Yoga Frog

March 1, 2018
Follow a blissed-out frog's movement through 18 classic yoga poses.Yoga Frog models each posture against a brightly colored background. Brief written instructions on the facing pages of each illustration do not explain exactly how to achieve "flow," particularly how to gracefully switch sides, but the frog's skinny stick limbs make it easy to identify the ideal position. His two-tone green body and expressive, wide eyes add humor. A final "Note for Parents" reminds them of the benefits of yoga and the importance of breathing through the nose while moving through the poses. A fold-out poster repeats each of the postures, though not in the order shown in the previous pages. Yoga Frog begins with mountain pose, moves through more challenging postures, and ends in the resting pose. The Sanskrit term for each posture is included below the English name. Chambers does not always use the traditional translations. Warrior (virabhadrasana) is called "giraffe"; child's pose (balasana) becomes "hawk in nest"; hero (virasana) turns to "wolf"; rabbit, (sasangasana) is modified to turtle; the spinal twist (ardha matsyendrasana) is inexplicably changed to "caterpillar"; and bound angle (baddha konasana) is whimsically renamed "butterfly." This may be confusing as young yogis encounter more standard yoga instruction. Limitations aside, this is a good starting point to help children to be flexible, focused, and relaxed. (Informational picture book. 4-8)

COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 9, 2018
Yoga Frog is a green fellow with long, thin legs and arms and a rather anxious expression in his eyes. But he has a morning yoga routine for when “he’s not feeling his happy, froggy self, or if he wants to feel better.” Yoga Frog demonstrates 19 different yoga poses, including “Giraffe,” “Crescent Moon,” “Hawk in Nest,” “Caterpillar,” and “Bridge.” Carpenter briefly yet vividly describes how to perform each pose, along with its symbolism: “Raise your arms skyward like branches, breathing as you wobble. Switch feet. Tree pose reminds us to embrace flexibility and not be too stiff.” Carpenter includes the names of each pose in Sanskrit—“Cat” is “Marjaryasana,” and “Volcano” is “Malasana”—providing an extra layer of knowledge for interested yogis. Serene and bright background colors offer appealing contrast to Yoga Frog’s green tone, and end pages feature a foldout and perforated poster that shows all of his poses. Ages 4–8.