Freedom, We Sing

In this stunning picture book that brims with vitality, movement and joy, a mother and child meditate on what it is to be free: to breathe, to look at the stars, to know that the world contains so many families that are fighting their hardest to be free and enjoy the freedoms that others do.

Every few pages, mother and child take a moment to inhale and exhale, and centre themselves in the beauty of their existence. Molly Mendoza’s larger than life, idealised colourful illustration is reminiscent of a mural or a poster and conveys the utter joyfulness of Leon’s message. Leon acknowledges that freedom itself isn’t necessarily equal across the world, and that some people have to leave their homes to find it. Yet the pursuit of freedom and our value of it is very, very important.

A hymn to the joy of living authentically in the moment, and of treasuring our loved ones and the freedom we possess, Freedom, We Sing is a must for any picture book fans, both for Mendoza’s amazing illustration and the meditative nature of reading the book aloud - which would form a perfect meditation practice in itself - and deserves to be done reverentially and frequently.