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‘Tis the season for looking out for our fellow humans, young and old, and sharing joy with one another. As we keep winter at bay, here are several books to shine some light into this dark time of year. Old Turtle by Douglas Wood, watercolors by Cheng-Khee Chee. With compelling watercolor illustrations, Old Turtle is a story that resonates deeply any time of year. The inhabitants of the book begin by arguing over who and what God is. Old Turtle intervenes as the argument becomes deafening, gathers the attention of the other animals, acknowledging their many ideas of what God might be, then simply says, “God IS.” That settles that. Then humans enter the picture, and begin the same argument that had so divided the creatures. The bickering escalates until finally intervention comes as a voice from the very nature of the Earth saying, “Please, STOP.” And the people stop, and begin to see the God in each other. Wood’s prose brings a welcome message of peace to a world seemingly bent on chaos. Old Turtle and the Broken Truth by Douglas Wood, watercolors by Jon J. Muth, revisits Old Turtle, and this story spins around a broken, partial truth (“You Are Loved”) that people believe to be The Truth. This causes strife between the believers and non-believers. Fear, battle, and war results. Old Turtle is asked by the wild creatures of the Earth to intervene, but the people aren’t ready to listen yet. When a Little Girl visits Old Turtle to ask how to bring peace back to the world, Old Turtle finally shares her wisdom: There are “truths all around us, and within us.” Then Old Turtle gives the Little Girl the other half of the broken truth and sends her home. When the truth is finally repaired it says, “You Are Loved, And So Are They.” Peace returns. The Three Questions by Jon J. Muth. Based on a story by Leo Tolstoy, The Three Questions peers into a world where a young boy named Nikolai poses these very serious questions to his animal friends, “When is the best time to do things?” “Who is the most important one?” and “What is the right thing to do?” Their answers, while well-meant, don’t ring true for Nikolai, so he goes to ask Leo, the old turtle. Instead of answering, Leo simply continues with his day. Nikolai helps him, and in the course of the day also helps a mother and baby panda get in out of the afternoon’s storm. Muth uses this parable to teach what Leo knows, “Remember that there is only one important time, and that time is now. The most important one is always the one you are with. And the most important thing is to do good for the one who is standing at your side.” As Leo says, “This is why we are here.” Quietly moving, this book is beautifully illustrated and full of the spirit of the season. Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth. When Stillwater the giant panda moves into Addy, Michael, and Karl’s neighborhood the adventure begins. One by one the children go to visit Stillwater, and each is rewarded with a story inspired by Zen Buddhist literature and Taoism. One such story, A Heavy Load, tells the tale of a young and old monk traveling together. The older monk carries an ungrateful woman over a puddle, and then continues on his way. Eventually the younger monk voices his disapproval and the older monk counters with, “I set the woman down hours ago. Why are you still carrying her?” By combining deeper lessons with child-friendly stories and illustrations, Zen Shorts shows Muth to be a master of purposeful prose. Younger children will enjoy the sparse text and enchanting illustrations in all of these books, while older readers will appreciate the deeper meanings behind the peaceful parables. Read them with someone you love and find peace in your holiday season. |
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