A Yoga Parade of Animals
A First Fun Picture Book of Yoga
If you’ve ever played “walk like an elephant” or “roar like a lion” with young children, you will appreciate the focus of A Yoga Parade of Animals.
It contains instructions for doing 13 yoga-related postures based on animals. A neon-bright, full-page drawing of the animal imitated accompanies each posture. Sidebars include stick-figure drawings, a photograph of a child doing the posture and a brief history or philosophy of Hatha yoga. Although the audience is clearly young children, some may have difficulty with the text. Besides discussions of meditation, mantras and gender-based energies, words like “quieten” may be confusing.
In spite of the fact that there is no shortage of yoga books aimed at children, this British import, aimed at children ages 6 to 12, has an appeal that makes it worthwhile. The author stresses the importance of safety and having fun. The spiritual benefits of yoga are described in accessible language, such as “The mind can be like a puppy, chasing its tail.” The clean presentation and vibrant drawings by Chris Perry go a long way toward introducing this oldest form of body and spirit awareness in a playful way.
Reviewed by
Leigh Forrest
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
