ZEN FOR KIDS

Stories and activities are combined in this illustrated book on Zen Buddhism.

Burges explains the fundamentals of Zen with adapted folktales and fables, each of which highlights a core tenet, such as “Everything Changes,” “Everything Is Connected,” and “This Present Moment.” After each story, activities are suggested, such as sitting zazen (meditation) or writing a haiku. While the premise is intriguing, the execution is slightly lacking. Some of the stories perpetuate outdated tropes about women, casting them as gossips or shrews. And some of the activities rely on items that not all children will have access to, such as a meditation cushion, a meditation bell, or even a caregiver with the time to assist the child. The core of Zen, that of sitting zazen and paying attention to one’s breathing, is rightly emphasized, but other recommendations, such as the suggestion to give away unneeded or extra toys, assume readers are from middle- or upper-class backgrounds. Overall, though, this book about learning to meditate and the inward sense of peace it cultivates offers readers an antidote to social media’s damaging emphasis on external validation. Colorful, accomplished illustrations primarily depict light-skinned or Asian characters, though a brown-skinned child is shown on the cover and early in the book.

Worthy in intention but slightly uneven.