Review of Molly and Omari Learn Deep Breathing

[Pablo Josue Mendia]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Molly and Omari Learn Deep Breathing" by Patricia Brogdon.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Molly and Omari Learn Deep Breathing, written by Patricia Brogdon and illustrated by Bemmygail Abanilla, is a ten-chapter children’s story that follows the life of Molly O’Sullivan. Molly is a second-grader, and the story shows how she navigates challenges at home, on vacation, and at school. Each of these three environments has obstacles that Molly must overcome. In addition, each environment has different people involved, making Molly’s interactions unique.

The story begins with Omari’s mom visiting Molly’s home. Then, Omari’s mom and Molly’s mom have a mysterious conversation. The moms believe Molly is in her room and begin a private chat. However, Molly is in the hallway deciding what to do.

Will she overhear the adult conversation even though it is wrong to do so? Or will Molly go to her room like an obedient child? Is everything okay with Molly’s best friend, Omari? What are the adults planning? Will Molly’s curiosity help her or get her into trouble? What challenges does Molly face at home, on vacation, and at school? How does Molly overcome challenging situations? How do Molly and Omari learn deep breathing? What are the ripple effects of incorporating deep breathing into your everyday life?

I liked the book’s educational aspect. For example, children will learn homophones (like “feat” and “feet”), yoga mudras, and similes, such as “her tummy was rumbling, and it seemed to become louder than the crashing waves.” In addition, the book encourages children to try new things (like foods and activities), and it is okay if they do not like them as long as they try them. Moreover, the book provides a unique way for children to breathe deeply, which may captivate young readers’ attention. I also liked how the book delivers positive messages on how to handle bullying, how to manage stress and anxiety, when to seek help, when to solve things yourself, the importance of keeping promises, how to manage loneliness, and how to respect others and yourself. Lastly, the book is well-edited and contains minimal grammar issues (some missing quotation marks).

I was not too fond of the ambiguities in the book. For example, Omari’s gender and the number of Omari’s siblings were unclear until I read the second chapter. In addition, I found an inconsistency in dialogue tags. For example, “Molly’s mother,” “Mrs. O’Sullivan,” and “Clara” are the same person, but using them interchangeably as dialog tags may confuse children. Lastly, I loved the drawings. However, some were inconsistent with the narrative, needing more details. For example, the narrative says that Cameron had piles of books stacked in each corner of his bedroom, but the image of his room does not show the stack of books.

Given my likes and dislikes, I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. Despite my critiques, I recommend it for children 6 to 9 years old and for family bookshelves.

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Molly and Omari Learn Deep Breathing
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