Title: Hello Bali | Author: Giselle Shardlow | Illustrator: Emily Gedkyz | Publication Date: April 23, 2014 | Publisher: Kids Yoga Stories | Number of pages: 52 | Recommended age: 2.5 to 6 years
Summary: Energize your body and mind with this yoga island adventure book for young children!
Say good day to the magical island of Bali! Join Anamika, one of the Yoga Kids, as she travels with her family to Bali, Indonesia. Surf like a surfer, dance like a Balinese dancer, and sit like a monkey.
The book includes a list of Kids Yoga Poses, Map of Bali, Basic Indonesian Phrases, and a Parent-Teacher Guide with tips on creating a successful yoga experience. This yoga book for toddlers and preschoolers (ages 2 to 5) is more than a storybook, but it’s also a unique experience for children.
As an Indonesian who has never been to Bali, a beginner in yoga thing, and an illustrated-children-book lover, I found this book was totally fun and helpful.
The poses were simple and easy to follow, and by giving the illustration and information about the pose, which was based on things Anamika found while she's on the adventure, I can help myself to imagine the actual pose. Those simple poses were helpful and applicable, especially for me who often sit in front of computer all day (and night, too).
When my niece and nephew came over, we read it, practiced the poses together and had fun with it. They laughed when they have to pose just like the mountain, swimmers, animals, etc. So I guess even for older children (they're 9 and 7 years old), this book can give so much fun, too. The English was pretty simple that my niece, who's already learn a bit of English, understood it pretty well. Even my nephew grasped the idea based on the informative and easy to understand illustration, though its style was not pretty special for me.
Also, by following the adventure of Anamika in every page, I can also explain them a little to my niece and nephew about Bali, and what you can find there, so that next time they (we) get a chance to go there, we know what it's going to be like.
I enjoyed the information about basic language in the back of the book. And the Parent-Teacher Guide part, I loved it! It helps me to remember what I should do to help young readers like my niece and nephew to gain more info based on what they're reading. It also help me trigger them with more knowledge.
I have to clarify a bit though, about the English-Indonesian translation in the back of the book. In a digital copy I received (maybe some of you got the same copy), "Welcome" is translated as "Selamat Dating"
The correct one would be: "Welcome" = "Selamat Datang".
I guess you can blame the mistake on the auto-correct mode. :D
For me, it'd be great if there's a simple introduction for kids about what is yoga before the adventure starts. Also, an information about how long you should do the pose? Probably count to 5, or 8, or 10?
Overall, I enjoy this book and got curious about the other series from the author.
***I was given a digital copy for an honest review.
About the Author
Giselle Shardlow draws from her experiences as a teacher, traveler, mother, and yogi to write her yoga-inspired children’s books. This story was inspired by her unforgettable travels to Bali and her desire to share these experiences with her daughter. She lives in Boston with her husband and daughter.
About the Illustrator
Emily Gedzyk is a world traveler who draws her artistic inspiration from the places she’s visited and the people in her life. She hopes to continue her journeys to new, exciting places and to teach everyone she meets that it’s never too early or too late to go out into the world on their own adventures. Her work can be found in our kids yoga books, Sophia’s Jungle Adventure, Luke’s Beach Day, and The ABC’s of Australian Animals.
