Review by Booklist Review
In this small-trim picture book, a young girl finds respite from cares and a hectic schedule school, chores, extracurricular activities, and everyday bustle in yoga. When the girl feels small in a world so big, she knows it's time to relax and use her mind and heart to create and imagine. In subsequent scenarios, the girl describes and visualizes being able to, for example, soar among the clouds, dance with the moon, or sail on the sea, each depiction and setting portraying her in a different yoga pose, progressing toward the affirming and affirmative I am yoga.I can be anything! Spare, lyrical text and whimsically detailed, color-washed ink illustrations positively present yoga as a means for rejuvenation and inspiration, as well as the feelings yoga can evoke and encourage, playful to calm. Although an appended author's note lacks discussion of possible age or physical considerations, or precautions for yoga beginners, children's yoga teacher Verde highlights yoga concepts and potential benefits for kids and adults and provides the names, descriptions, and instructions for the 16 poses featured in this book.--Rosenfeld, Shelle Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Another pleasing picture book from the creative team behind The Museum (2013) and You and Me (2015, both Abrams). Verde's lyrical language meshes well with Reynolds's peaceful, tranquil cartoon illustrations, done in muted tones. A young girl explains why she does yoga and describes each move as she does them. "I can sail on the sea./ I go with the flow" accompanies The Boat Pose. "I can carry beauty with me./ I am full" with a Bow/Basket Pose. Fun to read, the narration encourages movement, and the author note and information on each pose at the end of the book are great teaching tools. VERDICT A delightful introduction to the subject as well as a wonderful read-aloud for movement and mindfulness.-Jane Hebert, Glenside Public Library District, Glendale Heights, IL © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
A girl navigating modern-day stresses practices various yoga poses to calm her body and mind. One or two sentences are paired with each pose: e.g., for boat, "I can sail on the sea. / I go with the flow." The brief positive affirmations and soothing illustrations are an exercise in mindfulness. The appended instructional author's note provides detailed information about the poses. (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A young girl overwhelmed by her hectic world calms herself by practicing yoga. Drawing on her experience as a children's yoga instructor, author Verde reunites with Reynolds in their third collaboration (You and Me, 2015, etc.). Verde approaches yoga as more than mere physical exercise. Written in first person, the book flows with a young girl as she shifts from turmoil to self-regulated calm through a series of poses. The girl begins with the grounding deep breaths of mountain pose and continues through a complete yoga sequence, ending it with a restful savasana (relaxation pose). Her confident declarations that accompany each pose connect her body's movements with her inner emotions. Reynolds' expressive yet soothing watercolors transform each pose beyond its physicality into a full mind-body experience. "I can touch the sky. I am so tall," reads the text, while the girl, colored all in green, adopts the tree pose, flanked by real trees. The combination of Verde's tranquil words and Reynolds' playful interpretations will encourage young readers to mirror each pose before turning the page. Children will learn how yoga can be a tool to guide their emotions even when the outside world is beyond their control. An appendix illustrates the 16 poses from the book with detailed instructions that also include visualization exercises. Empowering affirmations and playful illustrations will inspire both children and adults to slow down and strike a pose. (Picture book. 3-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
