Move with the Animals

Stuart Alve Olson

Children love to imitate animals. Channel this natural delight into eight exercises that cover every aspect of vibrant health. Join your younger children in following the imaginative story format, and turn the older ones loose by themselves.

Inspired by his own son's excitement with tai chi at the age of only three, master teacher Stuart Olson appeals to the innate imagination and playfulness of children to teach them the eight basic forms of a tai chi practice. Children have fun imitating animals while guided by colorful and playful illustrations and photographs of Olson's son, Lee, performing each posture. Olson uses the language of a storyteller, wonderful animal metaphors that invite children to pretend, and easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions so that every child can enjoy such exercises as "Chasing the Monkeys Away," and "Riding the Tiger to the Mountain." The book also includes a fun teaching tale of how tai chi first began that can be read out loud by a parent or independently by the older child.

Ages 4-8