An earnest attempt at providing constructive advice, but its filler intrudes on its more engaging content.
Leaf (Misadventures of a Garden State Yogi, 2016, etc.) offers an eclectic collection of prompts designed to inspire and energize yoga practitioners.
These suggestions cover a range of themes, including not only yoga exercises, but also writing assignments, drawing and coloring activities, and various checklists. In more general prompts, Leaf asks readers perform tasks that seem intended to promote mindfulness in daily life: “Set a timer and spend 3 minutes without talking, looking into the eyes of a friend or partner. How do you feel afterward?” Some are meant to be accomplished in the moment, others during the course of a day or over a longer period of time. The writing exercises ask readers to complete a sentence (such as “I have known for a while now that it is time for me to”), write a list, or answer a question. The blank space provided for the reader, though, seems excessive at times, leaving the book as a whole feeling unfinished. Some prompts ask readers to contemplate his or her answers during their yoga practice and to write a response after completing it. Although only a handful of suggestions specifically call for drawing or coloring, the black-and-white illustrations on other pages call out for readers to color them, too. Overall, though, the quality of the various prompts seems uneven. For instance, some outline a well-defined, actionable task, while others are more indistinct, muddying their goals (such as “Faith is an act of great will. Practice constantly”). Leaf includes many prompts by other authors and yoga practitioners, including well-known names, such as actress Mayim Bialik. These guest-written prompts comprise the most substantial part of the book, providing explicit, practical activities and questions. Also, many pages seem designed to reflect its prompt’s spirit with playful formatting, such as a slanted paragraph structure on a page that encourages readers to “balance this book on your head during tadasana (mountain posture) today.”
An earnest attempt at providing constructive advice, but its filler intrudes on its more engaging content.Pub Date: Nov. 23, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-692-77058-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Free Living Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
