A cute story likely to inspire little yogis.
A little girl has fun learning to do simple yoga poses in Roman’s picture book.
Hallie joins her mother on a trip to the yoga studio, but to her dismay, she doesn’t get to come along for class. Instead, she has to stay in the kid’s room with Robin, the baby sitter. But while Hallie pouts, Robin has an idea: She demonstrates how to be a tree by standing on one leg and raising her arms in the air. “Trees are peaceful, quiet, and strong,” she explains. Hallie copies the moves and strikes the pose too. She also learns how to be a sleek airplane with outstretched arms, to flap her knees like a beautiful butterfly and to stretch out like a hissing cobra. The story is short—just seven pages of text—but sweet. Roman (Captain No Beard, 2012, etc.) uses simple language to begin to demystify an activity that may bewilder many young children. Uncomplicated but visually appealing illustrations make it easy for readers to try the four poses themselves. The skillful illustrations include details that exemplify a typical yoga studio: serene posters on the wall, mats and women exercising in class. While color highlights the main subjects on every page, a closer look at background images reveals amusing happenings: A giggling boy in the kid’s room uses a hand puppet to tease a playmate; a baby crawls on Robin while she’s sitting in the butterfly pose; and the mommies in class stand on their heads. The story includes a few basic but potentially new vocabulary words, such as “sleek,” “sole” and “cobra.” Hallie’s adventure conveys two subtle lessons: It’s fun to learn new things, and you don’t have to be a grown-up to do yoga. The very succinct book may introduce more questions about yoga than it answers, but the messages are clear.
A cute story likely to inspire little yogis.Pub Date: Dec. 24, 2012
ISBN: 978-1475015584
Page Count: 24
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Feb. 28, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A memorable story of kindness, courage and wonder.
After being home-schooled for years, Auggie Pullman is about to start fifth grade, but he’s worried: How will he fit into middle school life when he looks so different from everyone else?
Auggie has had 27 surgeries to correct facial anomalies he was born with, but he still has a face that has earned him such cruel nicknames as Freak, Freddy Krueger, Gross-out and Lizard face. Though “his features look like they’ve been melted, like the drippings on a candle” and he’s used to people averting their eyes when they see him, he’s an engaging boy who feels pretty ordinary inside. He’s smart, funny, kind and brave, but his father says that having Auggie attend Beecher Prep would be like sending “a lamb to the slaughter.” Palacio divides the novel into eight parts, interspersing Auggie’s first-person narrative with the voices of family members and classmates, wisely expanding the story beyond Auggie’s viewpoint and demonstrating that Auggie’s arrival at school doesn’t test only him, it affects everyone in the community. Auggie may be finding his place in the world, but that world must find a way to make room for him, too.
A memorable story of kindness, courage and wonder. (Fiction. 8-14)Pub Date: Feb. 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-375-86902-0
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Dec. 2, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2011
PROFILES
An accessible entrance into the world of social-emotional skills.
What do you do when the world turns upside down?
Freckled redhead Tilda is a happy only child with a rollicking personality. With lots of books and toys and a multiracial group of friends, life is perfect as far as she’s concerned…until her world undergoes a troubling change (a subtle hint in the illustrations suggests that Tilda’s parents have divorced). Suddenly, nothing feels right, everything seems hard, and she doesn’t want to play with her friends. To reflect this emotional disorientation, the artwork shows Tilda in spatially distorted settings, complete with upside-down objects. It’s not until she sees an upturned ladybug struggle persistently before getting back on its feet (despite Tilda’s desire to help, the ladybug needs to help itself) that Tilda gains the courage to start taking baby steps in order to cope with her new reality. There are still challenges, and she needs to persevere, but eventually, she regains her zest for life and reconnects with her friends. Despite this, the ending avoids an easy happily-ever-after, which feels just right for the subject matter. Though a trifle didactic, the story sends an important message about the roles of self-efficacy and persistence when it comes to overcoming challenges and building resilience. Percival’s digital illustrations use transitions from grayscale to color to create symbolic meaning and have psychological depth, deftly capturing a child’s experience of trauma.
An accessible entrance into the world of social-emotional skills. (author's note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0822-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2022
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