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Thread: Buddhist Children's Books?

  1. #1

    Buddhist Children's Books?

    Hello all! I am primarily stating my intention to begin creating a book or two for children related to Zen and Buddhism. I am setting this here as a reminder for myself to start the project and keep working!

    Are there any other children's related to this that you would recommend looking into?
    "Heaven is right where you are standing, and that is the place to train"-Ueshiba Morihei

  2. #2
    Quote Originally Posted by Victor View Post
    Hello all! I am primarily stating my intention to begin creating a book or two for children related to Zen and Buddhism. I am setting this here as a reminder for myself to start the project and keep working!

    Are there any other children's related to this that you would recommend looking into?
    I look forward to it. Great project.
    Gassho,
    Mateus
    Sat today

  3. #3
    Thanks so much!

    Gassho,
    Victor
    "Heaven is right where you are standing, and that is the place to train"-Ueshiba Morihei

  4. #4
    Hi Victor!

    That is a fabulous idea! Let us know how you progress.

    My favourite series of children's Buddhist/Zen books are by Jon Muth and centre around the character of Stillwater the panda: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/140181.Zen_Shorts

    Gassho
    Kokuu
    -sattoday/lah-

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Kokuu View Post
    Hi Victor!

    That is a fabulous idea! Let us know how you progress.

    My favourite series of children's Buddhist/Zen books are by Jon Muth and centre around the character of Stillwater the panda: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/140181.Zen_Shorts

    Gassho
    Kokuu
    -sattoday/lah-
    Thank you so much! I may run some of my progress by you all here as I get to work on it! And thank you for the suggestion!

    Gassho,
    Victor
    "Heaven is right where you are standing, and that is the place to train"-Ueshiba Morihei

  6. #6
    Wonderful idea Victor!

    By the way, here is a Sangha project that I remain hopeful for. In all these years, I have never gotten it to take off! I am still hoping. It needs a leader. Any volunteers?

    BUDDHIST FAMILY HOLIDAYS
    The "BUDDHIST FAMILY HOLIDAYS PROJECT" aims to make Buddhist holidays more "kid friendly" while preserving the traditional messages, teachings, values and customs of the original. It is sometimes said that Buddhist groups in the West could do a bit more to be welcoming of children, and we might take some simple steps in our Sangha groups and at home to communicate basic teachings and practices to younger kids and teens (something which both Buddhist groups in the East and other religious groups in the West are quite attentive to). In both Asian Buddhism and for other religions in the West, "religious holidays" can be a time for families to unite, to bond through customs and practices, and to bring children into the spirit of the season through the celebration. Holidays can be an important time to expose children to Buddhist teachings and values in ways that leave a lasting, positive impression for the future.
    https://www.sites.google.com/site/bu...yholidays/home

    Here are a couple of lists of popular titles by the way. Many of them are not particularly "Zen," and are more general Buddhism or other flavors of Buddhism, but I don't think it matters so much when it comes to kids books.

    https://www.criticalcactus.com/best-...-for-children/

    https://www.amazon.com/s?k=buddhist+..._sb_ss_fb_1_18

    I also notice that "my new publisher" Wisdom has a few nice sounding titles, so let me link to those ...

    https://www.wisdompubs.org/books/bud...s-for-children

    Gassho, Jundo

    STLah
    Last edited by Jundo; 04-24-2019 at 10:08 AM.
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  7. #7
    Thanks so much, Jundo! I will definitely look into those! I'd love to help out with your project, but unfortunately I am part of a very Christian family and am not openly Buddhist as of yet. But perhaps in the future!

    I will definitely look into those titles you have provided for me!

    Gassho,
    Victor
    "Heaven is right where you are standing, and that is the place to train"-Ueshiba Morihei

  8. #8
    That is just wonderful, Victor. Wishing you the very best with this!

    Anant
    SaT

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by newby_x86 View Post
    That is just wonderful, Victor. Wishing you the very best with this!

    Anant
    SaT
    Thank you so much!

    Gassho
    "Heaven is right where you are standing, and that is the place to train"-Ueshiba Morihei

  10. #10
    Hello Victor,

    great idea!
    As I do not have any children of my own, I can not really judge if these comics are made in a way interesting to children, but they seem pretty accessible to me:
    https://global.sotozen-net.or.jp/eng...ics/index.html

    Gassho
    Gero who sat today

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Gero View Post
    Hello Victor,

    great idea!
    As I do not have any children of my own, I can not really judge if these comics are made in a way interesting to children, but they seem pretty accessible to me:
    https://global.sotozen-net.or.jp/eng...ics/index.html

    Gassho
    Gero who sat today
    I think that they may be more for adults.

    Also, expect rather "romantic" retellings and idealized figures as is typical of a religious biography. Master Dogen's death scene ...



    Maybe the style is a bit hard for kids too. This is the scene where Dogen's Teacher, Master Rujing, castigates a monk for sleeping during Zazen ...



    Maybe the translation could be nicer too. (All that the original says in Japanese is, "Zazen is to sit with body and mind as one.")

    Gassho, J

    STLah
    Last edited by Jundo; 04-24-2019 at 10:06 AM.
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  12. #12
    This is a great idea, Victor - and thank you everyone else for your book suggestions. I have a two, nearly three year old and have been thinking about introducing some Buddhist stories to our reading. We already do yoga together, she occasionally sits on my lap quietly and has a great gassho.

    Jundo - I could possibly look at the family project in the near future once I've been here a bit longer.

    Gassho,

    Neil

    STLah

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