A Friend for Yoga Bunny by Brian Russo
Published by HarperCollins on February 22, 2022
ISBN: 0063017849
Pages: 40
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads

A simple book that felt as open and friendly as the story itself. Bunny wakes up to do yoga by himself one morning and meets Bear, who is anxious about his upcoming birthday party. Bunny teaches Bear yoga poses to calm his nervousness and anxiety, and they become fast friends. The storyline is straightforward, and the digital illustrations are playful and simple, not overwhelming the text or cluttering the page. It’s a sweet introduction to the concept of yoga as being enjoyable, as well as its helpfulness for self-calming in stressful situations. The endpapers are fun, showing Bunny in many different yoga poses.

As a sequel, this book will appeal to fans of Yoga Bunny, but it’s also absolutely fine as a stand-alone. This would be a great read-aloud, and even a story time book where kids practice yoga as an activity following the reading.

Five stars; recommended for libraries; not many picture books touch on ways to self-calm and soothe anxiety, so this is a good one to have on the shelf!

Reviewed by Jenny Martinez Nocito, Maine State Library