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.

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.

Rachel's Day in the Garden by Giselle Shardow

Rachel's Day in the Garden

 (A Kids Yoga Spring Colors Book) 

by Giselle Shardlow 

Illustrated by Hazel Quintanilla 

 Kids Yoga Stories

34 pages

Ages 3 to 6 years 

Experience the benefits of yoga while learning about the signs of spring!

Join Rachel as she and her adorable puppy look for signs of spring in the garden. Crawl like a caterpillar, buzz like a bee, and flutter like a butterfly. Discover spring, explore movement, and learn the colors of the rainbow. The 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 spring yoga story for ages 3 to 6 is more than a storybook, but it’s also a unique experience for children. Rachel's Day in the Garden is the first book in a seasonal yoga book series. The summer yoga book is also now available: Ella's Summer Fun. The fall and winter ones are in production, coming soon!

Amazon * Book Website * Goodreads

 

MY TIDBITS

My youngest daughter loved this. Not only are the illustrations colorful and fun to browse through (and I love the extra textures thrown in), but this is a book which gets the reader involved. The story itself is simple, but this isn't as much about the young character Sammy's adventures as it is her demonstrating various yoga positions. Several basic (and easy to understand) yoga position are presented while the reader follows Sammy through her morning and into her backyard. In the upper corner of each two page spread, the name of the yoga position as well as a picture of Sammy demonstrating it encourages kids to do the same.

At the end of the story, there's a special note for parents/teachers/grandparents to help them understand how to encourage kids to do these positions safely and correctly. Each position is then again listed with a short description.

As said, my daughter loved this story and continued to read through it again and again, proud when she could show-off each position and say the name. Another favorite of hers was the small dog. Although he didn't really have a major role in this story, his presence on most pages put a smile on her face.

Here's a Sneak Peek!

And here she is. . .

Giselle Shardlow!!!

Giselle Shardlow is the author of Kids Yoga Stories. Her yoga stories for kids get children learning, moving, and having fun. Giselle draws from her experiences as a teacher, traveler, yogi, and mom to write the stories. She can be found at the Kids Yoga Stories website or on her Amazon author page.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Pinterest * Goodreads