Tai Chi for Kids: Move With the Animals : Eight Simple Tai Chi Movements Parents Can Teach Their Children for Health, Imagination, and Play

Rating:
Summary: Nice pictures but no prize
Review: I bought this book hoping to find some concrete suggestions for leading my kids into the wealth of experience that tai chi offers. Having read two other books by Mr. Olson, I felt confident that the book would be helpful. The book begins with some simple pedagogical tenets, a few typical comments on violence in our society, a short child's version of the apocryphal Chang San Feng story and an invitation to the child reading (or the parent reading to the child)to learn the movements described in this book. This is all nicely done but hardly new or really informative. After this the book simply show's the young Olson performing the movement and describes each movement step by step. The same reservations must apply to the validity and applicability of this kind of "book instruction" as do to the numerous "learn tai chi at home" books aimed at adults. In all fairness, the quality of this hardcover book is good, the photos are nice and the pictures drawn by Gregory Crawford are quite precious, but these alone do not justify the price. The jacket tells us that the book is designed for "children and parents to use together or for independent learning by older children". I don't feel the book can be used successfully by either group if they have no knowledge of tai chi; and for those parents who already practice tai chi, the book has little to offer in the way of guidance.

Rating:
Summary: A unique and enthusiastically recommended title
Review: Stuart Olson's Tai Chi For Kids: Move With The Animals introduces young readers ages 4 to 8 to one of the ancient popular Chinese form of exercise. Eight simple but elegant Tai Chi movements are showcased and are simple enough that parents or caregivers can easily teach a child to perform. The illustrated presentations are particularly imaginative as they draw upon the mimicry and symbolism of animals and animal movements. The exercises include: Holding the Bird's Tail; Snake Slithering Down; White Crane Cools Its Wings; Carry the Tiger Back to the Moutnain; Dragon Plays in the Clouds; Wild Goose Flies Away; Chasing the Monkeys Away; and Gold Roosster Stands on One Leg. Tai Chi For Kids is a unique and enthusiastically recommended title for any family, school, or library collection.