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Buddha at Bedtime: Tales of Love and Wisdom
Growing up in the modern world, our children have to cope with ever-increasing amounts of stress, which can hinder their development. The ancient wisdom of Buddhism, with its emphasis on peace, love and compassion, is the ideal basis for helping any child to face these challenges with inner confidence and calm. Building on the age-old art of storytelling, this beautiful book re-tells 20 ancient Buddhist tales in a way that is thoroughly fun and accessible to children. Featuring superb, full-page illustrations, the stories will transport kids into an imaginary world of enlightenment and discovery where they will meet delightful characters and discover an easy-to-understand Buddhist message—one that will help them think about how they can apply values such as patience, perseverance, honesty and generosity to their own lives. Designed to be read aloud by a parent or read by older children on their own, these compelling narratives provide a pleasurable, soothing transition into sleep.
144 pages, Paperback
First published May 6, 2008
30 people are currently reading
938 people want to read
About the author
Dharmachari Nagaraja
13 books9 followersDharmachari Nagaraja regularly presents BBC Radio 2’s "Pause for Thought with Terry Wogan," and has appeared on BBC 1’s "Heaven and Earth" programme. A practising Buddhist for nearly 20 years, he formerly ran the Covent Garden Meditation Centre in London. He is currently involved with the Glasgow Buddhist Centre, where he works as a psychotherapist.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
March 24, 2016
I cannot begin to describe how much I love this book! I bought it to help my two homeschooled boys (aged 11 and 6) to learn about Buddhism, but hadn't anticipated that they would ask nearly every evening if we can do "buddha" tonight please mum? There is a nice section on relaxation for kids, as well as three different guided meditations, and an explanation of Buddhism and its relevance today. Then there are the stories, which are based on the traditional Jataka tales, and are beautifully told - the language itself is meditative, and the illustrations are gorgeous. You certainly do not have to be a Buddhist to appreciate these stories.
The only (minor) criticism I have is that the illustration of "Buddha" throughout is not Buddha, but Ho-Tei. Maybe they will sort that out for the next edition :-)
The only (minor) criticism I have is that the illustration of "Buddha" throughout is not Buddha, but Ho-Tei. Maybe they will sort that out for the next edition :-)
November 26, 2010
Nice collection of tales based on the Jataka stories. I recommend it to all parents who want their children to understand what compassion and friendship mean. Moreover, you don't need to be a Buddhist to tell these stories to your kids, as they discuss moral standards shared by all religions. What I really liked was the section on secular meditation for children and a short intro on Buddhist values for parents.
May 25, 2017
This was such a sweet and enchanting book. I really enjoyed reading these fables to my 9-year old daughter at night. They're very simple, maybe a bit young for her age, but they can be a nice break from reading from chapter books at bedtime. They are relaxing for the reader and the one being read to. We also enjoyed the meditations given at the end of the book. Those were the perfect length for my daughter and a great introduction to relaxation meditation for anyone really.
August 23, 2015
This is a delightful book! Although aimed at children, this book is also fun for adults that are interested in some of the concepts of buddhism. Each story is retold though modern language/perspective and is about 5 pages long. At the conclusion of the story is a moral lessen to think on. Fun and thought provoking for all ages.
March 14, 2015
LOVE THIS!!!! Great little short stories with morals. My kids 4, 6, and 9 ALL loved this book. Bright beautiful illustrations, great story length with life lessons that are clear to children. Not a bad tale in the whole book.
January 8, 2011
Wonderful book of stories for children. I love this book as much as if not more than my kids do!
December 8, 2015
Great stories, but the illustrations were a little whitewashed for a book about Buddhism, which originated in India.
February 10, 2021
Buddha at Bedtime is another book that I picked up for our chapter on India and the founding of Buddhism for our homeschooling. It is a collection of stories that all have a moral based on Buddhist teaching and reminded me of Aesop's fables and stories similar to that. They're the kind of stories that are geared towards kids, but even adults can find enjoyable.
I really enjoyed the stories, I think that's probably been one of my favorite things about reading through various cultures is hearing their stories. Some of the short stories are very different than ones I've ever heard before, others were somewhat similar but not completely, and I felt that the morals of the stories are ones I could get behind even though I'm not Buddhist.
The weakness of a book like this is that well these are tales with morals. While the morals can be good, stories like this are often simplified and it can be much harder to apply the morals in real life. Plus some of the morals were a bit too idealistic in my mind, but I guess that happens when dealing with morality stories.
I also got kind of annoyed with how they started every story. Maybe it was the way to get into meditation and listening, but it always felt like a very awkward way to start every story and there wasn't much deviation from their starting formula. Maybe this wouldn't be as big of a deal if you were reading only one story a day, but reading multiple stories at a time made this a more noticeable flaw.
So yeah, I enjoyed the book quite a bit. I enjoyed the stories and the morals. It's just that morality stories come with certain pros and cons and these stories are no exception. Still this was an enjoyable read and while the way the stories start get a bit old, the stories themselves were enjoyable.
I really enjoyed the stories, I think that's probably been one of my favorite things about reading through various cultures is hearing their stories. Some of the short stories are very different than ones I've ever heard before, others were somewhat similar but not completely, and I felt that the morals of the stories are ones I could get behind even though I'm not Buddhist.
The weakness of a book like this is that well these are tales with morals. While the morals can be good, stories like this are often simplified and it can be much harder to apply the morals in real life. Plus some of the morals were a bit too idealistic in my mind, but I guess that happens when dealing with morality stories.
I also got kind of annoyed with how they started every story. Maybe it was the way to get into meditation and listening, but it always felt like a very awkward way to start every story and there wasn't much deviation from their starting formula. Maybe this wouldn't be as big of a deal if you were reading only one story a day, but reading multiple stories at a time made this a more noticeable flaw.
So yeah, I enjoyed the book quite a bit. I enjoyed the stories and the morals. It's just that morality stories come with certain pros and cons and these stories are no exception. Still this was an enjoyable read and while the way the stories start get a bit old, the stories themselves were enjoyable.
November 15, 2019
4.5 stars
I was reading this book to my son and it was a perfect book to read before bedtime. The stories are perfect length and the messages at the end of the story are great. My favourite part of the book is the guided relaxation that we did every night before reading a story. I like it so much that I plan on continuing that even with other books. It's perfect for relaxation after the whole day, it teaches relaxation techniques that kids can use in any situation and it's a perfect intro to any story. And at the end of the book are guided meditations for kids that we will try next. My son already asked if there is a sequel to the book. I highly recommend it.
I was reading this book to my son and it was a perfect book to read before bedtime. The stories are perfect length and the messages at the end of the story are great. My favourite part of the book is the guided relaxation that we did every night before reading a story. I like it so much that I plan on continuing that even with other books. It's perfect for relaxation after the whole day, it teaches relaxation techniques that kids can use in any situation and it's a perfect intro to any story. And at the end of the book are guided meditations for kids that we will try next. My son already asked if there is a sequel to the book. I highly recommend it.
April 26, 2019
This is one of my all-time favorite books to read from before bed. My kids always talk about the moral of the story which they include after every story and how it relates to their lives. I couldn't love this one more. Teaches good, moral values of love and kindness, hard work and appreciation for what you have in a non-religious way. There are some awesome guided meditation pieces at the end that I've read to my kids also!
August 11, 2021
It took a while for my three-year old to warm up to these, but I just left it on the nightstand pile and she slowly requested it more and more until we were reading at least one every night. My favorite part has to be that each story starts with "Relax, be still, and listen" and at "relax" we both take a long slow breath together. Then we settle in for the story. I don't think I took a long slow breath until I was 25. It feels like a great transition into stories and books without pictures.
March 27, 2019
This book is filled with wonderful life-lessons in the form of short stories which take about 10 minutes or less to read. There are also sections where you can learn about Buddhism and meditation. And the illustrations are among the most beautiful and detailed illustrations I’ve ever seen in a children’s book.
September 5, 2024
I read this book when I was very young, and it had a profound impact on my sense of morality and even influenced my writing later. Truly this is a great book with many simple but valid lessons to teach.
May 25, 2017
My daughter loves this book. I love the morals. She loves the stories and pics.
October 28, 2017
Children love this book.
February 9, 2018
Wonderful for what it is: they story are simply, as told by the Buddha, and the illustrations are wonderfully bright. A good formula- repetitive with a purpose!
November 12, 2019
pěkné příběhy pro děti s ponaučením, které se hodí i leckterému dospělému :-)
July 8, 2020
These stories are so different from the ones I grew up reading that I found most of them very unpredictable. I love the meditation guides that are included in the book.
December 9, 2020
Milé a laskavé pohádky pro děti nebo spíš i pro dospělé. Nesmí chybět v žádné knihovničce :).
July 7, 2021
Very cute bedtime stories, teaching kids all about love, courage, honesty etc. My 5 year old loved it.
October 6, 2022
Great little stories with morals and talking points with children
January 31, 2023
Very interesting book, but I didn't finish it. Some of the tales made more sense to me than others.
September 5, 2023
My daughter loved these stories and so did I!
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October 17, 2023I’ve had to hide this book from the children I’m staying with because I’ve read every story in here at least 3 times and my Brain hurts because of it.
October 3, 2021
BEAUTIFUL ILLUSTRATIONS, KIDS LOVED THIS. Both of my kids (ages 8 and 9) loved having this read to them. I liked that it had a clear moral at the end of each story.
February 9, 2013
This is a lovely book - wonderfully colourful illustrations, clear well-laid out text and beautifully written stories. Initially, I bought this book to read with my two year old and thought my 7 year old might like some of the stories. However, the author says the book is suitable for 6-10 year olds and I would agree. I have spent the last three nights cuddled up with my 7 and 9 year old reading them a relaxation exercise (in between loads of giggles) and then the story. After the first night they keep asking "When are we reading Buddah" amid other questions and comments like "why is he so fat?", "that's nice loving behaviour like Buddah!!" It's a lovely book if only to increase the opportunities to cuddle up and spend some fun time together.
June 18, 2015
My kids and I love this book. It's a collection of short stories, well written with excellent characters and a not-too-preachy moral at the end. Each story has a little Buddha quote at the end that's relevant to the story as well.
As well as the stories there are some guided meditations and relaxation exercises that are perfect for bedtime with younger children.
Especially recommended if you're trying to introduce your child to world religions as it can spark off lots of interesting conversations.
As well as the stories there are some guided meditations and relaxation exercises that are perfect for bedtime with younger children.
Especially recommended if you're trying to introduce your child to world religions as it can spark off lots of interesting conversations.
April 23, 2015
This book begins with background information on Buddhism and helpful notes as to how to go about reading the stories with your child.
It is beautifully illustrated and contains many stories with lessons about peace, compassion and mildfulness.
My favourite is Two Ducks And A Turtle; it is a short and simple tale about thinking before you speak.
There is also a helpful section near the end with help on meditation.
I would recommend this book to anyone with children or an interest in Buddhism as the stories are relevant to any age :)
It is beautifully illustrated and contains many stories with lessons about peace, compassion and mildfulness.
My favourite is Two Ducks And A Turtle; it is a short and simple tale about thinking before you speak.
There is also a helpful section near the end with help on meditation.
I would recommend this book to anyone with children or an interest in Buddhism as the stories are relevant to any age :)
September 3, 2012
Read this to my 6 year old niece this weekend. I'm not sure if its the illustrations or the short stories that she liked more, but she went to bed with it tucked under her arm and carried it around the house so we could squeeze in a story whenever we could. At the end of each short story there is a short paragraph on the lesson to be learned from the story. Cute chapter titles and fun engrossing stories. You certainly do not have to be Buddhist to appreciate these stories.
May 3, 2015
This is a great collections of stories, perfect for bedtime. I also like all of the added detail around the source of the stories, Buddhism, and additional techniques on mediation that you can take with your child. The stories are well written and in a style to engage the child. I started reading them to my daughter last night and she wanted more.
The illustrations throughout the book are very well done and beautiful. There are stories to teach simple lessons to young and old.
The illustrations throughout the book are very well done and beautiful. There are stories to teach simple lessons to young and old.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews