Showing posts with label Vicky bowes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vicky bowes. Show all posts

Saturday, October 8, 2016

Review: Jenny's Winter Walk by Giselle Shardlow


JENNY'S WINTER WALK
A Kids Yoga Winter Book
by Giselle Shardlow
Illustrated by Vicky Bowes
Picture Book
ages 3+
34 pages




Experience the benefits of yoga with your children or students by acting out what you see and hear in winter with this interactive yoga story, Jenny's Winter Walk!

Join Jenny as she meets various animals on a winter walk with her mom. Be a squirrel, a fox, and a bunny. Discover winter, explore movement, and learn the five senses.

The yoga storybook includes a list of kids yoga poses and a parent-teacher guide.

Kids Yoga Stories introduce you to engaging characters who will get your child laughing, moving, and creating. Reading is good for the mind AND body! The story links several yoga poses in a specific sequence to create a coherent and meaningful story.

This winter yoga story for ages 2 to 5 is more than a storybook, but it's also a unique experience for children.




MY TIDBITS


With lovely illustrations and a simply story, kids are encouraged to join in various yoga poses and discover more about themselves and the world around them.

Jenny and her mother head out on a winter walk through the forest. Not only do they encounter all sorts of fun creatures but run across breath-taking, wintry scenes which inspire several yoga poses.

This book starts out with a set of instructions, explaining how to use illustrations and story to its fullest potential. Then it dives right in. Jenny and her mother are introduced as a loving, caring mother and daughter. The obvious warmth and love already puts a smile on the face. They journey through a beautiful forest landscape, which is depicted in loving illustrations. There are cute animals around every corner, and the calmness of the landscape radiates from every page. Not only the sights, but the other five senses are addressed, allowing the world to unfold.

On each spread, there's an illustration (usually in the lower corner) which depicts the name of a fitting yoga pose as well as a simple illustration of how it is to be done. These are fitting to the age group and not difficult to imitate, making it perfect for the younger age group. Kids are encouraged to join in and are sure to jump at the opportunity to strike the pose themselves.

At the end of the book, there's a quick list of each pose with an accompanying illustration so that one doesn't have to flip back through the pages. There is also a section for parents/teachers with explanations and tips to help them use this book to its full potential.

Summed up, this is a lovely way to encourage young listeners/readers to explore yoga through the world around them. It shows a connection through calmness and warmth, and is sure to be read over and over again.



Thursday, August 4, 2016

Review: Maria Explores the Ocean by Giselle Shardlow


MARIA EXPLORES THE OCEAN
A Kids Yoga Colors Book
by Giselle Shardlow
Illustrated by Vicky Bowes
Picture Book
Ages 2+
46 pages



Dive in to learn about Pacific Ocean animals through ocean yoga poses for kids!

Join Maria as she explores the ocean with her granddad. Glide like a manta ray, float like a jellyfish, and cruise like a parrotfish. Learn what's under the water, act out ocean animals, and practice colors!

Kids Yoga Stories introduce you to engaging characters who will get your child laughing, moving, and creating. Reading is good for the mind AND body! The story links several yoga poses in a specific sequence to create a coherent and meaningful story.

This yoga book for toddlers and preschoolers (ages 2 to 5) is more than a storybook, but it's also a unique experience for children.





MY TIDBITS

This is one of the better yoga books for kids that I've come across. The author does a fantastic job combining colorful illustrations with an interesting story and incorporating all of that with detailed and easily understood yoga stances for children.

Maria's journey to the ocean is packed with all sorts of interesting sea life and short adventures. Accompanied by her grandfather, the two have a lovely relationship. This adventure alone is worth reading and sure to make a great bed-time story. The added illustrations are lovingly created and colorful as a rainbow. There's just enough details thrown in to draw in the interest which keeps those pages turning time and again.

But the real treat are the yoga moves. In a corner of each scene, Maria is illustrated in a small circle as she holds a yoga position. It's easy to imitate and molds in well with the story being told on the page. The invitation to imitate Maria makes it impossible not to stand up and try the move too.

At the end, there's a lovely collection of explanations and suggests. And in the beginning, there are also a few words of advice on how young listeners can be best lead in the story as well as the yoga moves. In other words, this is a well rounded book young listeners are sure to enjoy.