Rumi - Poet of Joy and Love

 This spellbinding picture book biography for children (4-8 years) introduces them to one of the greatest poets and mystics. Rumi found inspiration in love and spread this message through his writing that love is in us and everywhere.

Born on September 30, 1207 in Iran, Rumi enjoyed nature from childhood, especially birds. As he grew older, his favorite thing became reading. He moved to Turkey with his family, where he became a well-known scholar like his father and grand-father. Despite his success, something felt missing in his life. He found the missing part in writing about friendship. His poetic masterpiece, “The Masnavi,” was loved by many, especially children. Rumi found God in love, embracing us all.

This book is a masterful celebration of the great scholar, 750 years in 2023. It is filled with beautiful, colorful, and eye-catching illustrations with strong colors and ornamental details of the Persian Empire. And above all, it carries a wonderful message of love and friendship.

It is written with clear voice and appreciation for the great poet and mystic who found a fulfilling path for himself and encouraged others through his writing.

Published in March 2024 by NorthSouth Books

Source: NorthSouth Books

TRENDING INSPIRATION: “It is love that gives joy to happiness.” – Rumi

Traits:

·         Love another

·         Tune in with nature

·         Read and learn

·         Search your inner voice for meaning in life

·         Embrace all. Respect all.

·         Find meaningful friendships 

“Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.” - Rumi

“Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion.” – Rumi

“What you seek is seeking you.” - Rumi

“Don’t grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form.” – Rumi

“Never lose hope, my dear heart, miracles dwell in the invisible.” - Rumi

“When you do things from your soul, you feel a river of joy within you.” – Rumi

“The garden of happiness is planted within, watered with gratitude, and blossoms with love.” - Rumi

A Good Life by Pope Francis

 15 Essential Habits for Living with Hope and Joy: 

With his wisdom, Pope Francis puts together fifteen mindsets that allow readers to find hope and meaning in different circumstances. 

With warmth and intelligence, he encourages and inspires to look deep inside us and search for what is truly meaningful in life. 

In this fast-paced and digital world, many of us get disconnected from what is truly important. Our desolation and anguish is our own creation as we no longer have room for others and no place for the poor. But there is meaning in our weaknesses and lessons to be learned from.

In my favorite Chapter 2 – “The Best Part of Life,” he talks about most important lesson – we’re not meant to be a storage of information, but to be wise. It’s not about accumulation of information, but it’s about what you do with that knowledge. 

Mind, heart and hands need to come together. What you think, feel and do together matters. Those three components create the harmony of wisdom. 

He states that we lost this wisdom of living well. That’s why we need to go back to the ancient lesson that is in different religions – “less is more.” 

Accumulation of goods is distracting to heart and gets in a way of cherishing each and every moment. We need to go back to simplicity and appreciating small things. 

Learn to travel through life, don’t wander aimlessly without a destination. Life has a goal.

If you make a mistake, admit it. Learn from it and move on. Take the reins and be in charge of your life. 

“Trivial choices lead to a trivial life; great choices lead to a great life. We become what we choose, for better or for worse.” 

In the following chapters, he explores much more, touching upon living in the present moment, having strong roots, meaningful lives, contributing to society, carrying gratitude and kindness, having face-to-face contact, giving the gift of a smile, speaking a word of encouragement, taking the time to listen, being inquisitive and creative among other subjects. 

“We didn’t come into this world to vegetate. We came into this world to leave a mark.” 

For those who read books on self-help, a lot of subjects will ring a bell. But with Pope Francis’ wisdom and compassion he weaves those mindsets with so much depth and warmth. They fill each fiber of human body. With gentle suggestions and nudges, he mentors how to have a meaningful life filled with purpose and growth.

It’s written in a form of vignettes, capturing the significant passages of life. It’s one of those books that can be read one passage a day, and reread for months and years. It’s a kind of read that lingers and stays with a reader for a long time. 

Published in 2024 by Worthy Books

TRENDING INSPIRATION: Leave a Mark. Life Has a Goal.

Traits:

·         Search for what is truly meaningful in life

·         There is meaning in our weaknesses and lessons to be learned from

·         It’s not about accumulation of information, but it’s about what you do with it

·         What you think, feel, and do together matters

·         Less is more – ancient lesson

·         Appreciate small things

·         Travel through life with a goal, don’t wander aimlessly

·         Learn from mistakes

·         Be in charge of your life

·         Live in the present moment

·         Have strong roots, be it culture or religion or something else

·         Have face-to-face contact

·         Give the gift of a smile

·         Speak a word of encouragement

·         Take the time to listen

·         Be inquisitive and creative

·         Don’t vegetate, leave a mark

"To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders." - Lao Tzu

"Trivial choices lead to a trivial life; great choices lead to a great life." - Pope Francis

“We didn’t come into this world to vegetate. We came into this world to leave a mark.” - Pope Francis

Saint Valentine the Kindhearted by Ned Bustard

 Saint Valentine the Kindhearted shares the legend of God’s brave and loving servant named Valentine.

Valentine’s story is told through poems which have a fun rhyme. He was born in Terni, Italy, and lived during a time when Rome had many gods. He praised only one God and spread God’s love and word. With his kind heart, he prayed for God to bring healing to those who needed it.

Under leader Claudius love and commitment were seen as sign of weakness. Despite that Valentine spread the blessing of marriage.

When thrown into jail, Valentine continued to praise love in short notes.

“Love is patient.”
“Love is kind.”

He signed his notes, “from your Valentine.” He sent those notes to folks in every direction.

He was buried on February 14th. Thus, we celebrate love on this day to “recall the kind saint who loved one and all.”

Very little is known about the real Saint Valentine, and yet such profound story was created about him through poems. Those loving and rhyming poems are beautiful commemoration of someone who was a noble figure thorough his acts, spreading love and kindness even when death threatened him.

The illustrations are unique in a form of stained glass window, which reflect well the whole story and its meaning.

This is a charming way to introduce children to a legendary figure who was selfless and very generous with his acts. This book is intended for audience 4-8 years old.

Published in 2024 by InterVarsity Press

Source: InterVarsity Press

TRENDING INSPIRATION: Be Generous

“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” – Lao Tzu

Lenny Henry by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara

 This inspiring biography series for children (4-7 years) brings the exciting figure of Lenny Henry, the talented comedian, actor, writer and activist.

Lenny was born in UK, but his family came from Jamaica. At school, he was bullied because he was Black. Instead meeting aggression with aggression, he fought back with his jokes. At home, he watched his favorite characters and studied how they moved and talked. He auditioned for a TV show and got the part. He became very successful in his business.

He shares his success with others by motivating minority children to dream big, to follow their dreams as he was one of them and was able to achieve it.

His story is a wonderful inspiration for children to dream big. With his contagious character, he shows a different path for fighting back. It doesn’t have to be aggression. Laugh is so much better, and it brings much better results.

This story is accompanied by original illustrations, and easy to understand sentences, right for the target audience.

Published in 2024 by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

Source: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

TRENDING INSPIRATION: Smile and Laugh a Lot (It should be a daily exercise)

Traits:

·         He was bullied because he was different; he used this adversity to find his purpose

·         He fought aggression with jokes

·         He studied comedians how they talked and moved

·         He auditioned for TV show and got the part

·         He followed his dreams

·         He deepened his purpose with activism

 

“Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.” – Omar Khayyam

Tenzing Norgay by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara

 This fascinating biography series for children (4-7 years) brings the thrilling figure of Tenzing Norgay (1914-1986), one of the most celebrated mountaineers.

Tenzing grew up at the base of the Himalayan Mountains in Nepal. He dreamed of climbing the highest peak of Chomolungma, and touching the sky from it. When he was seven, he heard of men from the West who wanted to climb the same peak, except they called it Everest. At thirteen, he was chosen as one of the Sherpas to join the expedition. Afterwards, he joined many other expeditions, and was nicknamed the Tiger of the Snows.

On May 29, 1953, Tenzing and Edmund Hillary made it to the summit of Everest.

Tenzing is a wonderful inspiration. His adventurous spirit, love for the mountains and caring nature for those he helped climb the mountains led him to the great achievement many dreamed of reaching but never did.

This story is an exciting inspiration for children to dream and follow their hearts. It is accompanied by charming illustrations, and presented in easy to understand way for the target audience.

Published in 2024 by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

Source: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

TRENDING INSPIRATION: Be Adventurous. Keep Trying New Things.

Traits:

·         His surroundings of Himalayan Mountains influenced his love for mountain hiking

·         He dreamed of reaching the highest peaks

·         At 13, he took his first expedition as the Sherpa

·         He became so good as the Sherpa that he became known as the Tiger of the Snows

·         On May 25, 1953 he made history with Edmund Hillary when reaching the summit of Everest

·         He had adventurous spirit

·         He loved mountains and cared for nature

 

"While you are doubting yourself, someone else is admiring your strength." - Kristen Butler

Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life by Arnold Schwarzenegger

 Be Useful by Arnold Schwarzenegger is a quick and fascinating read. From his life’s experiences, Schwarzenegger lays out how he was able to achieve so much while coming from humble beginnings.

Schwarzenegger begins with having a clear vision. If you don’t have it, then start with creating little goals and keep completing them; day by day, week by week, month by month, year by year. The process never ends as life is a continuous journey of growth.

In Austria, Schwarzenegger got inspired by then famous bodybuilder and made it his goal to become the best in the field. So he went from vision to action. He felt passionate about bodybuilding. Thus, he felt like it wasn’t a matter of discipline for him to go to the gym as he loved doing it.

Dream big. Ignore naysayers. He used any kind of negativity into motivation. No plan Bs as that would be already setting plan A for failure.

“Fulfilling a dream gives you the power to see further and deeper – further out into the world toward what is possible, and deeper into yourself to what you are capable of.”

“I learned that the only limits that truly exist are in our minds.”

The will to work is important part. You have to be diligent and consistent in your work.

After retiring from bodybuilding, he went into acting, then politics, and now philanthropy as you need to continue setting new goals.

His harsh childhood didn’t break his spirit, it rather helped him to find his passion and purpose. He chose the higher road and became his own creator, rather than taking a negative approach and blaming the system. I find his story and his ethics to make something of himself very inspiring.

My favorite chapter-title is “Shut Your Mouth, Open Your Mind.” In this chapter, he talks about the lesson he received from his first mentor who supported him in his dream of bodybuilding, who told him that he “can’t just be hungry for success and money and fame and muscles. We have to be hungry for knowledge as well… the world was the ultimate classroom, and that we need to be like a sponge, soaking up as much of it as we could…always be curious…it was better to ask good questions than to make smart statements.” Listen, learn, and grow.

I set to write a short review, but Schwarzenegger’s life’s journey is truly fascinating, how he propelled himself up, his high ethics, and the phenomenal drive to achieve unimaginable. This non-fiction is filled with his life’s stories which support what he aspired to do and continues to do.

Published in October 2023 by Penguin Press

TRENDING INSPIRATION: Be Useful

Traits:

·         Have a clear vision of your goal

·         You need to go from vision to action

·         Be passionate about your goal

·         Be disciplined

·         Be diligent

·         Be useful

·         Life is a continuous journey of experiences

·         Dream big

·         Ignore naysayers

·         Only plan A. No plan B

·         The limits are in your mind

·         Be hungry for knowledge

·         Listen, learn, and grow

"I am not what happened to me. I am what I choose to become." Carl Jung

The Story of Sojourner Truth: A Biography Book for New Readers by Anita Crawford Clark

 This biography series for children, 6-9 years, brings a trailblazing woman - Sojourner Truth – who turned her hard experience into positive action. Born as enslaved, she spoke out against slavery as a free person, and her fight for women’s rights sparked the actions of other women.

She was born as Isabella Baumfree around 1797, in New York. Belle as many other enslaved people was sold a few times and experienced mistreatment. What helped her through those hard times were the lessons her mother gave her, to ask God for guidance. When New York State established emancipation law in 1827, Belle became a free woman, and found her calling in sharing God’s word. She began teaching and preaching in New York poorest neighborhoods. Her preaching spread to Northeast, where she spoke out against slavery. She met some abolitionist leaders, with whom she didn’t always agree, but they respected each other. She continued her work until the very end of her life, which also included fight for women’s rights.

This story of Sojourner Truth brings powerful lessons for young minds. It shows challenges that life brings along the way and it’s about how one handles them. It shows that those challenges didn’t stop Sojourner from achieving great things. It shows how empowering it is to believe in something to guide one in hard times. It shows how important it is to respect another person even if you disagree. Thus, you can still achieve great things for humanity together.

This chapter book is presented in a simple and explanatory form. A word that would need explaining is defined within the story, as this biography series is meant to be read by young readers on their own. It is well-done, however, I’d say that it’s fit more for the 9 year old's rather than 6.

Published in January 2024 by Callisto Kids

Source: Sourcebooks

TRENDING INSPIRATION: Collaborate with others to find solutions for the benefit of humanity.   

Traits:

·         Turn adversity into positive action

·         Fight for what you believe in that serves humanity

·         Ask for guidance

·         Find your calling

·         Respect others even if you don’t agree with them

·         Collaborate for benefit of others

·         Find solutions rather than disagree

·         Life will always bring some challenges and it’s all about how you handle them

 

"When you are the author of your own fate, you don't want to write a tragedy." - Chris Hadifeld