Kim Larkins – författare

Meet Emma Lou, the Yorkie Poo - a little dog with big worries. She loves playing with her best friend, Pearl, but Pearl doesn’t always pay attention to Emma Lou’s worries. With the help of some new friends, Caleb the Calico cat, Patrick the pig and Gigi the ginormous giraffe, Emma Lou and Pearl begin to learn a new technique to calm their minds and bodies. Parents, educators, counselors - and especially children - can benefit from Emma Lou and her friends’ curious adventure to a mindful experience.

Readers will:

Learn how to help a child that worries Teach children a simple technique to practice mindfulness Support your child’s emotional growth through experiencing a delightful adventure

“Emma Lou the Yorkie Poo: Breathing in the Calm is a playful approach to real concerns that kids have on a daily basis. Kim uses relatable animal characters to bring to light concerns that impact children everywhere - along with a great strategy to help!” --  Marie Robinson, M.Ed., principal, pre-K to 12

“For over 20 years, I have noted our children experiencing increasing levels of joy-blocking anxiety. In this whimsical and engaging story, Kim has created a very useful therapeutic tool. She captured the essence of a hopeful way out that children can readily identify with and rapidly incorporate, just like Emma Lou did!” -- John Pasquarelli, LCSW, LADC

"Kim is a warm, kind and compassionate social worker dedicated to improving the lives of others. Her book is an easy read for children to learn about managing anxiety and contains techniques that can be applied right away.” -- Gwen M. Ackley, LCSW

“With excessive exposure to flashing changing screens, children are having a hard time settling their brains. Their thinking is fragmented and their focus is fractured. In Emma Lou the Yorkie Poo: Breathing In The Calm, Kim Larkins cleverly and creatively invites children into an animal-friendly storyline of learning how to calm themselves. Although Larkins addresses worry, Emma Lou is a valuable tool for releasing stress throughout the nervous system, induced from screen stimulation.” --  Holli Kenley, author of Power Down & Parent Up

Let Emma Lou the Yorkie Poo and her friends help your child learn and practice mindfulness skills in this highly interactive activity and coloring book. Emma Lou, with the help of Gigi the Ginormous Giraffe and all her friends, want to help children remember ways to be mindful. A variety of activities will help children sharpen their mindfulness skills. Children will:

Follow a maze to Gigi''s house Color in pictures to go with each lesson Learn a breathing technique Practice being present Try a crossword puzzle about feelings and much more! Have fun and remember to be mindful from start to finish!

"This book will be a helpful tool for the therapist or school counselor who uses directive approaches. The activities are easy to introduce and scaffold mindfulness opportunities for children and their families. It can be used as a standalone intervention or integrated with other therapeutic approaches." --Theresa Fraser, CYC-P, CPT-S, MA, RP, RCT, CT, trauma, loss and attachment clinical specialist "Through a variety of fun and insightful exercises, Kim Larkins'' Practicing Mindfulness offers children the gift of cultivating awareness and the beautiful magic that awaits them in the present." --Aimee Ruland, author of Float: A Guide to Letting Go "An important and engaging resource! This book is a must-have for therapists, caregivers, teachers and anyone who hopes to share with children the gift of mindfulness. With playful, succinct dialogue and delightful drawings, this book will be cherished by children and adults alike!" --Jillian Kelly-Wavering, LCSW, RPT-S, author of My Grief is Like the Ocean "The Practicing Mindfulness activity book follows a progression of knowing how to become present, how our body sensations communicate with us and how to create compassion for ourselves and others. The simplicity of the activity book makes it accessible for different age ranges and is a space for creativity to shine. " --Lindsey Frank, M.Ed., president of the Coalition of Schools Educating Mindfully (COSEM), author of The Superpower of Your Heart From Loving Healing Press