Hands to Heart: Breathe and Bend with Animal Friends by Alex Bauermeister, Flora Waycott
Published by HMH Books for Young Readers on March 26, 2019
ISBN: 1328550419
Pages: 32
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads

Certainly not the first book of yoga for children, Hands to Heart is among the better.   From preschool to primary grades many little ones will enjoy bending and stretching with the adorable animals as illustrated.  Each page teaches a new skill from breathing through various poses and ending with mediation.  At times the text feels forced perhaps to maintain the rhyming flow.  Young readers will return over and over, some to read the text and others to practice the poses.  The Author’s note appears to be above the lexile score of some youngsters but will prove helpful to parents reading aloud.

The illustrations of animals are adorable and interactive expressing motion and body flexibility.  From cover to cover the flowers add interest and texture to each page.  How many little ones will search for the mouse on each page?  All yoga instructors need to own this book and it would make a nice addition to public libraries and nursery schools.

Submitted by Jan Hamilton, retired youth services librarian in Scarborough, ME.