From School Library Journal
Grade 2–5—This collection of 16 poems touches on the uplifting and emotional aspects of yoga, putting words to the spirit of the poses and evoking the energy and feelings of the practice. Wong's simple verses read almost like haiku, using imagery to get to the essence of the positions, rather than teaching how to perform them. On each spread, Paschkis's watercolor paintings frame both the poem and a child performing the pose with colorful fauna, flora, and people that suggest India as well as that particular exercise. The youngsters are varied ethnically though all wear clothing with Indian colors and patterns. The words and images blend together effortlessly, with energy and beauty. A few minor concerns: Tree pose should never be done with the foot directly on the knee as shown in the illustrations. Handstand shouldn't be done with the head on the floor and is a dangerous pose for children to try without direction. However, this is not an instruction book and readers should be directed to resources such as Baron Baptiste's
My Daddy Is a Pretzel (Barefoot, 2004) to learn the actual poses. A simple author's note provides added encouragement for novices. Lovely to listen to and to look at,
Twist is sure to inspire some new yogis.—
Susan Oliver, Tampa-Hillsborough Public Library System, FL Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Wong and Paschkis, who have collaborated on poetry titles about dreams (
Night Garden , 2000) and superstitions (
Knock on Wood , 2003), focus on yoga in their latest attractive picture-book collection. Each selection, presented on a double-page spread, is named after a different
asana (pose): Down Dog, Child's Pose, and so on. The best of the brief poems communicate yoga's philosophy and feeling in language and imagery that is immediately accessible: "Breath is a broom / sweeping your insides." Some selections will help children visualize the shapes of the poses: "Head to foot to foot, / Finger to finger to toe . . . My body is a puzzle of triangles." Paschkis' vibrant watercolors greatly enhance the book's appeal with portraits of multiethnic yogis demonstrating the poses, surrounded by lively, paisley-patterned borders of animals, plants, and figures. Kids eager to try the featured
asana may want to move on to Thia Luby's
Children's Book of Yoga (1998), Liz Lark's
Yoga (2003), and Baron Baptiste's
My Daddy Is a Pretzel (2004).
Gillian EngbergCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
