Customer Reviews

Fishing for the Moon and Other Zen Stories: A Pop-up

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She isn't all about theory, ladies and gentlemen: she practices what she preaches. Ms. Hansen consciously seeks to improve herself as a practioner of Zen Buddhism, which shows itself in her day-to-day routines.

"Fishing" reminds us of the antiquated practice of storytelling and parent-child sharing. Ms. Hansen's delightful collection is a much-needed resource for building the rapport between mother, father and child and helping us foster values together. Through gentle words and wonderful paintings and pop-ups, her Zen stories provide food for thought and amazement at the simplicity and beauty of life's adventures.

Perhaps over time, you will find your copy of "Fishing" well-used and firmly installed beside other timeless childhood works by the Grimm brothers, the Andersen brothers, Roald Dahl, C.S. Lewis, Italo Calvino (for "Italian Folktales"), Wu Cheng'en (for "Monkey King" or "Journey to the West") and other cherished giants of the tale. A series of tales to be enjoyed by the family.

I wasn't sure whether to get this book--listed as just nine pages long, and the sample photos showed simple pop-ups. Still, a pop-up book with Zen stories and watercolor illustrations sounded unique and promising.

Well, I wasn't disappointed. I was extremely pleased with this book. There are several pop-ups (with more detail than the sample pages), some movable elements, the illustrations are very nicely done and the stories are indeed unique. Everything comes together to give you a full experience.

In spirit, pop-up books are for children, but the artistically rendered _Fishing for the Moon_ has lessons for adults too.

These are simple insightful stories from the Zen Buddhist tradition that teach us a thing or two about awareness, meaning, and kindness, illustrated with traditional watercolor techniques with understated colors.

Excellent for a set of bedtime stories or for your coffee table with its watercolor art, and even moving parts. Unfortunately there's no "look inside 3D" edition, or you'd be able to see how the monkeys swing off a branch to reach for the reflection of the moon.