About the Book
Title: Good Night, Animal World: A Kids Yoga Bedtime Story | Author: Giselle Shardlow | Illustrator: Emily Gedzyk | Publication Date: September 20, 2013 | Publisher: Company: Kids Yoga Stories LLC | Pages: 32 | Recommended Ages: 2.5 to 6 years
Summary: Say good night to the animals of the world! Calm your mind and body before bedtime by taking a journey around the world with this kids yoga storybook. Join six Kids Yoga Stories characters as you perch like a bald eagle, crouch like a tiger, and curl up like a sloth. The book includes a list of Kids Yoga Poses and a Parent Guide with tips on creating a successful bedtime experience. Learn something new, explore movement, and unwind together before bedtime!
Review
I cannot tell you how excited I was when I received Good Night, Animal World: A Kids Yoga Bedtime Story in the mail a little over a month ago. Since receiving the book, the pages have become worn and bent, and the story has become part of our nightly routine. The story has six yoga kids that show a variety of calming yoga poses inspired by animals around the world. As you travel around the world with the yoga kids, the poses become increasingly more calming, encouraging the child to settle down before bed.The book itself is laid out masterfully to engage both the parent in the instruction of the yoga and for the child to follow along. The book begins with a letter introducing the book and suggestions on how to make the process of moving and reading enjoyable. The six yoga kids make their introductions, sharing the city and country of their origin. Then, as the story unfolds, each page introduces a beautifully illustrated picture of a new animal, a sentence explaining the movement of the animal, and a child showing the movement in the form of a yoga pose. At the end of the book there is a map of the world with the animals positioned in countries where they can be found and a wonderful list of the yoga poses. Finally, there is a wonderful guide that shares suggestions on creating a calming environment through yoga and other practices before bed.
It was completely serendipitous that I received this book just as our nightly book reading routine with my toddler had dissolved from snuggling on the rocking chair and reading, to a wild thing refusing to settle before bed. At 22 months, Little Jo is eager to get as much movement out of her little body and spend the absolute minimum amount of time sitting still. From the day we received the book and every day since (including before nap times on the weekends), we have started out bedtime routine with this book. I have noticed how in the beginning, she would hold each post for a second or two, whereas now she can maintain the poses for much longer. She has also grown stronger. In the beginning, she used to have to rest her head on the floor when she would do the downward dog post; however just tonight I noticed that she sturdily held her head up off the ground, even while giggling with her older sister.Not only is the book fantastic, but Giselle Shardlow's website for the series of books is a invaluable resource for incorporating yoga into other activities and reading. I especially love this article that suggests poses to do along with the Bill Martin books such as Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See?
Not only has incorporating yoga into our nightly routine helped my wild monkey toddler, it has also helped my oldest daughter, who at seven years old very often tells me that she cannot shut her brain off when it is time for bed. I highly recommend not only the book, but please check out http://www.kidsyogastories.com/, as well for a complete series of yoga books for kids.
I was so thrilled with the positive effect the book had on our bedtime routine that I lent the book to my friend to try. Here are some adorable picture only friend my the poses with her son.
Want to see more? Check out this awesome book trailer:
If you would like to purchase the book:
There is a coupon code available during this awesome Book Tour which will provide a discount of 20% off the current sale prices on all of the Kids Yoga Stories books. Here is the link to the website:http://www.kidsyogastories.
To apply the coupon code, you simply enter "marchtour" before you checkout and you will receive 20% off the cart value. The coupon expires on 04/01/14. Note that the 20% off will be on top of the current sale prices.
The Buzz
"This book has been so amazing for my 2.5 year old daughter! The illustrations are adorable! She is always so rambunctious at bedtime and this lets her get out some of that excess energy. She loves the book so much that this has been one we read every night. It helps my daughter fall asleep faster which means more time for mom in the evenings." ~ 5 Star Review, cwalt047, Amazon
"Another GREAT book!! I used this book for my kids yoga classes for ages 2-5 years old. After a very active yoga class, we read this book and did the yoga poses before the resting portion of the class. My little yogis loved the pictures and saying Good Night to all of the animals one by one. I played a calming song with some animal noises in the background and we were then able to quiet our minds and bodies for the pose of rest. I think this will become a regular pre-resting story for my classes with this age group. My 5 year old son loves to read this book again and again too! Keep the great books coming!" ~ 5 Star Review, Stacy Daniels - Kids Yoga Teacher, Amazon
"What a delightful book to get young children reading and moving in a wind-down, calming story about saying goodnight to the animals of the world. I am a k-12 Reading Certified teacher who blogs about parenting at The Educator's Spin On It. I am big fan of literacy activities that combine movement and geography in a loving parent / child interaction experience and Good night, Animal World does just that. This book would be a great addition to your book shelf." ~ 5 Star Review, Amanda at The Educators' Spin On It, Amazon
About the Author: Giselle Shardlow
Giselle Shardlow is the author of Kids Yoga Stories. Her yoga-inspired children’s books get children moving, learning, and having fun. Giselle draws from her experiences as a teacher, traveler, yogi, and mom to write the stories found at www.kidsyogastories.com or on Amazon (amazon.com/author/giselleshardlow) worldwide.
Book Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Google+
Good Night, Animal World Blog Tour Schedule (2014)
March 10March 11
March 12
March 13
March 14
March 15
March 16
March 17
March 18
March 19
March 20
March 21
March 22
March 23
* $25 Blog Tour Giveaway *
Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice)
Contest ends: April 8, 11:59 pm, 2014
Open: Internationally
How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Giselle Shardlow and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
What a lovely review! Thanks so much and your kiddos are so adorable doing those yoga poses. I'm so glad that you have been able to incorporate the book into your bedtime routine. I'm sure the author will be over the moon when she sees your post! Thanks so much for participating in the Good Night Animal World Blog Tour.
ReplyDeleteThanks Renee. We do really love this book. Thanks for letting us join the blog tour.
DeleteAwww!!! Your little girl is very adorable doing those yoga poses!
ReplyDeleteThanks! And I love the suggestions that you have on your post for this book. Can't wait to try them.
DeleteJenny - you are AMAZING! As Renee says, I'm over the moon with your review. There is nothing more rewarding than when readers "get" the intention of the book. You have made my day. I love the pictures of your daughter doing the poses and I'm honored that the yoga bedtime book is a part of your nightly ritual. My spirited 2-year-old responds super well to yoga before bedtime too. Wish they could both meet! Thank you so much. Any time you'd like to review a Kids Yoga Stories book, just give me a shout. xx
ReplyDeleteThanks Giselle. I should be the one thanking you. We love the book, and I would be thrilled to review any of your other books. They are perfect for wild )ahem- Spirited) 2-year-olds.
DeleteLove it! It's been fun to publish the yoga books just in time for reading with our spunky-spirited toddler. We are on the same page - haha!
Delete