Strawberry-haired Andrea is obsessed with Pilates—so much so, she decides to share it with her animal friends in the forest one day, advertising her own special class for them; all they need is a “water bottle and GREAT attitude.” But when no animals show up, Andrea, who’s understandably disappointed, opts to do a round of Pilates on her own, a decision that yields her some pretty awesome results. Before she knows it, her exercising catches the attention of the eyes in the forest around her, and she’s joined by a parade of zippy forest animals, each one curious about Andrea’s larking about.

Chevallier delivers just the right amount of silly fun in this delightful story, and young readers will be enchanted by the animals’ antics. When Raccoon shows up and Andrea tries to teach him the bird-dog pose, he’s skeptical—"Bird-dog? There is no such animal” he says, vowing that Pilates is not for him. But Andrea sees his uncertainty as an opportunity and swiftly jumps in with a new move, encouraging Raccoon to just “sit and play with a balloon” after assuring him “it’s not Pilates.” That tactic pays off for Andrea with every animal that heads her way, all of whom are convinced Pilates is dreary and dull until Andrea shows them how to find joy in movements related to their everyday environment: Rabbit draws a carrot in the air with his toe, Hedgehog rolls into a ball, and Squirrel flaps his arms while counting acorns.

Stefana Argirova’s earthy, energetic illustrations capture Andrea and her cadre of friends in a variety of exercise positions—all Pilates moves cleverly disguised—that kids will love exploring with their adult readers. For added fun, Chevallier includes a list of Pilates poses, with step-by-step instructions and an entertaining animal illustrating each stance, at the end.

Takeaway: Darling introduction to Pilates moves for young readers.

Comparable Titles: Christopher Willard and Daniel Rechtschaffen’s Alphabreaths, Julia Zheng’s When Animals Exercise.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A