Children’s Fitness Books

UNICORN YOGA

Written by Gina Cascone & Bryony Williams Sheppard

Illustrated by Jennifer Sattler

(Sleeping Bear Press; $16.99; Ages 4-8)

 

 

 

Breathe in. Breathe out. Every “body” could use a bit of yoga in their lives and what better way to introduce this mind-and-body practice to children than through the eyes of unicorns. Unicorn Yoga, written by mother-daughter writing team Gina Cascone and Bryony Williams Sheppard and illustrated by Jennifer Sattler, presents a Unicorn Yogi guiding two eager students through a ten-pose class.

The white colored, pink-tressed Unicorn Yogi, with the big purple eyes, sits in Easy Pose. She guides the focused blue unicorn, and mischievous pink unicorn who seems to have her own ideas on how the pose should look. “We begin by sitting on our mats, crisscross applesauce. In Easy Pose, we are mindful and centered. Om,” Unicorn Yogi explains. The term crisscross applesauce has been used for years to get children to sit still, but that isn’t always easy for the pink unicorn.

 

 

Sattler uses her vivid imagination to bring huge grins and giggles to the young reader in her art. Check out the blue unicorn contemplating how delicious the mouse running by looks, while the others are focused on Cat Pose; or how the pink unicorn lets out a bit of ummm … gas when “her tail is high in the air as energy rushed through her body in Downward-Facing Dog.” This made me laugh because it’s a well known effect of this pose in yoga classes. She sweetly says “excuse me” so all is quickly forgiven.

The authors take the reader to Forward-Fold Pose and explain, “any way you do it, you are strengthening your legs in a Forward-Fold pose.” And any way you do it is right, as the teacher demonstrates with a rounded spine and forehead reaching towards her toes, as blue unicorn does her best to bend forward and our favorite pink unicorn does a pose that looks more like the pose Happy Baby laying on her back. Sattler paints a bite out of the mat in this drawing, so I think our pink unicorn friend was a bit hungry in class as well. Other poses demonstrated include Plank Pose, and Relaxation Pose “where it’s finally time to take our rest” (otherwise known as nap time for our pink unicorn who curls herself up in fetal position).

 

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Sattler writes Breathe in Breathe out on the bottom of each page to remind the reader about the importance of breath before movement in every yoga practice. The backmatter explains how yoga is good for everybody and every body—even unicorns. Cascone and Sheppard introduce two types of breathing exercises that both adults and children can practice to help calm the body and mind. They also explain the importance of “practice, practice, practice and that the most beautiful pose always comes with a smile.”

This new picture book is a great introduction to the practice of yoga and a fun read for the whole family. With yoga and mindfulness being taught more and more in schools across the country, Unicorn Yoga is a wonderful and helpful book to demonstrate some basic poses, while not taking it so seriously as our pink unicorn shows us. As a yoga instructor myself, I found this book to be an easy explanation to this centuries old tradition, and hope it will encourage students to begin their own daily practice. Namaste (the light in me recognizes and honors the light in you).

•Review by Ronda Einbinder