The Happiest Tree: A Yoga Story by Uma Krishnaswami

Illustrated by Ruth Jeyaveeran.32 p., Lee & Low, 2005. When you knock things over without meaning to, and it's hard to stay still, it's hard to feel self-confident. Such is the case for Meena, who feels that she can't act in her class play because she's too clumsy and distracted. When her teacher won't take no for an answer, she reluctantly accepts the part of a tree. But even this is hard for her. She stumbles and trips. Although her parents, teacher, and Auntie (the friendly storekeeper at the Indian grocery) are all accepting and reassuring, Meena feels terrible. While at the store, though, Meena discovers a yoga class for kids. Her immediate reaction is that she can't do yoga because she's too clumsy. But Auntie encourages her to try. Although yoga is challenging for her, Meena learns to use her breathing to find stillness, and finds that her worries dissipate, too. She discovers that "If I am quiet inside, my body will be still." At the class play, despite making a clumsy entrance, Meena is able to recover by using yoga breathing, and in the process, discovers her self-confidence. The story is illustrated with acrylic paintings that are both gentle and colorful, and show facial expressions that convey nuances of emotion clearly. Children will feel encouraged by Meena's success, and may even want to try yoga. Ages 6-10