About the Holiday

The idea for an International Day of Yoga came from India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014 during a speech to the United Nations General Assembly. The proposal was met with enthusiastic support, and June 21—the Summer Solstice—was chosen as the official date. On the first International Day of Yoga in 2015, nearly 36,000 people from around the world, including world leaders, gathered in New Delhi and performed twenty-one asanas for thirty-five minutes. Since then the day has been celebrated across the globe. In 2018 more than 100,000 people participated. This year, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the theme of the holiday is “Yoga for Health – Yoga at Home.” With its emphasis on connecting the mind, body, and spirit, yoga provides an excellent way to exercise while relieving the stress of the day – something we can all use this year. To watch or participate in this year’s virtual event, visit the United Nation’s International Day of Yoga page.

Yoga Baby

Written by Amanda Flinn | Illustrated by Shane Crampton

Mom, sporting a pretty wild bedhead hairdo, wakes her baby, whose own rakish ‘do is topped with a small fountain tuft. In the living room, Mama, rolls out her yoga mat as a water bottle sits nearby. Her baby, sitting on her own blanket and ready with a sippy cup, claps her hands eagerly. The baby watches her mom and from her sitting position follows along as best she can: “Yoga mama, reach up high. / Yoga baby, touch the sky.”

When Yoga mama poses in Steady Tree, Baby gets up “on one knee.” For this enthusiastic baby, though, her mom’s yoga routine turns into a time for play, tickles, and giggles. After a hair yank during Mama’s push up plank and a bit of tumbling during her downward dog, however, Baby finishes up strong: “Yoga mama, shoulder stand. / Yoga baby, feet in hand.” Cool down is as sweet it gets as Baby’s eyes grow tired and she and Mom enjoy a snuggly nap.

An Author’s Note giving simple tips for practicing yoga with little ones follows the story.

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Image copyright Shane Crampton, 2020, text copyright Amanda Flinn, 2020. Courtesy of Beaming Books.

Moms, dads, and kids—whether they do yoga or not (yet!)—will fall in love with this awe-dorable, pitch-perfect board book. In her charming rhyming couplets, Amanda Flinn captures the “me too!” baby-and-mom dynamic that makes doing activities with little ones so fun and educational. The baby’s attempts to copy her mama’s poses are clever and will have kids and adults laughing—and trying them—together. The cuddly ending will make this book a favorite for loving story times, nap times, bedtimes, or anytime.

Happiness shines from every page in Shane Crampton’s bright illustrations that reflect the enthusiasm and love between Mom and child through their shared gazes, eager smiles, and breaks in the routine for playtime. Crampton clearly depicts Mom’s yoga poses and her baby’s interpretations of them, adding to the humor. Small, homey details, like toys, a guitar, a laundry basket, and proudly displayed drawings by Baby, create a realistic home environment that gives adults and kids more familiar items to name and talk about. Little readers will also giggle at the family cat, who stretches and rolls and wants to join in the fun too.

Sure to be an often-asked-for read, moms, dads, caregivers, and especially kids will want Yoga Baby on their home bookshelves. It also makes an enchanting and mindful read for daycare, preschool, classroom, and public libraries.

Ages Birth – 5

Beaming Books, 2020 | ISBN 978-1506456997

Discover more about Amanda Flinn and her books on her website.

To learn more about Shane Crampton, her books, and her art, visit her website.