Twenty Jataka Tales

These are charming tales. It adds poignancy to the story of the author in Spy Princess.

The "Twenty Jataka Tales" is a great book to read out loud to kids. I read several of these stories to my students at my elementary school recently. Because the heroes of these stories are different from those in most literature, books and television shows, they definitely caught the students' interest. The kids of today are not often exposed to stories that are NOT resolved with violence or by dominance of will or physical might. Since the stories were resolved through acts of compassion and lovingkindness, they stood out in contrast to most of the images and ideas children are accustomed to in modern culture. I was pleased to offer the children some new ways to view ourselves and others. The book is full of non-violent means to resolving conflict that benefit all parties in the stories. These are the stories that Buddha told to children during his own lifetime. These stories will plant seeds that may lead these children toward more thoughtful, empathetic ways to view themselves and others. They also provide alternative means for approaching disagreements, misunderstandings, and conflict in their own lives.

Gentle tales of/from Buddha. Mostly tales of animal kindness and you have no idea it is Buddha. Anyone could read them to children with no problems - OK, as long as their parents allow them to hear stories about talking, caring, feeling animals. The morals are more for you to determine; you are not hit over the head with them.

Princess Noor Inayat Khan was a World War II heroine. A "spy" who could not tell a lie. As a SOE radio operator in occupied France, she gave her life in the fight for the liberation of her adopted homeland. As the daughter of a Sufi teacher, these tales reflect her view of life and from which one can see the foundation for the philosophies that shaped her life and martyred death. The stories are retold so to be easily read and/or understood by children, but the lessons they teach are for adults as well. The lessons taught are universal in application.