The Little Lama of Tibet [Library Binding]

Lois Raimondo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1994 | Age Level: 8 and up

A young Tibetan Buddhist monk whose life is dedicated to the preservation of Tibetan culture is the subject of this stunning photo essay by a Pulitzer Prize finalist. Features an introduction by the present Dalai Lama. Full-color photos.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

From its foreword by the Dalai Lama to its hand-lettered endpapers depicting the Tibetan alphabet, this haunting photo essay beautifully presents a most unusual subject: six-year-old Tibetan Buddhist high lama Ling Rinpoche. With her clear writing and thoughtfully composed, if dark photographs, Raimondo conveys Rinpoche as both a spiritual leader and a regular boy. Text and color photos document the training of a holy leader and the everyday life of an active six-year-old. Accordingly Rinpoche is shown earnestly studying the scriptures and then playing with his blocks, blessing pilgrims and riding a merry-go-round. When another young high lama visits, the boys greet each other solemnly, then walk off hand-in-hand to play. When Rinpoche retires to his room to pray, he does so surrounded by his collection of stuffed bears. While it may be difficult for those unfamiliar with Buddhism to appreciate the importance of Rinpoche's position--and while the Dalai Lama's introductory remarks about reincarnation may raise more questions than they answer--Raimondo's respectful approach will assure readers that they have glimpsed something very special. A note by Rinpoche eloquently ends a strange and wonderful journey. Ages 5-9.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6-The fantastic but true story of a six-year-old Buddhist monk. Ling Rinpoche lives in India with 12 adult caregivers. Believed to be the reincarnation of a highly respected Tibetan teacher, he leads a carefully regulated but isolated existence that consists of exercise, prayer, study, plus public sessions where he dispenses both blessings and advice. On holy days, Rinpoche sits on a golden throne and leads ceremonies. Raimondo spent a year in Dharamsala and had official permission to interview Rinpoche on an exclusive basis. She writes a sympathetic account of this unusual life and the religious and cultural beliefs that shape it. However, it's her magnificent full-color photographs that truly capture Rinpoche's world. She does not attempt to justify what, under other circumstances, would challenge Western notions of individual freedom. Instead, her account simply tries to make vivid a life bound by tradition, acquired wisdom, and religious devotion. A "More About Tibet" page suggests the role that the young monk plays in ensuring his culture's survival. The volume also includes a map, stunning endpapers showing the Tibetan alphabet, plus personal letters from both the Dalai Lama and Ling Rinpoche. A beautiful photo essay that reveals a world radically different from our own.
Ellen D. Warwick, Winchester Public Library, MA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Library Binding: 40 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Trade (February 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590461672
• ISBN-13: 978-0590461672
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 9.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,437,840 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a cute insight into the life of a 6 yr old Tibetan monk, April 21, 2001

By 

Larry Mark "editor of MyJewishBooks.com" (nyc) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Little Lama of Tibet (Library Binding)

A picture book with beautiful photos of the young monk and a few sentences on his life. The author is a former journalist for NY Newsday and The New York Times. The book's inside front and back covers are filled with the Tibetan alphabet and its sounds. Six year old Ling Rinpoche of Dharamsala India is shown at play, studying, eating, and greeting. In one picture, a young reader can read about how he wakes before dawn, in another, read about how he dresses in maroon and gold robes of cotton or wool. We learn what he eats for breakfast, what he studies, what toys he plays with. He meets well wishers, and we see him traveling to Bodh Gaya. The book closes with a map drawing of India, Tibet, and their neighbors.