Thoughts Are Air

by Michael Arndt, Irena Freitas (Illustrator)

Overview

A beautiful and timely book for anyone who needs a little inspiration to turn their dreams into reality.

When a trio of friends happen upon a neighborhood tree falling into decay, an idea catches hold. But what makes a dream become a plan, and how does a plan lead to a brighter tomorrow? With deceptively simple verse, Thoughts Are Air brilliantly links thoughts, words, and actions to the water cycle. Just as air becomes water becomes solid matter, thoughts become words become actions. The comparison is subtle yet powerful—air condensing into matter; ideas condensing into doing something that matters. Completely unique and utterly accessible, this is a book to inspire curiosity and spark change-making ideas in readers young and old.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781984814364
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	05/11/2021
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.44(w) x 11.31(h) x 0.37(d)
Lexile:	AD600L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Michael Arndt is an author-illustrator and graphic designer. He lives in New York City.

Irena Freitas is an award-winning illustrator. She lives in Brazil.

Editorial Reviews

07/01/2021

K-Gr 2—A young white girl (in an all-white world, beyond the tan skin of a teacher) transforms her thoughts into actions as she engages her community in environmental activism. With expressive lines and a motif of flowers, leaves, and other natural elements to capture the flow of ideas coming from the main character's mind, the illustrations will engage young readers. There is a disconnect between the art and the text that makes for a clunky read; this call to action is abstract, forcing the illustrations to carry the burden of storytelling alone. VERDICT While there is potential for this book to be used to engage in a classroom discussion on the nature of ideas, community engagement, and environmental stewardship, adults will have to work to help students make the connections.—John Scott, Friends Sch. of Baltimore

School Library Journal

2021-03-31
Rhyming couplets give an original explanation of the path from thoughts to words to action, with the art using community gardening as an example.

The artwork is light and playful, with figures—both human and animal—rendered with simple lines and varied skin tones and backgrounds in springtime colors. The protagonist is a light-skinned, blond child who stretches from bed beneath the first short verse, which starts with the book’s title. A gently puffy thought balloon containing flowers and bumblebees sprouts from the child’s head. Each double-page spread follows the child and that balloon through breakfast, the walk to school, and then the school day and what follows. As the child goes through these activities, the text continues with couplets that extend the metaphorical comparisons, saying that thoughts are “clouds,” “dreams,” “feelings,” “breath,” and more. The art is not particularly complementary to such notions as “beliefs, winds that inspire / When you feel low they lift you up higher” or “thoughts become words so please think your best.” However, its sweetness and whimsicality match the singsong nature of the text, both of which will hold the attention of little ones. Older readers will understand the sophisticated idea underneath the simplicity, as the child’s thoughts, communicated via words, lead to positive actions. “Actions are matter, thoughts that came true / Actions are words you decided to do.” Text and art come full circle on the final page. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-16-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)

Both easy-reading and pleasantly thoughtful. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews