YOGA ANIMALS IN THE FOREST

Bear makes her way through the forest, learning yoga poses from friends and inviting readers to practice them too.

When Bear wakes up yawning from a “long, deep sleep,” Rabbit shows her a pose to help her to feel more awake. Bear feels more awake, but she’s still “a little grouchy,” so Bird shows her a pose to make her feel happier. Bear needs a stretch and then a plan, and then to look for some food; later, she needs to stand still, to be grateful, and to calm down. All along the way, from the beginning of her day until night, she encounters friends who model what they do to achieve the states of mind or physical feelings they seek. Each spread shows Bear encountering a friend with a need and copying the friend’s suggestion, and it ends with a panel titled “Can you do it, too?” which shows a human child practicing the pose, with clear, step-by-step instructions. The book works both as a story and as an instructional manual for the mind-body connection sought in yoga. The illustrations are child friendly, but the book will work best when shared by an adult who is already familiar with the poses. A final spread lists the physical and emotional benefits of each pose.

A sweet introduction to yoga and self-care for adults to use with the very young.