Sarah Conover's collection of traditional Buddhist tales leads us to the kind of implicit understanding of ourselves and others that only stories can provide. Following the Buddha through his various transformations, these clarified, often humorous narrative journeys open the ancient masters profound and gentle teachings to persons of all ages, religions, races, and ideological persuasions. Over and over this marvelous book tells us, "let go of your anger, your fear, your greedy desire. Embrace gladness. Follow the path." And the stories themselves, simply as stories, from a wondrous pageant: of elephants, monkeys, monks, and men working through foolishness toward wisdom and delight.
Sarah Conover is the co-author of Ayat Jamilah: Beautiful Signs: A Treasury of Islamic Wisdom for Children and Parents (Skinner House Books) and other books on world faith traditions.
Illustrator Valerie Wahl currently lives and works in Spokane, Washington. She has read thousands of books to her children over the years, but this is her first try at illustrating one. She is a graduate of Washington State University where she studied Fine Art.