Fall Favorites: Picture books we love at #yy4k

As you probably already know, at the core of the yogees curriculum is our love for literacy and children's literature. We use picture books in most of our classes.... even sometimes in our highschool offerings! Kids love books, and we find that centering our classes around books that relate to the season, world events, holidays, and the ethical teachings of yoga (called the Yamas & Niyamas) is a great way to engage children of all ages in our classes. This fall, some of our favorites relate to gratitude, Halloween, and the Jewish high holidays.

We will be sharing these books with our classes this fall and you can share them at home, too!

Taylor's Picks

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves

A twist on the original old lady nursery rhyme, this book has a famer eating leaves, a shirt, a pumpkin and more until she finally sneezes out a scarecrow at the end. We love how this book teaches memory tricks, is repetitious, and allows us to create a little vinyasa flow in our classes by adding new poses and repeating them in order. The falling leaves and scarecrow theme fit well into the fall season.

The Peace Book

Perfect for any time of year, but especially during Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashannah, this classic by Todd Parr teaches children numerous ways to spread peace in their lives. A little kindness, a little love, a little forethought and care can start a ripple of peace that will spread out into the world. This boldly illustrated book is a great one to teach about the yamas & niyamas, as well.

We're Going on a Bear Hunt

Another classic by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury, this cute story follows a family on a bear hunt through nature where they finally find a bear starting hibernation. Full of movement in the illustrations, it is so fun to move quickly through all of the poses used during the book to make a flow at the end of the book, like There Was an Old Lady, above. The descriptive language and beautiful illustrations make this a favorite amongst our teaching staff.

The Thankful Book

Another by yogees favorite, Todd Parr., The Thankful Book lists all of the wonderful things, big and small, that each of us has to be thankful for in this life. It is a wonderful tie-in to both the Jewish holidays and Thanksgiving, with reminders that we, all of us, have so much to be grateful for. Mr. Parr's thoughtful words and bold illustrations make this a wonderful book to teach about the yogic principle, santosha, or contentment, as well.