Bill Goldeen

PreS-Gr 3— Photographs of children in traditional and modified yoga poses are matched with the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The idea is that "being" the letters in an experiential way will help children learn their aleph-bet (the concept of embodying Hebrew letters was introduced in Steven Rapp's adult book Aleph-Bet Yoga ). A glossary explains the source for each pose and the physical benefits of practicing it. However, no background information is provided about yoga in general. The photos and page backgrounds are colorful but rather static, and the focus is not always crisp. The poses appear easy to accomplish, but the resemblance to their corresponding letters is not always strong. White children and one Asian child are included in the mix. This book would make a useful companion to a children's yoga class, but falls rather flat as a stand-alone, and does not provide enough context to educate readers about either Hebrew or yoga.—Heidi Estrin, Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL… (more)