Buddhist Stories for Kids – An anthology of stories on kindness and kinship [Review]

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Title: Buddhist Stories for Kids: Jataka Tales of Kindness, Friendship and Forgiveness
Written by: Lauren Burges
Illustrated by: Sonali Zohra
Published by: Penguin books
Type: Paperback
Length: 76 pages
Age recommendation: 8 years and above

“Not knowing the name of the tree, I stood in the flood of its sweet smell”
-Basho

This anthology of Jataka Tales is a poignant yet playful book which is centred around Buddhist pearls of wisdom. Each tale is anchored around a native Indian tree and through these stories we learn how to emulate a tree’s selfless philosophy: stay rooted in time and place, be willing and strong like the trunk and reach for the skies, like the branches.

The book starts with a gentle introduction to the Buddhist philosophy by the author, who practices the Soto Zen tradition and has an experience in teaching kids for over 3 decades. To masterfully cherry pick from over 500 Jataka Tales and re-imagine and re-tell these millennia old stories in a manner relevant to today, is no small feat.

Each story has elements of philosophy, meditative words and stunning illustrations woven together to create a beautiful masterpiece.

We start with ‘The Monkeys in the Bodhi Tree’ which teaches the all-important concept of self awareness and conscience. ‘The Queen of the Dogs and the Neem Trees’ reminds us that decisions made in anger are rarely wise. Though each story was brimming with relevant wisdom, another one that resonated with me was ‘The Mischievous Monkey in the Banyan Tree’ which teaches us about empathy and forgiveness.
The last line really moved me:

‘We all make mistakes; If we want to be forgiven, shouldn’t we be willing to forgive’.

Most of us grew up listening to the Jataka Tales and unknowingly imbibe it’s gentle teachings. This book, in particular, is relevant in today’s world filled with strife, mistrust and insecurity. The author has masterfully distilled each tale with imaginative interpretation yet stayed true to the very tenet of the story. The illustrations are absolutely exquisite: the delicate lines and vibrant colour palette bring the stories to life. The pictures of the animals and trees are absolutely stunning. The cover illustration is successful in drawing in the readers to pick up the book.

I would highly recommend this book for kids and adults, alike. They will gently sow the seeds of empathy, kindness and humanity in the young ones, without being prosaic.

These powerful stories with resonate with you long after you finish the book. May these bring peace to your minds, like it did to mine.

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Disclaimer: Sowmya is a part of the #kbcReviewerSquad and received this book as a review copy from the publisher via kbc.