DINOS DON’T DO YOGA, written by Catherine Bailey and illustrated by Alex Willmore is such a fun way to introduce yoga to little ones. We love yoga in my house and my little girl found this book hilarious! It is perfect for the prime picture book age 3-7 years old. The theme of dinosaurs also helps encourage boys to pick up the book and introduce them to a great range of yoga skills which will help them in life going forward.

The story centres around Rex, the talon-tearing tough leader of a Cretaceous crew. Rex loves to fight. he is rough and tough and a strong voice among the other dinosaurs. When Sam the yoga-saurus comes to town Rex both ridicules and rejects him. But his bullying tactics are beautifully ignored by Sam and they wash over him as he calmly continues to do what he loves and be who he is. A wonderful subtle lesson for children to ignore derision and trust in your self.

As the story progresses, we learn there is more to Rex’s anger than simply being mean. Rex’s struggles are identified in a gentle way and the story concludes with a delightful acceptance of Sam, his yoga moves and the power of being yourself!

The language is full of alliterative tongue twisters, which make it a fun read aloud. Rhymes pop up every now and again, adding colour, and the tone is full of humour and dynamic characters. The sentences are short, punchy and to the point. The storyline is neat and clean with a strong arc and the page turns are simply perfect. It has great pace and weaves yoga terms and poses in seamlessly throughout the story without any need for explanation. 

The story message of staying true to oneself and being brave in the face of bullies is clear but not didactic. It is a well-written picture book with a great message for any preschooler or early years pupil. 

The illustrations are bold, bright, simple and very funny – they complement the text well. It is bursting with character and comic timing. Whether you are a yoga expert or not, this book is such fun and I highly recommend it!