School Library Journal Review

PreS-Gr 3--Every morning, Yoga Bunny pops out of his burrow and greets the day by practicing yoga. This morning, he starts the day out all by himself. As he completes the leaf pose, he notices a worried-looking bear hiding behind a tree. The bear tells Yoga Bunny that his birthday is coming up , and that make him nervous because everyone will be looking at him. Yoga poses bring calm. The friends hope to meet up the next morning to get Bear ready for his birthday party. Bear does show up, and Yoga Bunny and a few other friends take some quiet time for meditation. When they breathe out, Bear realizes he has actually blown out the candles on his surprise birthday cake. He is ready for his birthday party! The art is made with colored pencils and watercolor, which provides a soft, warm palette for this story of friends and their calming yoga. The endpapers offer a number of poses that children can emulate in a classroom or home setting; they'll love the motion, as well as the quiet and mindfulness yoga provides. VERDICT This book is an ideal way to introduce yoga and the ethos behind this ancient practice. Pair this with Taeeun Yoo's You Are a Lion! And Other Fun Yoga Poses or Russo's previous book, Yoga Bunny.--Joan Kindig, James Madison Univ., Harrisonburg, VA