Yawning Yoga

PreS-Gr 2—Jordan walks children through 11 different yoga poses meant specifically to help them unwind and settle down before bedtime. The first page offers tips to readers, including holding each pose for three to five breaths and going through them at a comfortable pace. Each section describes a child-friendly position, including "dog-tired down dog," "seashell," and "jelly belly," along with its name in Sanskrit. A rhyme describing each pose is also featured ("when muscles feel all tense and tight, I do this stretch each and every night"). The more complicated poses are accompanied by small instructional images. Mayo's lush, colorful illustrations are striking and lend a dreamlike quality to the work. With the recent push toward mindfulness in schools, this is a helpful tool to extend those soothing practices at home.