Books cover healthful activities for kids
By Jolie Jean Cotton
Special to The Advertiser
More than 15 percent of Americans ages 6 to 19 are overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Author Lizzy Rockwell writes, "The number of seriously overweight children in the United States has tripled in the past 20 years." This month we found three fun primers that could help reverse the trend:
"Wai Lana's Little Yogis: Fun and Healthy Yoga," Wai Lana Productions, $14.95, ages 3 to 8
Wai Lana has had success with yoga video instruction for adults, but now she turns her attention to youngsters. Shot at O'ahu's Ko Olina Resort, the exercises start with lying on your back, relaxing, and focusing on your breathing. Children are asked to imagine their belly to be a balloon, filling up and releasing air.
After the warm-up comes the "Butterfly." Feet together, bouncing your knees, imagine you are a butterfly, fluttering from flower to flower. The "Tree" requires balancing on one leg — not easy for some, as evidenced in our own living room and among the children in the video. Wai Lana recommends leaning against a wall for support. Meantime, she shares a thought to consider:
"Think of how tolerant a tree must be. Birds nest in it, animals scratch against its bark, children sometimes play in tree houses built between their branches. We should strive to be as tolerant as a tree."
Animated characters and brief cheerful songs kick off each of the exercises, about 10 in all. By the end of the 30-minute program children and adults will feel peaceful and relaxed. A wonderful option for settling the mind and body before bedtime.
"THE BUSY BODY BOOK: A KID'S GUIDE TO FITNESS" By Lizzy Rockwell; Crown Publishers, $15.95, ages 5 to 8
A great picture book is like good soup. It mixes the best ingredients (art, text, design) and results in a complete package that nourishes and satisfies. Author/illustrator Lizzy Rockwell cooks up a winner in this ode to fitness for preschoolers.
Rockwell does a terrific job of connecting the joy of exercise with details about the human body and how it works. Bright illustrations feature children of all ethnicities roller blading, bouncing, stretching, cycling, rowing boats and windsurfing. These images are interspersed with diagrams of skeletons, muscles, and the heart, blood vessels, brain and nerves. The design is simple and enticing.
The text is lean and brimming with scientific facts: "Inside your skull sits your incredible brain. Your brain controls every move you make and thinks your thoughts. It gets information about the world from your five senses. Then it tells your muscles what to do and how to move. Messages travel back and forth, at lightning speed, along wire-thin fibers called nerves."
A "Getting Busy!" section at the end of the book offers suggestions for activities that keep your body busy, healthy and strong. Parents and teachers will enjoy this unique and helpful resource.
"BE HEALTHY! IT'S A GIRL THING: FOOD, FITNESS AND FEELING GREAT," Mavis Jukes and Lilian Cheung, Debra Ziss, illustrator; Crown Publishers, $12.95, ages 10 to 13
A general health resource for adolescent girls, this peppy little paperback uses "The Cactus Plan" (much resembling the food pyramid) to explain the importance of good nutrition. It covers areas of physical activity, self-image and appearance.
Girls are encouraged to think about the choices they make and to be aware that food choices are influenced by TV commercials, friends and family, vending machines and school cafeterias. There's also a discussion on what it means to become a vegetarian. Girls should find these pages inspiring.
