Beautiful New Picture Books, October 2019

My goodness, you are going to be excited about this selection of picture books. Two books make yoga accessible to kids and three present ways for us to be kind to ourselves and others.

Beautiful New Picture Booka

Dinosaur Yoga by Miriam Gates, illustrated by Matthew Rivera
YOGA

What child doesn’t love to imagine AND be active? Now kids can pretend to be a dinosaur and learn how to do yoga poses! Your kids are going to be obsessed with this book…Breathe in through your snout and move your dino body into different poses. Colorful, lively illustrations show all of your favorite dinosaurs doing yoga poses. See how the colorful blue and green triceratops do a tree pose and read along, “Bring one mighty hind foot off the ground to balance, lifting your spiky frills high.” How fun for kids to imagine and move, right? And just like the dinosaurs, you’ll feel better in your mind, body, and spirit with Dinosaur Yoga. It’s great for calming, stretching, growing core strength, and relaxing. Among other things.
Added to: The Best Yoga Books, Games, & Videos for Kids

Hello, Sun! A Yoga Sun Salutation to Start Your Day by Sarah Jane Hinder
YOGA
You’ll love this bright, cheerful introduction to Sun Salutations –– which is a specific sequence of yoga poses. This beautiful introduction shows children how movements and stretches can start the day off with breath, joy, and purpose. Wouldn’t this be a lovely start to your mornings? Read it aloud with your kiddos and give it a whirl.
Added to: The Best Yoga Books, Games, & Videos for Kids

I Am Love: A Book of Compassion by Susan Verde, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
LOVE
If a book could be like a delicious scoop of Neopolitan ice cream, this would be it– rich, filling, colorful, and sweet. Verde and Reynolds beautifully show readers what love is… Love is acting with tenderness when you see someone stuck in the rain and you bring them an umbrella. Love is being present, not saying a word when someone needs to talk. “I can hug and hold and say, “Everything will be alright.” Love is comfort.” In fact, love is many things writes Verde — gratitude, taking care of me, creative, understanding, effort, remembering, and more. Read the few sentences on each page and gain further insight into their meaning Verde writes, “I can do my best to make things better when something is wrong. Love is effort.” The picture on this page is a girl planting flowers and another girl helping to water them.
Added to: Picture Kindness Books and Picture Books About Love

The Golden Rule by Ilene Cooper, illustrated by Gabi Swiatkowsk
KINDNESS
Recently re-released, this luminously illustrated book is a conversation between a grandfather and grandson about The Golden Rule. As the boy seeks to understand, he asks questions of his grandfather. His grandfather shares similar rules in many different religions including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddism. Then, he explains that the boy gets to use his imagination to imagine how a new child would feel at school. He asks, what would make that new child feel better if they were scared? As the story and conversation continue, be prepared to stop and discuss how you can apply the Golden Rule to your own life.
Added to: Picture Kindness Books

May All People and Pigs Be Happy by Micki Fine Pavlicek, illustrated by John Pavlicek
KINDNESS
Use this sweet picture book to introduce children to the ideas of lovingkindness and that we can choose to shift our mindsets, or how we look at things. When Claire’s friend got mad at her, Claire’s stuffed animal named Pigalina says, “May you be safe. May you be happy. May you feel love.” She shows Claire how Claire can say these loving wishes to herself which does help Claire to feel better. And soon, Claire beings to silently say this for other people she doesn’t even know.
Added to: Picture Books About Kindness