Review of "Buzzy Bozza Finds Yoga" by Denise Bozza, Illustrated by Anthony Richichi

Score: 90+/100 (9.0+ out of 10)

Buzzy Bozza Finds Yoga is a curious and fun little children's book by Denise Bozza, a children's yoga teacher and owner of Bozza Yoga Little, a premier children's yoga studio in Allendale, New Jersey!

Buzzy Bozza Finds Yoga follows the titular character, Buzzy Bozza, a lively boy who, along with his friends, wears playful animal costumes in their imaginative world of Flutterville. Buzzy dresses as a dragonfly and is often referred to as a literal "dragonfly" in the book, perhaps emphasizing childlike wonder and imagination.

Always in a rush, Buzzy zips from place to place without ever slowing down—until one day, he spots his friends practicing yoga and meditation in a peaceful lavender field. Curious, he joins them and learns about Pranayama, a deep breathing exercise.

Through this gentle practice, Buzzy discovers the power of stillness, realizing he can now enjoy activities he once found impossible, like fishing and reading quietly in a hammock. Blending whimsical costumes, bright illustrations, and simple mindfulness techniques, the story offers young readers a joyful and encouraging introduction to yoga.

The concept of this book is compelling. We love yoga. We practice it every week (multiple times a week). One of us teaches it (and has for years)!

The main issue we had with this book is that it doesn't seem to make much logical sense. If you're a grounded person who is just opening this book and reading it for the first time, you might ask or wonder:

Why is this boy dressed like a dragonfly?
Why are all the kids in the town dressed like animals?
Is this a village or community full of Furries?
Why is this boy flying? Does he have fairy dust? Magic? Superpowers?
Why is he referred to as a literal "dragonfly" when he is clearly a human boy dressed in a Party City/Zurchers dragonfly costume who happens to be able to fly?

None of this seems to be explained in the book. And we were a bit bummed by that, to be honest. Remember: we (the teachers and parents) have to explain these things to our students and kids. Yes, imagination is a thing, but it puts the teacher or parent in a tough, uncomfortable spot when they have to somehow try to explain this stuff in a way that makes sense to a child.

Like, what are we supposed to tell a kid when they ask "Mommy, why is this boy dressed like a dragonfly?" or "Miss Aubrey, why are all the kids in the town dressed like animals?"

We can maybe say:
"They're using their imagination" or "it's Halloween time."

The first answer seems plausible.
The second is a bit... ehh... There's no other indication that it's Halloween in the book. No decorations, no discussions, no witches flying in the air.

So what? Maybe it's Dress Up Day in school? Some schools do that (it's like "Pajama Day"). But the kids appear to dress up as animals every day.

So maybe they're actual animals (somehow)? But if that were true, why does Buzzy's friend have a bat logo on his t-shirt. Do bats wear t-shirts with logos? Also, why is Buzzy, a "dragonfly," not wearing his dragonfly costume during the Pranayama breathing exercises? How is he flying without his wings? How is he still a dragonfly without his dragonfly costume?

What is going on here? Can someone please, maybe, open the book by explaining that this is a yoga school where children are encouraged to use their imagination, play pretend, and dress up? Cause that isn't obvious or apparent to a casual reader who opens this and sees that everyone's dressed up like it's Halloween and there's a kid flying around like he has supernatural powers.

Anyway, we digress. Our reservations and constructive criticisms aside, we still saw a lot of promise and value in this book.

This is a book that celebrates childlike imagination and their ability to create whimsical worlds and ideas out of nothing (or things like cardboard boxes and pillows). Have you ever built a cardboard box castle or made a pillow fort? Have you ever used your crayons or markers as action figures or dolls? Those are things that children do. Heck, some adults still stick their highlighters together and make "lightsabers" out of them. A stick can become a "sword." It's that sort of thing. We get it.

And, let's face it, children (and some adults) love to dress us. Have you been in a town that takes Halloween night seriously? Where trick-or-treaters cause literal road closures for blocks or even miles?

Have you been to a comic book convention full of people dressed as everything under the sun? We're not opposed to it, we just wish it was better explained.

We're guessing that the "Flutterville" fantasy (a world in which everyone is an animal and can do things like fly) might actually be a meditative routine that is used by the author in their yoga practice. It's perfectly normal and typical for yoga teachers of younger students to refer to animals and animal poses because these things tend to be appealing and familiar to kids. For example, there's the:

Upward & downward dog
Puppy pose
Cat & cow
Butterfly pose
Cobra
Lion’s breath

Let's not forget, kids don't just loving pretending, they also love playing and having fun in general.
This is fun to them. When you enjoy something (and find it fun), you're more likely to continue to do it.

So, in effect, this gets children interested in yoga without being overwhelming or becoming overly complicated.

It introduces children to basic yoga concepts (and a handful of poses) with the expectation that they can learn a lot more later if they're encouraged.

Another thing we appreciated is how Buzzy Bozza Finds Yoga models emotional awareness without being heavy-handed. Buzzy's journey from chaos to calm reflects the experiences that many children have when introduced to breathing techniques or mindfulness practices for the first time. It’s not about perfection—it's about discovering that stillness and breath are powerful tools we all carry with us. That’s a message children need to hear, especially in an age of constant stimulation and shortened attention spans.

We also see great cross-curricular potential here. Teachers could use this book as a springboard for lessons in health, physical education, social-emotional learning, or even storytelling and imagination. Whether it’s a classroom calm-down corner, a yoga warm-up, or a bedtime routine, Buzzy Bozza Finds Yoga fits beautifully into spaces where kids are encouraged to breathe, reflect, use their imagination, and grow. It's a celebration of creativity and mindfulness working hand-in-hand—something both teachers and parents can appreciate.

This is also one of Anthony Richichi's best illustrated books. Richichi is a multiple-time Outstanding Creator Awards winner and the 2023 Artist of the Year!

The characters are cute, wide-eyed, and appealing. They don't look wonky, warped, or slanted in one direction. But the highlight of this book (as fast as the illustrations go) are the backgrounds! Richichi gives us colorful, vibrant backgrounds full of flowers of numerous colors (particularly purple lavenders, which signify calm & relaxation).

The book also nails its color scheme. It's the colors of twilight: soft pink, soft purple, and soft blue with a touch of yellow.

Richichi also loves to add an Easter egg or two in the books he illustrated. Is that the Easter bunny hiding in the lavender flowers on page 8? And—perhaps our favorite of all—Buzzy is shown reading Colorworld, an OCA award-winning book by Richichi, on page 14.

This book and concept have big potential. This could probably be expanded into a series exploring more yoga concepts. Maybe this book series could become to yoga what Once Upon a Dance is to dance.

​Really, our only complaints are that the reality-breaking elements of the book (like being animals and being able to fly) could've been explained better for young readers and their caretakers. Also, this book seems really abrupt. It feels like it stops almost as soon as it picks up. We would've liked maybe 4-6 more pages, perhaps explaining the yoga school, its teachers, and students a little more. Maybe have a little more of an arc and a little more development for Buzzy Bozza, the main character. It just seems like he discovers yoga and suddenly everything is well. We would've loved to see some tension or drama. Like, maybe have him struggle with his balance at first and be discouraged briefly. Maybe have the teacher remind him that no one is perfect at yoga and that she trained for years to get good at it—encouraging practice and consistency. Just some ideas.

This book effectively depicts yoga as a fun, cool activity that helps unlock a person's potential while encouraging them to spend time with others. In this book, yoga becomes a social activity like a team sport!

If you like yoga and/or want to get your kids interested in yoga...

Check it out on Amazon!