Butterflies be gone! Yoga theraphy for fear and anxiety by Loraine Rushton & Adele Vinvent. Illus. by Andrew McIntosh

Parents, carers and teachers who know or work with children who suffer from anxiety or heightened behaviour, will find this beautifully illustrated new release, Butterflies Be Gone: Yoga Therapy for Fear and Anxiety, a welcome addition to their toolbox of strategies used for support. Beginning with an important introduction to Yoga Therapy, this book then covers simple exercises to explain breathing, relaxation, movement and meditation through an engaging story.

Young Jesse finds school noisy and busy and struggles to get up as he has butterflies in his tummy. He breathes through a series of simple exercises to overcome the worries creeping into his thoughts. Through a gentle story he travels to an imaginary place to help ease his anxiety. Finally, he feels able to face the day.

The authors have cleverly interwoven each movement into the story and the illustrator has skilfully shown the reader how they can be done by reflecting Jesse’s body in a different pose from the main image. The colours used throughout reflect the calmness of the story, with Jesse’s character being the main focus, and other images soft and muted.

In the final pages, all of the yoga movements shared in the book are listed and step-by-step instructions with diagrams are given. A very worthwhile resource for a home, school, or public library.

Themes: Fear, Anxiety, Yoga Therapy Movement, Breathing, Exercises, Family.

Kathryn Beilby