Yoga Baby

Before having her twins, author Amy Hovey worked as a Yoga instructor, and her passion, awareness and love of yoga practice is evident in her first book, Yoga Baby. In this playful board book, the natural shapes of baby and toddler movement are eloquently captured. The text follows a spirited rhyming pattern creating a charming read-aloud for young children and caregivers alike.

Each baby pose name is displayed in large, uppercase, vibrantly coloured print. Each of the poses is actually found in yoga practice. This creates a feeling of respect for the innate and incredible abilities little ones have, despite rarely being recognized for them by the adult word.
The book follows a yoga sequence, starting with a photograph of a baby reaching to the sky, clearly taking a deep yoga breath and ending in the peaceful solitude of a baby savoring Savasana. The text on each page is printed within a unique circular graphic, perhaps symbolic of each yoga pose coming from the deepest center of a person’s mind, body and spirit.

The culturally diverse photographic artwork is captivating and lighthearted. For example, a newborn smiles in her sleep relaxed over loving arms, a baby stretches into downward dog atop a calm pup, an upside-down toddler makes a silly face. Each page celebrates the beautiful strength, elegance and peace found within each human body, big or very small!

Babies or toddlers may very well see themselves in the movement and spontaneity of the little ones depicted throughout, or at least adore seeing their young peers surprise them with a new pose on each page. The text and photographs work together in Yoga Baby to create a delightful experience and perhaps even set the stage for our little ones to practice mindfulness and self-care throughout life.