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The Little Book of Joy
Joy is the warm tingly feeling of the sun tickling your toes in the morning.It's the giggly, squiggly feeling when you are doing something silly.Even when you wake to the rain and your joy is washed away, it's waiting at the bottom of the puddle.This is the story of two the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Once two lonely boys on opposite sides of the world, they grew up to discover the joy in everyday life and spread their joy with the people around them.Their message for every child is that joy is never far away. Even in hard times, joy never truly disappears. And when we share our joy with others, it grows inside us.This picture book adaptation of the international bestseller, The Book of Joy , is full of the humour, friendship, and deep affection between two spiritual leaders. In challenging times, it is a timely reminder that joy is all around us, if only we know where to look.Vibrantly illustrated by award-winning Rafael López, this is the perfect book to reassure and inspire young readers everywhere.
- GenresClassicsPicture Books
40 pages, Hardcover
Published September 27, 2022
4 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
Dalai Lama XIV
1,553 books6,251 followersJetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso (born Lhamo Döndrub), the 14th Dalai Lama, is a practicing member of the Gelug School of Tibetan Buddhism and is influential as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, the world's most famous Buddhist monk, and the leader of the exiled Tibetan government in India.
Tenzin Gyatso was the fifth of sixteen children born to a farming family. He was proclaimed the tulku (an Enlightened lama who has consciously decided to take rebirth) of the 13th Dalai Lama at the age of two.
On 17 November 1950, at the age of 15, he was enthroned as Tibet's ruler. Thus he became Tibet's most important political ruler just one month after the People's Republic of China's invasion of Tibet on 7 October 1950. In 1954, he went to Beijing to attempt peace talks with Mao Zedong and other leaders of the PRC. These talks ultimately failed.
After a failed uprising and the collapse of the Tibetan resistance movement in 1959, the Dalai Lama left for India, where he was active in establishing the Central Tibetan Administration (the Tibetan Government in Exile) and in seeking to preserve Tibetan culture and education among the thousands of refugees who accompanied him.
Tenzin Gyatso is a charismatic figure and noted public speaker. This Dalai Lama is the first to travel to the West. There, he has helped to spread Buddhism and to promote the concepts of universal responsibility, secular ethics, and religious harmony.
He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, honorary Canadian citizenship in 2006, and the United States Congressional Gold Medal on 17 October 2007.
Tenzin Gyatso was the fifth of sixteen children born to a farming family. He was proclaimed the tulku (an Enlightened lama who has consciously decided to take rebirth) of the 13th Dalai Lama at the age of two.
On 17 November 1950, at the age of 15, he was enthroned as Tibet's ruler. Thus he became Tibet's most important political ruler just one month after the People's Republic of China's invasion of Tibet on 7 October 1950. In 1954, he went to Beijing to attempt peace talks with Mao Zedong and other leaders of the PRC. These talks ultimately failed.
After a failed uprising and the collapse of the Tibetan resistance movement in 1959, the Dalai Lama left for India, where he was active in establishing the Central Tibetan Administration (the Tibetan Government in Exile) and in seeking to preserve Tibetan culture and education among the thousands of refugees who accompanied him.
Tenzin Gyatso is a charismatic figure and noted public speaker. This Dalai Lama is the first to travel to the West. There, he has helped to spread Buddhism and to promote the concepts of universal responsibility, secular ethics, and religious harmony.
He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, honorary Canadian citizenship in 2006, and the United States Congressional Gold Medal on 17 October 2007.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 25, 2022
In 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝗼𝘆, spiritual leaders Archbishop Desmond Tutu and His Holiness the Dalai Lama create a picture book for children all over the world to spread love and joy. Inspired by their international bestseller for adults 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝗼𝘆, this book is designed especially for children to show them “even when you are having a hard time, joy is never far away.” A key element that the late Archbishop and His Holiness wanted to share are the rainbows that remain after the sadness or storms that enters our lives. With bright and colorful illustrations by Rafael López, the picture book does a splendid job in showing the power of joy.
While the children might not recognize racial or class differences between the childlike versions of Desmond and Dalai Lama, they can recognize the feelings of sadness or loneliness that were then replaced by scenes of love and joy. The authors used the emotions of sadness and loneliness to connect two friends in the story, but used the power of joy to join them forever. More importantly, the book shows how once joy is a part of our lives and we let it consume us, then we can spread it across the world to others.
Overall, this is a great book to share with your child(ren) or a class of small children about the beauty of joy because sometimes we all need a little book of joy to shower us with a rainbow.
While the children might not recognize racial or class differences between the childlike versions of Desmond and Dalai Lama, they can recognize the feelings of sadness or loneliness that were then replaced by scenes of love and joy. The authors used the emotions of sadness and loneliness to connect two friends in the story, but used the power of joy to join them forever. More importantly, the book shows how once joy is a part of our lives and we let it consume us, then we can spread it across the world to others.
Overall, this is a great book to share with your child(ren) or a class of small children about the beauty of joy because sometimes we all need a little book of joy to shower us with a rainbow.
March 29, 2025
A gorgeous children's adaption from the larger The Book of Joy, Covering the basics of compassion and choosing kindness and peace.
The illustrations were absolutely beautiful!
Pick it up, give it a go & enjoy!
The illustrations were absolutely beautiful!
Pick it up, give it a go & enjoy!
September 27, 2022
Fun, simple, beautiful. For all ages. A nice pick me up.
May 18, 2023
This book is a must read for all. The joy and friendship these two wonderful leaders bring to this book is contagious even though I was reading it I could feel it. It's message can help to heal, understand and achieve joy out of your own life. A book to be given and shared with others
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews