Scooter & Me

PreS-Gr 2—In this yoga program that helps develops balance, instructor Wendy Phillips Piret guides a class of eight ethnically diverse boys and girls through a story in which they are involved in actively moving through the adventures. After a brief stretch routine that includes "Head, shoulders, knees, and tails," Piret takes the children down south to the Louisiana Swampland where they meet a little possum with no tail who must learn to balance as he climbs trees, crosses rivers, and avoids alligators. Children become birds catching fish, cypress trees balancing, a boy riding a scooter, and a possum cavorting through the woods as they move through a series of yoga poses. Along the way they learn to employ two "adventure skills." The first is turning "oh, no" into "ah, yes" by relaxing and breathing. The second skill is called "elephant wisdom" and involves giving oneself a gentle ear rub to focus on increasing hearing/listening skills. Piret, an expressive and engaging storyteller, brings humor to her delivery. A soundtrack with chirping crickets, exploding thunder, music, and other sounds enhances the mood. A fun and ingenious approach to getting kids moving.—Constance Dickerson, Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library, OH