Weather Any Storm

​A playful rhyming meditation story to help kids ages 4-8 be the captain of their own ship and navigate emotional highs and lows.

Learn to breathe through storms of emotions in this nautical meditation adventure. 

Whether you’re grouchy or grumpy, gloomy or grey, 
the Wildering Billies cannot get their way. 
They yell and they shout and they cry and they weep 
but your breath holds you steady way down in the deep.

When sailing through the open seas of life, the waters are not always calm. From out of nowhere waves of stress, worry, and anxiety known as Wildering Billies can rock our boat. Step by step, this story shows us how to calm the dreaded and colorful Wildering Billies, and send them on their way. By imagining yourself as a ship, anchored by your breath, you can learn to ride through the storms of life to smoother waters. 

Inspired by Zuisei’s years of Zen practice and working with kids, she has created this delightful introduction to the world of meditation. The book ends with a helpful recap of concrete steps such as stop, imagine, breathe, and anchor, so kids can remember how to tame the Billies whenever emotions are overwhelming.

VANESSA ZUISEI GODDARD is a writer and Zen teacher based in New York City. She trained full-time at Zen Mountain Monastery from 1995 to 2014, fourteen of those years as a monastic. In 2018 she received dharma transmission (authorization to teach) from Geoffrey Shugen Arnold Roshi, abbot of Zen Mountain Monastery and Head of the Mountains and Rivers Order. For the last ten years, Zuisei has been leading retreats and workshops on a wide range of teachings on Buddhism and meditation—and also for children, teenagers, and adults—all with special emphasis on the power of stillness and silence to transform our lives.

PADDY DONNELLY grew up on the beautiful north coast of Ireland, surrounded by mythical stories of giants, magical creatures, and shape-shifting animals. All of this prompted his love for nature, animals, the sea, and storytelling. His work has achieved international acclaim as he was nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal 2022 and shortlisted for the World Illustration Awards in 2018.