In this story, a young girl gets over her stage fright and fear of being clumsy by taking a yoga class. she using what she learns in yoga class to calm her nerves before a performance in her school play. Lots of good vocabulary words, including words iand expression in a foreign language. ( )

Meena was having a trouble in her drama class portraying a tree, so her aunt took her to yoga class, making meenas otrayal of a tree good. showing hard work pays off. ( )

Meena is a clumsy young girl who is very shy about being involved in the school play. Her part in the play is a tree, which has to move a certain way and be still, which is very hard for Meena. While shopping with her mother she sees a yoga class in session. She decides to take the yoga class and it allows her to gain confidence.
I love this book and I think every child should read a book about confidence. Mainly because the lesson is over having confidence in yourself and many kids only receive positive remarks at school.
In the classroom, I would discuss what self-confidence is and how it is very important to have self-confidence. Also, we will play a game that builds confidence such as taking turns giving each other compliments.

An encouraging story that will help kids overcome some of the inadequacy they may feel as they grow up.
At the back is more information and illustrations on the different yoga poses mentioned in the story. A few enough for kids to feel comfortable doing them. ( )

Eight year-old Meena feels like a klutz. At school her class is getting ready to do a play. Meena spills paint on the set and sees the embarrassing moment as a sign she shouldn’t be on stage. But her teacher still wants her to play a tree. Then, on a trip to the Indian grocery store with her mother, Meena sees people practicing yoga in a room in the back. She starts taking yoga classes thinking it will fix her problem, but she still feels awkward. But with continued practice she connects with moments of feeling stronger and more graceful. By remembering to breathe and be rooted, Meena gets through the school play, despite a surprise along the way.

Jeyaveeran’s acrylic paintings are well suited to the text and provide a fun, accessible counterpoint. The yoga postures and their affect on Meena’s ability to feel confident and focused are expressed well through the images. In addition to the yoga classes, other details of Meena’s life as an American of South Asian descent are also included, as is a glossary.

Over the second half of the twentieth century Yoga – both the physical skills and its spiritual tenets- have become massively popular in the United States. But for children of Indian descent starting a yoga practice may offer something more. Rathi Raja, founder of an Indian cultural group for children in Long Island said of the group in a 2002 New York Times “Culture has to be communicated, it has to be lived, it has to be taught. Only then can the next generation take it on.'' As in Meena’s community, Great Neck, New York has a significant South Asian cultural presence. But actually learning about Indian culture in a more formal setting as part of a group has a powerful impact:

''More important than the facts is that the kids have a community,'' Mrs. Raja said. ''The kids meet each other. They do something together.''

Neel Chugh, 16, of Manhasset Hills has been coming to the Saturday school for eight years. Initially, his mother, Nalini, had to bribe him with lunch at Wendy's or McDonald's before she dropped him off. Now he looks forward to Mrs. Raja's Vedic heritage class.

''Through the course of the week, we only partake in American culture,'' Neel said.

Although Meena’s story focuses primarily on how the lessons of yoga help her in her daily life, it is made implicit that the cultural connection to her familial and ethnic history are a source of additional strength and value. A simple trip to the Indian grocery story connects Meena to the larger Indian community, to Indian tradition and ultimately to herself and her own sense of balance.

This is a good book about creativity and self-esteem to share with any young readers who enjoy school stories or light realistic fiction. However it may have additional uses, particularly at libraries such as mine that sometimes offer yoga workshops for kids. This would be a welcome addition to book displays on yoga for all ages, along with Itsy Bitsy Yoga materials and Babar’s Yoga for Elephants. Books like Storytime Yoga: Teaching Yoga to Children Through Story by Sydney Solis could be helpful for integrating yoga stretches into story times or other programs. Excerpts or a slideshow from the book could provide a quick introduction to the benefits of yoga before a presenter begins a library program on yoga for adults. The evolution of library programming from strictly book-related and literary events to a broader spectrum of cultural and practical programs has been a slow one, and is still not without its ideological opponents. Our customers have come to expect us to offer presentations that enhance their lives and that they might otherwise not know about or be able to afford. Tying the programs back to library materials such as these shows our customers that we provide both experiential and print resources. The well-stocked, culturally-aware and innovative library can be their partner if they, like Meena, wish to grow by learning something new.

Fischler, Marcelle S. “All-American as Yoga, Children Get Instruction in Indian Roots.” New York Times. February 22, 2004. Web. February 28, 2010.

Krishnaswami, Uma. The Happiest Tree: A Yoga Story. Illus. by Ruth Jeyaveeran. New York: Lee and Low, 2005. Print. ( )