The Dalai Lama: Foreword by His Holiness The Dalai Lama [Hardcover]

Demi (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 1998 | Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up

Included is a foreword written by The Dalai Lama.

When the thirteenth Dalai Lama died in 1933, the highest holy men in Tibet searched throughout the land for his successor. They were spiritually guided to the humble dwelling of a loving family high in the Himalayas. When the search party greeted the youngest son, the child told them, "Now I am going home!" At last the fourteenth Dalai Lama had been found, and at the age of two, the young boy was taken to the capital city, Lhasa, where he began his training to become the spiritual leader of Tibet.

The work of the Dalai Lama and the fate of Tibet are topics of evergrowing international focus. In simple language and glorious art, Demi pays tribute to the fourteenth Dalai Lama's remarkable life. She captures the beauty of Tibetan culture, as well as the charm, talent, and vision of one of the world's best-known spiritual figures.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3 Up?Tibet is a timely topic. However, in telling the story of the political and religious leader of the country, Demi does not aim at trendiness, controversy, or even high drama. This picture-book biography speaks simply and respectfully of the history and the mission of the Dalai Lama. The author focuses on the search for, and childhood of, the 14th reincarnation of the "ocean of wisdom." As a boy, he was both mischievous and mysterious, with ordinary childlike traits as well as deep spirituality. His accession to temporal power coincided with Chinese Communist control over Tibet, and at the age of 24, in the face of the Cultural Revolution's "madness," the Dalai Lama went into permanent exile. The last pages stress his universal message of peace and his compassion for his people. Demi's figures in this book are nearly as tiny as ever, but the format and watercolor-brushed Himalayas convey the sweep of the Tibetan setting, while minute details suggest the grandeur of its culture. Unlike Buddha Stories (Holt, 1997), this book is as colorful as the country it depicts, and uses gold as a color rather than a glittering line. Few readers will be able to resist the combination of the exotic background, the human interest of the main character, and the vision of peace he represents. This is a book as beautiful as it is moving, and one hopes it will make an impression on as many sensitive children as possible.?Patricia Lothrop-Green, St. George's School, Newport, RI
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 3^-6, slightly younger for reading aloud. Several recent movies about the Dalai Lama have sparked adults' interest in the life of the Buddhist spiritual leader. This glorious picture book for older children should do the same for middle-graders, thanks in no small part to Demi's very special artwork. The book begins with a letter from the Dalai Lama in which he describes his concern about the current political situation in Tibet, though in language children can readily understand. Then Demi briefly introduces Tibet and the Buddhist religion. She begins her biography with the death of the thirteenth Dalai Lama and the search for his successor, who turns out to be a two-year-old boy. The lad readily passes the tests that the monks have devised and moves to the holy city of Lhasa, where he studies Buddhism, as well as academic subjects, and is described as a "holy terror" by the monks. Demi does a good job of humanizing this "god-king," showing him to be a boy who loves taking things apart and putting them back together and watching the mice run up and down the curtains in his room. The book concludes with the Chinese takeover of Tibet and the Dalai Lama's life in exile. Demi's artistic style, with its diminutive figures and intricate lines, is familiar, but here she takes that style to a new level. Soaring landscapes, in which the Himalaya mountaintops peek out from a turquoise sky, are beautifully juxtaposed with spreads of palace pageantry and more personal scenes of the Dalai Lama's childhood. Demi, a practicing Buddhist, clearly shows the love and reverence she has for her religion in this special book. Ilene Cooper

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (March 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080505443X
• ISBN-13: 978-0805054439
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 10.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #221,026 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( D ) > Dalai, Lama
  • #18 in Books > Children's Books > Religions > Eastern
  • #79 in Books > Children's Books > Biographies > Religious

More About the Author

Demi was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and now lives in Yarrow Point, Washington. Demi is the author and illustrator of more than one hundred children's books, including picture-book biographies. Her work has received numerous awards and accolades.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Complex story told clearly and with beautiful illustrations, June 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Dalai Lama: Foreword by His Holiness The Dalai Lama (Hardcover)

Demi tells a potentially complicated story with clarity and simplicity. The illustrations are beautiful and evocative of the magical land in which the story is set. Where the takeover by Chinese Communist forces is concerned, you may need to fill your child in on some of the political background. Otherwise, the book is very accessible.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a perfect book for this saber rattling period, January 19, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Dalai Lama: Foreword by His Holiness The Dalai Lama (Hardcover)

This book is both beautifully written and illustrated. The Dalai Lama's message that love, not war, is the answer to the world's problems is presented quite well. Children will enjoy recognizing that this great man once was a child like them.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly spiritual book with a eye on human rights., January 18, 2002

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Dalai Lama: Foreword by His Holiness The Dalai Lama (Hardcover)

This book will be shared with my students. They have often endured many hardships in their lives and would enjoy hearing others' stories. The Dalai Lama is a very important person in the world and can not be ignored.