Review: Hello, Bali:A Kids Yoga Island Adventure Book by Giselle Shardlow/ Illustrated by Emily Gedzyk

Summary:
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.

My review:

This is the second yoga book from this author, for kids, that I have had the pleasure of reading.
With this book as with her other books, you meet kids that take the reader on an adventure. This time it is Anamika who is from India.

With each page turn there are a few words and very bold colorful pictures. In a circle located on the right lower side the reader finds  Anamika who is demonstrating a yoga position for kids to follow. This of course relates to the words that have been read on each page. Key words bolded in dark letters match these yoga poses.

I really love how this book as well as her entire series of books encourages kids to do things in a three-fold manner. That is read, exercise, and imagine. In the case of this book, they get to "travel" to somewhere they may never have been.

A nice addition that Ms. Shardlow has in her books is the parent-teacher guide in the back of her books. She re-lists all of the keywords along with the name of the pose and a demonstration of the pose.

A fun thing I loved most about this book was that Ms. Shardlow also included the numbers as well as phrases in English with Indonesian translation. For example: the number 10 is pronounced as Sepuluh.

This book is targeted for 2-5 year olds which is spot on because of the simplicity of the words and poses.

5 stars!  Sampai jumpa.Terima kasih. (Translation: See you later. Thank you.)
~Naila Moon

Disclosure: I received this book in exchange for my open and honest review. The review here is 100% my own opinions and may differ from yours.

Where you can find the author:

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Blog Tour/Review/Giveaway: Good Night, Animal World by Giselle Shardlow

 

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!

My Review:
I was asked to do a video review for this blog tour which you can find below. (Please forgive any shakiness in the video as my 75 year old Mother was holding the camera and it was windly. She also appears in the video!) 
Overall, I felt this was a cute book but I did not think it was for the age recommended. I think under age 3 was more suited due to the scarcity of words which were quite repetitive. For older ages, I thought there needed to be much more words and possible more interaction.

I did however think the illustrations and the information for parents in the back of the book were top notch! In spite of those things, I still give the book 4 stars because of the aforementioned illustrations and informational guide.

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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.    

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* $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. Naila Moon of Once Upon A Time received a review copy from the author but is not responsible for the giveaway.

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