Exercising for Good Health

Children's Literature

From soccer to yoga to hula hoops, finding an exercise you like can help keep you healthy. Basics on how and why exercise is important to short-term and long-term health are discussed. Though much is directed to what happens to adults when they don't exercise or eat right, the discussion also includes the importance for children. The author does an excellent job of making exercise seem more like play and less like work. Just getting out there and moving is what the body needs. The right amount of terms are introduced for this age level. However, medical conditions such as diabetes, stroke and heart disease are mentioned a few times as key reasons to exercise, but never defined. A reader unaware of these definitions might miss the whole purpose of exercising. A short list of question-and-answers and fact list provide additional information. The text sometimes takes on a motherly, lecturing tone. The layout is easy-on-the-eye. The book includes many interesting colorful photographs of younger children of various ethnicities. Though the publisher suggests this book is for students as old as 13, the language level, tone and the photographs (representing mostly younger children) may not appeal to 12- and 13-year-olds. This book would be helpful for student reports or for teachers or parents introducing health topics. Part of the "Living Well Series." 2004, The Child's World, Ages 8 to 13.
— Ruth Buchholz

Library Journal

Gr 2-4-Acceptable introductory treatments. Eating focuses on the food pyramid, explaining good nutrition and its effect on health, with the role of vitamins highlighted. Exercising explains strength, flexibility, and endurance, and encourages daily activity to promote well-being, avoid obesity, and deal with stress. Some basic nutrition is included. Mental Health introduces the role of the brain in emotions and looks specifically at worry and stress. Overall physical health is pinpointed as key to enjoying good mental health, and the roles of proper nutrition and adequate physical activity are emphasized. Each book kicks off with a vignette. WNBA player Nikki McCray is featured in Exercising; the stories in the other titles appear to be fictitious. Bright, bold photographs appear throughout, and the captions are generally informative. A couple of exceptions mar Eating. For example, the caption for photos of movie-theater popcorn and jelly beans reads, "Pay attention to the serving size. Instead of a big bag of popcorn, choose a handful of jelly beans!" Whether a big dose of sugar is really a better nutritional choice than fat and salt is debatable. Jillian Powell's Exercise and Your Health (Raintree, 1998) includes more specific information. Janan Cain's The Way I Feel (Parenting, 2000) is an inviting picture book that helps children to accept what they are feeling as normal. Loreen Leedy's The Edible Pyramid (Holiday, 1994) takes a witty narrative approach.-Joyce Adams Burner, Hillcrest Library, Prairie Village, KS Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.