Children's Fiction Self-esteem & Self-reliance
The Happiest Tree
A Yoga Story
- Publisher
- Lee & Low Books
- Initial publish date
- Aug 2009
- Category
- Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance
- Recommended Age
- 7 to 8
- Recommended Grade
- 2 to 3
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9781600603600
- Publish Date
- Aug 2009
- List Price
- $14.95
Classroom Resources
Where to buy it
Description
Meena is excited about the class play, a new and improved version of Red Riding Hood. But when she learns that she must play one of the trees in the forest, Meena's excitement vanishes. She is just too clumsy to be a quiet, steady tree.
One day at the Indian grocery store, Meena sees a yoga class in progress, and the store owner convinces her to try the children's class. Little does Meena know she is about to find a way to grow from the inside out, just like a tree, and move beyond her feelings of clumsiness and frustration.
The Happiest Tree is a gentle and empowering story of a young girl's road to self-confidence. It is sure to spark interest in yoga, and provide comfort to all children as they struggle to overcome the everyday obstacles to growing up.
About the authors
Uma Krishnaswami's inspiration for this book came from her memory of planting a mango seed as a child and seeing it grow into a tree, and also from a news story about people who planted trees in potholes. She has written many children's books, from picture books to middle grade readers to retellings of classic tales and myths, including Bringing Asha Home (CCBC Choices), The Happiest Tree (Paterson Prize finalist, CCBC Choices, Bank Street College Best Books), Naming Maya (IRA Notable Books for a Global Society) and Chachaji's Cup (Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, Bank Street College Best Books). Her latest middle grade novel, The Grand Plan to Fix Everything, published by Atheneum, received starred reviews in Kirkus and School Library Journal. She teaches at Vermont College of Fine Arts in the MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults and is an active blogger. Uma was born in New Delhi, India, and now lives in Aztec, New Mexico.
Uma Krishnaswami's profile page
Ruth Jeyaveeran is the author and illustrator of The Road to Mumbai, praised by School Library Journal as a "lively romp across India." Much of Jeyaveeran's fine art and illustration work is inspired by her South Asian heritage, so she felt an immediate connection to this story. Jeyaveeran lives in Brooklyn, New York.
