I did gymnastics as a kid and began learning yoga in college. To this day, I still love stretching my body and building strength. My kiddos also love learning new yoga poses, which I include as part of homeschool health lessons. My oldest daughter has been especially interested in learning more about yoga recently. When recently offered the chance to review Yoga Frog written by Nora Carpenter with illustrations by Mark Chambers in exchange for my honest opinion, I eagerly accepted the opportunity to add a new title to my home library.
Author/Illustrator
Currently residing in Asheville, North Carolina, author Nora Carpenter is a Certified Yoga Teacher who has taught numerous yoga classes for children and adults since 2007. She earned an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts at which she rotates as Head Grad Assistant for summer residencies.
Currently residing in Lincoln, United Kingdom, illustrator Mark Chambers studied illustration at the University of London. He was shortlisted for the AOI World Illustration Awards in 2017 and the Roald Dahl Funny Prize in 2013. He also won the Sheffield Children’s Picture Book Award in 2013 and was also highly commended in the young fiction category. He has illustrated a wealth of picture books and young fiction.
Synopsis
Recommended for readers between the ages of 4 and 8 in preschool through third grade, Yoga Frog features a frog who is not a morning frog but who practices yoga to start his day off on the right foot. Young readers can follow Frog’s yoga flow from warming up to cooling down. Each two-page spread describes a yoga pose complemented by playful yet instructive full-color illustrations. The 40-page hardback book currently costs $14.99 on Amazon.
Evaluation
As I previously mentioned, my two oldest children love learning new yoga poses. My oldest daughter has used my adult yoga book to teach herself a little bit, but she finds Yoga Frog much more appealing. She can easily read about each pose and then follow the illustration of Frog. My preschooler son also loves mimicking the poses demonstrated by frog. He proudly showed me his Star and Tree the other day while I nursed his baby sister. My oldest also enjoys acting as a yoga instructor while she and her little brother stretch and strengthen their bodies.
My children clearly love the book, and I am also quite fond of the text. I personally love the descriptions of each pose. For example, the text for Tree explains how to do the pose and then offers the following meditative thought: “Tree Pose reminds us to embrace flexibility and not be too stiff.” I also appreciate the removable poster in the back of the book, which I took out and hung up in our homeschool classroom. The poster shows Frog in all of his yoga posters and creates a fun and gentle reminder for my kiddos.
Final Verdict
If you are searching for a book with which to introduce your children to the practice of yoga, I definitely recommend Yoga Frog written by Nora Carpenter and illustrated by Mark Chambers. Affordably priced, the 40-page hardback book teaches young reader basic yoga poses through the morning routine of Frog. Each two-page spread includes the name and description of a pose followed by a colorful illustration of Frog in the pose. My two oldest children love using the book in their own practice of yoga. Yoga Frog is a new favorite in our homeschool library!
Purchase Yoga Frog on Amazon via my affiliate link.
Image Credits
‘Yoga Frog’ Book Review © 2018 Heather Johnson
Cover of ‘Yoga Frog’ © 2018 Heather Johnson
Inside Pages of ‘Yoga Frog’ 1 © 2018 Heather Johnson
Inside Pages of ‘Yoga Frog’ 2 © 2018 Heather Johnson
Inside Pages of ‘Yoga Frog’ 3 © 2018 Heather Johnson
