of composite, neutral, secondary, and primary colors using different shades of blue as a common denominator throughout; these depict an inclusive school environment with a multiracial cast and a child in a wheelchair. VERDICT Kindergarten story times will benefit from the focus on emotions and learning mindfulness, with the simple breathing exercises to help children discover how to navigate daily highs and lows.-Kathia Ibacache, Univ. of Colorado Boulder

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