Yoga books for kids that will make moving fun
Books about yoga may sound like they’re meant for adults, but they’re actually great for kids too. Not only do they encourage literacy in mind and body, but kids can also learn common yoga poses in easy-to-understand languages accompanied by soothing stories. I’ve reviewed some yoga books geared specifically for the youngest yogis, ages approximately 0-3, and these are three of my family’s favourites.
Good Morning Yoga and Good Night Yoga by Mariam Gates
About the author
Emily Gold is a yoga therapist and teacher, doula, and public health specialist. She is currently living abroad, in Brussels, Belgium.
These were the first yoga books we received in my household, and my son loved them from the start. Good Night Yoga was a particular favorite, and from a very young age he loved to copy the poses, especially tree pose. Both books have many ways to keep kids engaged. The rhyming creates a steady tempo while the pictures are engaging and include a hidden animal (bird and cat respectively) on each page. The end of the book also includes a guide to all the poses, which is great for more active kids who want to move more after reading. The board-book version is probably more beneficial for young readers (judging by the rips in my paper version of Good Morning Yoga), but the paper version includes a bit more guidance and breath throughout the story. The drawings show a diverse group of children, which we appreciate.
I am Yoga by Susan Verde
Another beautiful board book for the younger set. The illustrations are a bit more minimalist, which fits a calming yoga esthetic, though it may be a bit less engaging for younger kids. This book has wonderful messages of practicing yoga to feel and share peace, focus, and confidence. It also notes that it’s possible to have enough and take time to just rest. Personally I don’t enjoy the line “I tell my thinking mind, ‘be quiet’” as it sets an unreasonable expectation for kids to just be able to shut their thoughts off, but the rest of the book balances this with a beautiful depiction of yoga. If you have children who already like practicing yoga and may be missing it, this would be a great addition to the library.
ABC Yoga by Christiane Engel
This book has an animal and an accompanying yoga pose for each letter of the alphabet. It is a beautiful book that opens with a note to kids to copy the poses as they go through without worrying if they get them just right. Yoga purists probably won’t like that most poses are renamed to match the names of animals, but there’s a list at the end of the book with the proper names. The playful illustrations and rhyming pattern add a wonderful energy to this book. Even when my son tells me he doesn’t want to do the poses, with this book he always joins in with the drawings of smiling animals and kids. The added ABC component is great for pre-readers, making this book still beneficial for slightly older kids.
Read more about yoga for kids:
6 mood-boosting yoga poses you can do with kids
