As my daughter gets older, she starts to ask more complicated questions.
A few weeks ago, she asked me, “Mommy, how did the first people get borned? Because people can’t just come from nowhere! Did the Buddha make them? Did God make them?”
And while I will totally be ready when she starts asking questions like “Mommy, what started the French Revolution?”, for these types of questions I turn to my favorite source: books.
Today I’m sharing with you some books that my daughter and I have read that answer some deep questions, have led to some fascinating conversations, and have made my first grader think a bit more deeply about the world.
Older Than the Stars, by Karen C. Fox and illustrated by Nancy Davis
This beautifully-illustrated book combines a delightful, repeating poem with narrative explanations of the origins and development of the universe, from the Big Bang to human life to the birth of the child reading the book.
From Older Than the Stars
My daughter was absolutely fascinated by the idea that the entire universe popped into existence from something “smaller than a speck of dust, but so heavy no one could have picked it up.” And that the universe grew “millions of times bigger in the blink of an eye.” The expression on her face, absorbing this information, was beautiful.
And I love love LOVE the last page of the book. There’s not much I know for certain about questions regarding the Absolute, but I know we are all star stuff, and we are all connected through that initial spark that set the universe in motion. And I love this sentiment that the book closes with:
From Older Than the Stars
Our Family Tree: An Evolution Story by Lisa Westberg Peters and illustrated by Lauren Stringer
This book narrates the story of “an old, old family.” It describes the evolution of life on earth from “tiny round cells in the deep, dark sea” to people “with big brains that wonder who we are, where we came from, and where we’re going next.” The illustrations are beautiful, and the information is presented in simple words, identifying only eight major links in the earth’s family tree.
From Our Family Tree
While it’s still hard for my daughter to grasp such lengthy periods of time, she’s beginning to understand “how the first people were borned.”
From Our Family Tree
Books about Mindfulness
I teach my children about mindfulness and meditation, but because I spend so much time teaching these concepts to high schoolers {in my World Religions class} and adults, I sometimes have a hard time explaining it in kid-friendly language. Here are some great books to help teach your kids about mindfulness:
Becoming Buddha: The Story of Siddhartha by Whitney Stewart and Sally Rippin
My daughter asks lots of questions about the Buddha, since she sees my Buddha statues and images in the house. This book is gorgeously illustrated and tells the story of life of Siddhartha and his desire to help people overcome suffering.
From Becoming Buddha
My daughter loved this book, although when we reached the part about Siddhartha meditating under the Bodhi tree for 40 days, she turned to me and asked, “Mommy, is this fiction or non-fiction?” It led to a great discussion about how stories about great people in history can sometimes be exaggerated or contain imaginary elements in them as they get retold over thousands of years.
The book ends with a guide to teaching meditation to kids from the Dalai Lama.
Mindful Movements: Ten Exercises for Well-Being by Thich Nhat Hanh and illustrated by Wietske Vriezen
I love anything by Thich Nhat Hanh, and this book is no exception! It begins with a brief introduction to meditation, and then includes mindful exercises {very simple and yoga-like} for children. It even includes a DVD to practice the movements. My daughter loves doing the exercises — in fact, we both find them very calming.
From Mindful Movements
A Moment in Time by Jennifer Butenas and illustrated by Charlotte Cheng
This award-winning book helps to explain mindfulness to even littler kids. It’s a rhyming story about a family simply enjoying a “moment in time.” Each one of them pauses to enjoy and be fully present in their wonderful moment — whether they’re sitting on the porch, drinking a soda, or dancing in the yard. The book doesn’t even reference mindfulness at all, which makes it a simple and great way to start teaching young children the beauty of staying in the present.
*****
What are some of your favorite books for your little Buddhas?
- A Mindful Approach to New Year’s Resolutions - January 13, 2020
- Just This Next Step - December 16, 2019
- WAIT: A Mindfulness Practice for Waiting in Line - December 9, 2019
