Spiritual Text: Childrens Book

 Each book must:

• Be 15-20 pages long in length, with 2-5 sentences of carefully crafted content on each page (which can be typed or hand-written)
•  Contain a clear and overarching storyline that communicates the selected idea
•  Include original illustrations/artwork to accompany every 1-2 pages of the book (each student must illustrate their children’s book, but can choose to do so via hand-drawing, painting, digital illustration, or even a medium such as collage; no AI generated illustration)
• Be accompanied by a 1-1.5page (double-spaced) analysis of the book that addresses: who the audience of the story is (age range, community, demographics, etc.); how the story engages an idea or belief found in a religious text we’ve read in this course; how this story contributes something new/necessary to children’s education; why you wrote this story in particular and how your own situatedness influences your interpretation of this text/idea.
• salamander symbolizes transformation, rebirth, the ability to withstand intense heat or challenges, and the power of inner fire, passion, inner strength,  change
• Owl Medicine is wisdom, insight, mystery
• Otter medicine is friendship
• Hold not a deed of little worth, thinking “this is little to me”. The falling drops of water will in time fill a water-jar. Even so, the wise man becomes full of good, although he gathers it little by little.  - The Dhammapada 122

Presentation: Students will post a 5 minute video presentation to share their children’s book in the corresponding Discussion Thread on Canvas. Presentations should include a reading of the book (pictures included!) and a brief summary of the idea they aimed to convey through the story.

I wrote my childrens book around the basic message of Dhammapada 22:  how to be good can come in little actions over time. To me this verse or lesson speaks of redemption, as many people think after a troubled past that there is no way to be good or to redeem onself. On a personal note both my mom and I are recovered addicts and when you are in recovery somtimes you have to take life one step at a time, one day at a time, or if you're having a particularly bad day, one minute at a time to prevent yourself from slipping back into harmful habits. No act of resistence, no act of improvement, no act of healing, or work of good is too small. Little by little you move forward in the same way a jar is filled with water one drop at a time. 

In my story I focus on other disruptive patterns or habits that might be arising in children, based off how my friends' kids behave. All three of them are starting to develope a sense of independance and stronger ego leading to them developing strong emotions and rising tempers. So I used a reputation for being mean and angry as the "bad" behavior that needs correcting in my story. I played with different options for this, but ultimatley chose to write something all 3 of the kids I am close to would want to read/have read to them. So I aim to have the target age group be between 6-9 years old. 

I have noticed that in the many childrens books I have seen at my friends' houses there are books on kindness, on why its important not to bully, on acceptance, but I havn't seen any on self forgiveness and deciding to do better in the future. There have been plenty of books on why not to bully, but I havn't seen any that tells the bully they can change their ways. So I thought this would be an easy addition to teach on goodness and kindness from another perspective, while also hinting at the way anger should not be displayed. 

For my book I chose to go back to my own roots. Although I was cut off of it from a very young age, I was originally raised within the indigenous faith. Still to this day it has influence on my beliefs and ways of thinking, one such example is that stories were often told through animals and their medicine. So, I chose to tell my story in a similar way that indigenous fables were told to me as a child. Salamnder was not an animal I was familair with, so I can't speak to its medicine but its metaphysical meaning (which usually is the same or similar) is that of rebirth, change, overcomming obstacles, passion, and inner strength. They are also heavily associated with the element of fire. I also use the owl, which has many aspects to its medicine including wisdom, insight, and guidance as the teacher in the story. I do want to say that I have not been involved in the indigenous community since I was a child and want to apologize if this comes off as offensive in any way. When I think about teaching and childhood this is where my mind goes, so that is why I chose to tell the story this way. Feel free to email me or message me if you feel this was done in error, as I am always open to learning more.