by KB Meniado

Call me corny, but I get that lukso-ng-dugo feeling whenever I see a book in the wild that later on ends up being one of my favorite reads of all time.

Now, I didn’t feel that the first time I saw Slow Down, World by Tai Snaith on the Children’s Lit section at a Kinokuniya bookstore in Sydney. In fact, I pulled it out, looked at the cover, and then put it back on the shelf.

But after an hour of browsing (I was awestruck by the myriad of children’s books in that store), something must have led me back to that book. Because that second time, I definitely felt that jolt. Especially so when I read it to the end!

Basically, it’s a book about mindfulness—being aware of where we are and how we are, listening to ourselves, and taking the time to take the world in. It spoke to me, having had a rollercoaster of a year in 2022, and it reminded me of OK to BE: Slow, the zine I made with @beawilderment. The book’s art is obviously not to be snubbed at all, as it features beautiful illustrations combined with paper art, watercolor, and other mixed media.

I know it’s too early to say “one of my favorite books this 2023,” given that this is the first book I read for the year, but hey, if the book fits, right? So to anyone and everyone already feeling the pressure of hustling and rushing right away as we settle into this new year, this book is a reminder for us to go slow. ☁️

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