A quirky and bright introduction to meditation and Buddhism and an appealing addition to the subgenre of books on children’s...
A cat who lives in a Hawaiian ashram demonstrates yoga poses in this picture book.
Bindi is a stray calico cat that spends one of her nine lives at an ashram after being adopted by Ramakrishna, who lives there. Though deemed scrawny and ugly at first, the cat blossoms at her new home, and seven years later she’s purred her way firmly into the heart of her new owner and become an integral part of the ashram community. Life at the ashram includes seva, or unselfish service to others, a duty Bindi fulfills by teaching a group of diverse students her own style of kitty yoga (“Sometimes we have classes with all Japanese students, so I’ve learned to speak Japanese! It’s so wonderful to know a foreign language!”). Bindi also inspires her owner to overcome obstacles, such as figuring out how to get down from the branches of the ashram’s bodhi tree when he becomes stuck. As Bindi narrates her story, she includes observations inspired by Buddhist principles, such as, when people “meditate they find that god exists right inside of them,” and “even though we all look different on the outside, we are all the same inside.” At the end of the story, the cat explains how to perform a basic mindfulness/meditation technique that focuses on deep breathing and mentally expressing gratitude for positive people and influences. In this engaging book, Michaels (Growing Old with Grace, 2015) builds a charming tale for children around Buddhist ideas and practices. Illustrator Porter’s (The Puzalings and the Puzville Pollution, 2016) artwork enhances the story with lush Hawaiian flowers and cheerful ashram scenes, rendered in warm hues. The underlying philosophy expressed in this colorful book may be too much for parents who’re merely looking for yoga instruction geared to children, but it never gets too heavy. Bindi may even inspire kids to get on the floor and try a few poses—especially Cat-Cow.
A quirky and bright introduction to meditation and Buddhism and an appealing addition to the subgenre of books on children’s yoga practice.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-9978810-1-1
Page Count: 38
Publisher: Moana Publications
Review Posted Online: Feb. 6, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The seemingly ageless Seeger brings back his renowned giant for another go in a tuneful tale that, like the art, is a bit sketchy, but chockful of worthy messages. Faced with yearly floods and droughts since they’ve cut down all their trees, the townsfolk decide to build a dam—but the project is stymied by a boulder that is too huge to move. Call on Abiyoyo, suggests the granddaughter of the man with the magic wand, then just “Zoop Zoop” him away again. But the rock that Abiyoyo obligingly flings aside smashes the wand. How to avoid Abiyoyo’s destruction now? Sing the monster to sleep, then make it a peaceful, tree-planting member of the community, of course. Seeger sums it up in a postscript: “every community must learn to manage its giants.” Hays, who illustrated the original (1986), creates colorful, if unfinished-looking, scenes featuring a notably multicultural human cast and a towering Cubist fantasy of a giant. The song, based on a Xhosa lullaby, still has that hard-to-resist sing-along potential, and the themes of waging peace, collective action, and the benefits of sound ecological practices are presented in ways that children will both appreciate and enjoy. (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-689-83271-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2001
© Copyright 2024 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.
bookshelf
