Zen Seeds by Shundo Aoyama
Zen Seeds by Shundo Aoyama is a collection of 60 short lessons on the blessings Buddhism can bring to your life. Shundo entertains and enlightens with stories from her own life, as well as classical teachings, and koan teachings. She presents these lessons in an easy and engaging fashion that made me view Buddhism in a less pessimistic light than previously. My usual impression of the philosophy is dour, and in itself pessimistic. This book really showcases the gratitude aspect, and in seeing all people as one.
***Many thanks to the Netgalley & Shambhala Publications for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
The Happiness Diary by Barbara Ann Kipfer
The Happiness Diary by Barbara Ann Kipfer is a delightful journal format guide to creating happiness and cultivating gratitude in your own life. With playful prose, and plenty of prompts to prod your mind, this nifty book will help you determine what makes you happy- what your deepest values are, what happiness means to you, what you most want, and how to create a plan for getting it. Kipfer takes you through keeping a gratitude journal, happiness lists, and making mind-maps to focus your thoughts. She presents several different tools, encouraging readers to explore and see what suits them best. I enjoyed reading through it, and plan on getting a hardcopy for both myself and my sisters.
***Many thanks to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Parker Plum and the Rotten Egg Thoughts by Billie Pavicic & Illustrated by Susan Gaber
Parker Plum and the Rotten Egg Thoughts follows Parker Plum as he gets a big lesson on positive thinking. He woke with a small, bean-sized egg on his pillow. Rather than question why it’s there, he pops it in his pocket and takes it to school. From the start, right at breakfast, things begin to go wrong. And unbeknownst to Parker at first, the angrier he gets over things he has no control over, the bigger the egg gets. And the smellier. Thankfully, Mrs Butterbott has a solution. She teaches Parker to view each situation that created the ginormous egg differently, until finally it was gone. The artwork is just lovely! At the end, there are tips for parents and teachers to help kids deal with ‘rotten egg thoughts’. I’d actually say this is a perfect introduction to Stoic philosophy for kids.
***Many thanks to Netgalley and Boys Town Press for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Parker Plum and the Journey through the CATacombs by Billie Pavicic & Illustrated by Madeline Timm
Parker Plum and the Journey through the CATacombs is second in the Parker Plum series. Follow Parker as he gets a big lesson in learning to be happy with who he is instead of comparing himself to others. When a new student to Parker’s class shares some amazing adventures traveling the world, he begins to feel overshadowed and jealous. During a class trip to the museum to see an Egyptian exhibit, Parker gets a visit from one of Bast’s Blessed, for who better to teach lessons on being happy in your own skin than a Cat? The artwork is just lovely! At the end, there are tips for parents and teachers to help kids learn the CAT method. Like the first in the series, this is another perfect introduction to Stoic philosophy for kids.
***Many thanks to Netgalley and Boys Town Press for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Diversity is Key by Bryan Smith
Diversity is Key by Bryan Smith is a delightful introduction for kids to cultural diversity. The story follows Amelia, as she and her class gear up for a week of exploring different cultures. Due to the brevity of the book, only a few cultures are looked at, but the most important thing is the stress put on valuing other cultures and the insights and experiences they can offer.
***Many thanks to Netgalley and Boys Town Press for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
