Here You Are

By Mayke Beckmann Briggs

Here you are...standing on the ground, under the big blue sky...among the trees, the flowers and the butterflies. Thus begins the journey of a small child whose joy in nature turns into wondering... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0977646912
• ISBN13: 9780977646913
• Release Date: February 2007
• Publisher: BoathouseBooks
• Length: 44 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.5" x 10.5"
• Age Range: 1 month to 7 years

Customer Reviews

micheluccio

This book created a magical moment with my young son. Usually quick to pick another book to postpone bedtime, he looked up and wondered aloud "why am I here?...I'm glad God put me here with you and mommy." "Here You Are" touches parents and children alike and allows them, if just for a moment, to forget all of the stuff and feel the peace of simple, real things. Young children ponder wisely while we adults remember our innocence. It's a lovely book which you may find yourself pulling off of the shelf even when your children aren't around.

Introduction to the "Big Questions"

There are umpteen-gazillion books out there, both good and bad, concerning Buddhism for adult readers. There are very few good books for Children that involve Buddhist ideas. Books based upon the Jataka Tales are classics, but those stories are ancient and somewhat generic in nature. Modern-day Buddhist children books are starting to enter the market, albeit slowly. This is one of them. It's a durable hardcover children's book with heavy pages and bright colors throughout. The text is short and extremely simple, and even beginning readers will be able to move through the book quickly. The drawings are simple but bright, and mostly involve "You," the central character in the story. Unlike stories about 3rd-person characters, "You" are the center of attention here. Fortunately, since the pronoun "You" works whether reading the book yourself or having the book read to you, it's a neat idea. The subject here is about the main character, who asks the questions, "Who made everything?", "Why am I here?" and several other "big" questions. The book does not supply answers to any of the big questions, that's up to the adult in the child's life to explain. There are no references to God or any other specific religion. The book could literally be used to introduce any child to the big questions, and the adult must supply whatever answers they feel are appropriate. I'm assuming that DailyBuddhism readers are going to want to use the book to explain the Buddhist perspective on the questions posed here. The book is fine for that, and there is one section of the book: - Here you are, wondering, - how everything appears out of nowhere like the waves rise up from the sea, - and how everything vanishes into nothing, - like the waves, on a calm summer's day. This could lead into a decidedly Buddhist-tinted discussion. The one and only problem I see with the book are the pictures of "You" (see the cover image). The pictures are all of a little boy, or perhaps a girl with very short hair. I'm not sure whether this was an artistic decision or an oversight. I imagine it would be confusing to try to make the pictures of "You" to apply to everyone. Still, unless you are buying the book is for a little Caucasian boy, be prepared.

Profound, comforting and philosophical

Beautiful message and illustrations. Suitable for any belief system as it ask lots of questions (ie. "Who made everything?", "Why am I here?", etc.) but allows the reader to draw their own conclusions. I really appreciate that aspect of this profound and wonderful book. The author has a kind and insightful heart. Best of wishes to her!

Beautiful and Profound

This is a beautifully illustrated book which provides a profound spiritual lesson, a lesson that we'd all do well to take into our hearts. I've given copies to a number of friends of mine, and they all agree that the book serves as a wonderful reminder of the meaning of our existence--when the world seems like a dark and gloomy place, one need look no further than this book as a source of comfort and reassurance. The great thing about this book is that it is equally inspiring to both children and adults. While the theme of the story is applicable to all age groups, it's written in a manner such that any child can easily grasp its simple yet deeply meaningful message. I recently read the book to a number of schoolchildren, and several of them later came up to me and said that they'd been surprised because it was the first time they'd seen a book that was about _them_. It's true; most "children's books" are stories about imaginary characters, but this book is addressed to the reader, the child. This fact alone makes it a standout. I'd recommend this book to anyone who wishes to spur spiritual thinking in a child (or an adult!). I would also recommend it to anyone with an interest in meditation and other spiritual practices, as this book does an excellent job of guiding the reader into