A good choice to help very young children practice yoga and controlled breathing.
A board book that stands out in the surprisingly crowded yoga-for-preschoolers category.
Two puppies (one brown, one white) demonstrate the seven postures that make up a Sun Salutation. Looking like plush toys, the animals model the poses on the left. On the right, a multiracial cast of children display the moves needed to achieve the position. Just like real children, they have different body types and varying degrees of success. Some bend their knees when they reach for their toes; others touch easily. The book can be read at two levels. Uncluttered white backgrounds and brief text are featured on the puppy pages. Opposite, instructions in a lighter type include directions for breathing through the movement. The seven children and two dogs move through a complete half Sun Salutation: from standing, through a forward fold, plank, Downward Dog, and leg lift, then back to standing. The only thing missing is the suggestion to repeat the moves lifting the opposite leg. In Calm Bunny, published simultaneously, a toylike rabbit and snake demonstrate Child Pose and Cobra sequences. Again, longer instructions on the pages with children doing the motions explain when and how to breathe. This attention to breath is a strength of both these simple guides, ensuring that even adults who are not practicing yogis will be able to safely guide the movements.
A good choice to help very young children practice yoga and controlled breathing. (Board book. 2-5)Pub Date: Jan. 15, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-64686-159-0
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Barefoot Books
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2021
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Although a bit on the slight side, this offering is infused with a warm, light humor just right for cuddling up with a young...
This title previously published in the U.K. takes a cozy look at all kinds of kisses.
Walsh’s rhyming text is full of cutesy rhythms: “Kisses on noses, kisses on toes-es. Sudden kisses when you least supposes.” Sometimes the phrasing stumbles: “Who likes to kiss? I do! I do! Even the shy do. Why not try, too?” But toddlers and young preschoolers will probably not mind. They will be too engaged in spotting the lively penguin on each spread and too charmed by Abbot’s winsome illustrations that fittingly extend the wording in the story. Patient dogs queue up for a smooch from a frog prince, cool blue “ ’normous elephants” contrast strikingly with bright red “little tiny ants” and a bewildered monkey endures a smattering of lipstick kisses. Be the kiss small or tall, one to start or end the day, young readers are reminded that “the very best kiss… / is a kiss from you!” Perhaps no big surprise but comforting nonetheless.
Although a bit on the slight side, this offering is infused with a warm, light humor just right for cuddling up with a young tyke or sharing with a gathering for storytime. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Dec. 20, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2769-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Nov. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2011
This is a tremendously moving story, but some people will be moved only on the second reading, after they’ve Googled “How to...
A hug shouldn’t require an instruction manual—but some do.
A porcupine can frighten even the largest animal. In this picture book, a bear and a deer, along with a small rabbit, each run away when they hear eight simple words and their name: “I need a hug. Will you cuddle me,…?” As they flee, each utters a definitive refusal that rhymes with their name. The repetitive structure gives Blabey plenty of opportunities for humor, because every animal responds to the question with an outlandish, pop-eyed expression of panic. But the understated moments are even funnier. Each animal takes a moment to think over the request, and the drawings are nuanced enough that readers can see the creatures react with slowly building anxiety or, sometimes, a glassy stare. These silent reaction shots not only show exquisite comic timing, but they make the rhymes in the text feel pleasingly subtle by delaying the final line in each stanza. The story is a sort of fable about tolerance. It turns out that a porcupine can give a perfectly adequate hug when its quills are flat and relaxed, but no one stays around long enough to find out except for an animal that has its own experiences with intolerance: a snake. It’s an apt, touching moral, but the climax may confuse some readers as they try to figure out the precise mechanics of the embrace.
This is a tremendously moving story, but some people will be moved only on the second reading, after they’ve Googled “How to pet a porcupine.” (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Jan. 29, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-29710-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 29, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2018
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BOOK REVIEW
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