Written by: Susan Verde Illustrations by: Peter H, Reynolds
I’m convinced Yogis are taking over the world. I don’t think I can go through one day without hearing the word Yoga more then 10 times. The incredible benefits, the soothing relaxation, even the inner peace you find through this powerful version of meditation. This is all well in good for adults, but how do you slow the mind of a child down enough to breathe this information in? Susan Verde provides a brilliant tool to help you achieve this goal. Through this bright and vibrant story Susan narrates a child’s inner journey through their day to day life.
The opening page of this book says “When I feel small in a world so big” which all of us can relate to at one time or another. While reading this story to the children I work with I could see the connections to their own lives happening. With each page I was able to pull them in closer. With each page came a stressor but also a solution, narrated from the view of the child. Going through yoga poses that matched the stress presented. The story itself is a simple but amazing message of remembering to slow down our busy lives and enjoy the small things and to make time for ourselves. Even ending with a few pages of Yoga poses that the children can try (Disclaimer: If you are not a experienced Yogi, I suggest trying these before you demonstrate them to a room full of children.)
This book is creative and what any teacher wanting to teach the basics of yoga or meditation to children needs, as it’s smart and relateable. The thing that really grabbed my attention and had me search this book out at chapters? The illustrations. They are bright, big, vibrant and it had all my children commenting on it. Peter H. Reynolds does an amazing job capturing the whimsical nature and feel of this book