Meddy Teddy: A Mindful Journey
by Apple Jordan
illustrated by Nicholas Hong
Date: 2018
Publisher: Rodale Kids
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library
Say namaste to Meddy Teddy, a rising star in the yogi world, in his debut picture book!
Media and social media sensation Meddy Teddy is a cuddly, yoga pant-clad, completely poseable plush bear that introduces meditation and mindfulness practices to little yogis. In this first-ever companion book, Meddy encourages readers to try yoga poses as he comes out of hibernation, greets the springtime, and teaches his forest friends how to mindfully get through a variety of situations. On each page, Meddy shows how to execute a pose, including downward-facing dog, tree pose, the Warrior, and more. The youngest yogis, and their families and friends, will rejoice as they master each one, and work up to completing the whole sequence!
Yoga and mindfulness have proven benefits for kids: they help them become aware of their own bodies, and deal with feelings like anxiety, frustration, confusion, fear, and sadness in a healthy way. Meddy Teddy is perfect for introducing kids (and grown ups) of all ages to the practice of yoga.
(synopsis from Goodreads)
I've never actually heard of Meddy Teddy, but apparently he's a social media sensation! It looks like he started out as a stuffed toy that could be positioned into poses to help children learn yoga.
For a book that was likely written to sell merchandise, it's actually pretty good. Although I question how much yoga it's possible to learn from a simple picture book, the book does try. Each pose is shown and named at the bottom of the page, while Meddy is illustrated doing the pose. All of this is framed with a story about a little bear coming out of hibernation and going for a walk. He meets all his friends and helps them out, takes some time to smell the roses (actually, it's violets, but you get the idea), and just generally appreciates the beautiful spring day. It's a gentle, relaxing message, and though I'm not sure if the book can stand on its own without some adult help (or at least video help) to actually learn the yoga poses, it looks like a great introduction to yoga and mindfulness.
The illustrations are pretty cute. I was thrown by the cat on the very first page (it lives with a family of bears who have been hibernating for months; who's been feeding it?) and the selection of friends is a bit odd (they include a beaver and a cobra... which I'm not sure live in the same part of the world), but I think we can suspend disbelief here a little bit to just enjoy the story.
This book is surprisingly good. If you want to know more about Meddy Teddy, check out his website: Meddy Teddy
Quotable moment:
Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 3/5
Enjoyment: 4/5
Overall: 3.67 out of 5
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