The Happiest Tree: A Yoga Story
The Happiest Tree: A Yoga Story Customer Review: Decent book
The story line here is simple but great for kids to understand the power of not giving up. However the ending is a little weak and I thought the emphasis on yoga a little odd in the title & in the book itself. However the illustrations are great. Overall not a bad book for a young girl to understand how to get some self esteem.
Customer Review: 4 1/2 Be the Tree
Young Meena is a girl of Indian ancestry who is going through a growth spurt common to many kids her age. As her mom explains, "your arms and leg are growing really fast. That can make you feel clumsy sometimes." When Meena rehearses for the school play (a retelling of "Little Red Riding Hood"), both her balance and self-esteem take a tumble. Her Dad reassures her that she needn't be perfect, "just try your best." Meena dejectedly replies, "I'm perfectly clumsy."
The next day Meena and her mom go to the "Auntie" Vohra's Indian grocery story. Snacking on some "matthi," an astonished Meena see legs shooting up, holding still, and lowering again! It's a yoga class, and Auntie encourages her to join. Through yoga practice, Meena improves her coordination, and more importantly, her self-confidence and ability to calm herself. All this comes in handy on the night of the play, especially when things don't go quite as planned.
The book is admirable on a number of levels. The richly saturated acrylic illustrations, add drama and intensity to the story. The author sprinkles a few Indian words throughout the book (there's a glossary), and depictions of Meena's home and the market show Indian decorations, and a colorful assortment of foods. The Indian influences add interest and authenticity without overpowering or stereotyping Meena, who is, after all, a child of the West. I thought that one of Ruth Jeyaveeran's pictures (the rehearsal) breaks the fluid narrative; she covers too many story elements in one illustration, but overall text and pictures mesh well.
"The Happiest Tree" shows a few yoga poses, and emphasizes the slow progression and the importance of the teacher's help. Luckily for Meena, who plays a tree in the play, Auntie Vohra teaches "Tree Pose" and Meena uses this to calm herself and use imagery during the play itself. After several classes, Meena thins to herself, "I can change my body by how I feel inside…IF I am quiet inside, my body will be still. That's what yoga is really about." Well, yoga is about many more things, and the book tends to deemphasize yoga and the mind, but perhaps the physical is more relevant and understandable for a young reader. It's nice to see a book about yoga for kids, especially one that equally informs and entertains. The author lists three nonfiction books ("Yoga for Children," "Kid Yoga: Fun with a Twist," and "Yoga for Kids") for those who want to pursue the topic.