Goldeen, Ruth. Alef-Bet Yoga for Kids. Photos by Bill Goldeen. Minneapolis: Kar-Ben Publishing, 2009. 32 p. $15.95 (Hc), $7.95 (Pbk). ISBN 978-0-8225-8756-9 (Hc), 978-0-7613-4506-0 (Pbk). Ages 3 to 8.

            The husband-and-wife team of Ruth and Bill Goldeen has created a kid-friendly guide to the Hebrew alphabet. They illustrate modified yoga poses whereby children can learn the letters in a fun-filled and practical way. This book will appeal to kids who learn kinesthetically, as well as those who learn visually.

            The design is eye-catching. Each Hebrew letter has a complete page to itself. The name and shape of the letter is printed in a large font somewhere on the page. A full-page shape of the letter is shown against a brightly-colored background. And on top of the letter, a child is photographed in a yoga pose.

            Two useful features are at the back of the book: (1) A summary of the shape of the letters with their yoga poses—this time, reading from right to left, and (2) a glossary titled Alef-Bet Yoga Poses. The glossary describes the Hebrew letter, the yoga pose, its health benefits, and even the images a teacher can use to help a child achieve the pose. For example, in “lamed” the child sits on a “make-believe chair” while reaching for the sky.

            In a primary Hebrew school class, the alef-bet poses can be used to spell out a child’s name or the names of simple objects. In a yoga class for children, these letters will add another dimension of meaning to the poses. A bibliography would have been helpful for people who wish to go beyond this book. A good resource for teachers is Torah Yoga by Diane Bloomfield (Wiley, 2004); for kids, Yoga Bear: Yoga for Youngsters by Karen Pierce (Northwood, 2004).

Here’s a Hebrew alphabet book that is attractive and good for you, too.