Buddha Stories

A golden goose demonstrates the wealth of kindness.

A rabbit learns not to believe everything he hears.

Throughout the ages, moral tales have been passed down from one generation to the next. Centuries ago in China, hundreds of parables were told by the Buddha to his devoted followers. His messages became widespread through fables adapted by famous storytellers like Aesop and La Fontaine. In this collection, the author has chosen ten of the most engaging classic tales from the Buddha's works. Compiled and illustrated by Demi, this wonderful collection of stories is sure to draw young readers into the ancient teachings of the Buddha, teachings that are as relevant today as they were over two thousand years ago.

A collection of ten tales from Buddha.

A golden goose demonstrates the wealth of kindness.

A rabbit learns not to believe everything he hears.

Throughout the ages, moral tales have been passed down from one generation to the next. Centuries ago in China, hundreds of parables were told by the Buddha to his devoted followers. His messages became widespread through fables adapted by famous storytellers like Aesop and La Fontaine. In this collection, the author has chosen ten of the most engaging classic tales from the Buddha's works. Compiled and illustrated by Demi, this wonderful collection of stories is sure to draw young readers into the ancient teachings of the Buddha, teachings that are as relevant today as they were over two thousand years ago.

School Library Journal

Gr 2-7Many of the over 500 Jataka tales can be accessed in various editions, but the 10 simple stories Demi presents here are rich in significance and provide a fine introduction to the genre. These fables have explicit morals: "The greatest wealth is the wealth of kindness," "Don't be deceived by a donkey in a lion's skin," but there is often more to the tale than the stated meaning. The turtle, who clamps his jaws on a stick to enable his geese-friends to carry him through the air, meets an untimely end when he tries to defend himself from teasing. The moral, "Disaster can come from opening your mouth at the wrong time," might equally be "Pride goeth before a fall," or "If turtles were meant to fly they would have wings," or "When friends provide a favor, do just what they ask," or a number of other lessons. This book is designed after a model of "the world's first printed book," a woodblock sutra with text and pictures in gold on indigo paper. Demi's pen-and-gold ink lines are as firm and meticulous as ever, displaying astonishing detail and appealing composition. Unfortunately, the gold-on-indigo is not easy to read, and young children may not have the patience to decipher the images. This lovely object does honor to Buddha, however, and the tales are rewarding.Patricia Lothrop-Green, St. George's School, Newport, RI

Demi is a practicing Buddhist who has a collected the Buddha's stories for decades. For this collection, she selected ten of her favorites from 550 known tales. While illustrating the stories, she was inspired by some of the oldest Buddhist texts that were printed in gold ink on indigo paper. "Because this conception is so exquisitely beautiful and corresponds with the Buddhist tradition, I decided to use it in Buddha Stories," says Demi.

Demi is the author and illustrator of Buddha, a picture-book biography, as well as many other Chinese folktales, including The Empty Pot and The Dragon's Tale.