YOGA FROG

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.