ZEN GHOSTS by John Muth

My son and I eagerly await John Muth's Stillwater books and I'm so thrilled to have this latest effort, ZEN GHOSTS, which takes place during my favorite time of year, Autumn and Halloween.  Stillwater, the giant panda is my most adored contemporary children's book character.  But these books are obviously not just for children.

Addy, Michael and Karl, featured in the prior books, are getting ready for Halloween.  Stillwater  joins them for festivities and reads the children a story by candlelight.  The vibe of the book is both cozy and mysterious.

As you can tell from the cover, the illustrations are magical.  There is a two page spread depicting trick or treating that is magnificent, so visually the book is incredible, and perhaps the most striking one of the series to date.

The Buddhist theme is appropriate for young children as they can be even more receptive to subtle teachings than adults.  In some ways, a koan is more accessible to a child.  As with the other two Stillwater books, Zen Ties and Zen Shorts, this is a story within a story and this one goes pretty deep.  What genius to contemplate illusion in a Halloween setting!  What is real and what is not real?  "Which Senjo is the true one?  Are they one or are they two?"  This book works on many different levels and I can't get enough of it.  Find it HERE.

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The Idle Parent by Tom Hodgkinson

The Idle Parent is a refreshing, funny, practical approach to parenting and boy do I wish I'd read this much sooner.  Rather than live with your stomach in knots trying to do the right thing and often failing miserably because of the impossibility of it all, author Tom Hodgkinson encourages us to relax.  All that worrying, obsessing, and helicoptering does not a happy childhood (or parenthood) make.

The guy is old school progressive.  I confess I'm guilty of a little (a lot) of hovering, but I have ambitions of having a free range kid.  As my son gets older, I'm getting much much better.  This book will be one that I come back to again and again for that reassurance and the reminder to lighten up.  It's also good for a laugh, Hodgkinson writes with a great sense of humor and he had me chuckling throughout the book.

Idle parents are, by default, eco friendly parents, eschewing plastic both figuratively and literally in favor of the more real, authentic, and closer to the earth.  Hodgkinson suggests walking or busing over driving, gardening, farming, and keeping waste and want to a minimum.

Turn off the TV, forget about all the lessons (apart from swimming), theme parks and expensive toys and get down on the floor and play with your kids.  Build forts with blankets, play in the fields.  He argues we have lost touch with nature and references old world themes like having reached the ideal of  a Bruegel type situation at a get together--kids playing at one end of the field while the adults chatted over beer at the other.  This is the stuff of life.  Not seclusion in front of screens and the "digital straightjacket of the internet."

There are some contradictions and the guy likes his drink,  butI don't think it's meant to be taken entirely literally.  Read it for amusement, comfort and some good old fashioned common sense.  Find it HERE.

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Mama, is it Summer Yet? by Nikki McClure

Nikki McClure's work has for a long time charmed and warmed my heart, but her latest effort could have been written just for us.  Mama, Is It Summer Yet echos the same conversations I've been having with my son and I know I am not alone.  McClure's intricate paper cut images are both innocent and sophisticated and capture perfectly the essence of mother nature and motherhood.

McClure celebrates the mundane and sacred.  That precious moment when you get to taste your first strawberry of the season, planting seeds in the garden and watching them sprout... those fleeting moments that make life so beautiful.  As always, it's about living in the present, savoring the moment.

We have been reading this book over and over, and my son has it memorized and reads it to himself.  This book reminds me to stop and really absorb the gifts summer has to offer, now bittersweet as each season marks the lightening fast passage of time and my son growing up.  Summer is a time to get closer to your children, see the world the way they do--as the magical place it is.  Mama, Is It Summer Yet depicts this touchingly and is one of those books your child will remember as one of their favorites when they are adults. It's printed on recycled paper.  Find it HERE. 

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Hand Wash Cold by Karen Maezen Miller

ddhism

Every now and then a book will find its way into your hands that feels like an intimate conversation with  an old friend.  For me, Hand Wash Cold: Care Instructions for an Ordinary Life is one of those books.

Not really all that instructional per se, this book is unassuming and comforting and lets you know you are not alone in your endeavors with spirituality, relationships, motherhood, and mundane tasks like laundry which Miller uses both literally (we need to get our hands dirty) and metaphorically.   Real, meaningful life is deeply embedded in the mundane tasks and Miller is validating and celebrating those moments which go unnoticed, begrudged,  and/or delegated to others because we think we have more important work to do.

As  a child I was painfully aware of the passage of time and since becoming a mother I ache with this awareness.  Still it's quite an effort to stay in the moment and really experience the present (cliche as it is).  Precious moments with the most important person in my life, my son, pass by at light speed.  Miller totally gets it, has struggled with it herself and offers compassion and insight.  Embrace your life as it is, right now, she encourages.  Be present in your own life.

She shares her own flaws and vulnerabilities and made me cry, more than once.  She is a Zen Buddhist priest but that doesn't come through so much in this book, and I think that's the point.  She is not cold and detached, but warm and accessible.  Never did I feel in reading this that someone more enlightened than me was telling me how it is, there's nothing lofty, just something Raw and Real.   I can't wait to read Miller's former book, Momma Zen: Walking the Crooked Path of Motherhood.

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Buddha Mama

I've just discovered Sarah Napthali has a new book out and I can't wait to read it. Buddhism for Mothers of Young Children: How to Be a Mindful Parent, follows Buddhism for Mothers, a Calm Approach to Caring for Yourself and Your Children which I have worn literally to tatters. I've only just ordered Napthali's newer book from Amazon, but I want to share with you the first book. This is the single most helpful parenting book I've read to date (and I've read a ton). You do not have to be a Buddhist to benefit from this book, in fact, those who will benefit the most are probably the non-Buddhists.

Buddhism for me is a philosophy, a pragmatic way of approaching life and NOT a religion. I am totally seduced by the art and imagery of Buddhism, but I do not subscribe to any religion and find them all for the most part a divisive and destructive force in the world. However, Buddhism is different. Buddha himself said, here are some tips, but you have to find nirvana for yourself, you don't get it through worship. When viewed as a blueprint for life, Buddhist principles are very handy and practical, particularly in the parenting department.

Buddhism teaches you to stay in the moment and gives you a clear cut path to do that. A beautiful and useful (and doable) code of ethics help you stay mindful during all the mindless chores of motherhood and back you up in those moments where things can go awry. Right Speech, for instance, reminds you to watch more closely what comes out of your mouth when speaking to your children. Swearing, for me, is a hard one.

I go back to this book over and over--it's out on loan to one of my friends or I'd go back to it right now to give you specifics. If you need comfort or some helpful non-obvious tips, this is a great book. There's nothing flowery or cutesy, it's just real stuff for real life.

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