Moody Cow Meditates [Hardcover]

Kerry Lee MacLean (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Peter the Cow is having a bad day. After missing the bus and wiping out on his bike, he loses his temper and gets in trouble. To make matters worse, all the other kids and cows are teasing him, calling him "Moody Cow." Peter's day just seems to get worse until his grandfather comes over. Can Grandpa teach him to settle his mind and let go of his frustration? This vibrant children's book is a fun and funny way to introduce children to the power of meditation. With full-color illustrations by the author, Moody Cow is ideal for parent-child sharing and for repeat reads.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kerry Lee MacLean has been meditating since she was 14. Together with her husband and three daughters, she leads children's meditative arts and Shambhala Rites of Passage programs around the world. Her workshops teach children to self-settle and self-soothe using The Great Mind-in-a-Jar Experiment, Zen archery, rainbow calligraphy, Haiku Hikes, yoga and sitting meditation. She is the author ofPeaceful Piggy MeditationandThe Family Meditation Book. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Wisdom Publications (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 086171573X
• ISBN-13: 978-0861715732
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 10.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,567 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #29 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Family Life > Multigenerational
  • #46 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Religious Fiction
  • #87 in Books > Children's Books > Religions

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great! Funny and Relevant, and Introduces a Meditation Many Children Will Love, September 29, 2009

By 

L. Erickson "Mommy Mystic" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Moody Cow Meditates (Hardcover)

I liked the author's prior book on meditation for kids, Peaceful Piggy Meditation, but I think I like this one even better. It is funnier, and teaches a meditation that many preschool and elementary age children will love. The story centers around a young cow/boy who has had a VERY bad day (thus earning him the nickname 'moody cow'). He has a bad dream, his sister bugs him, he misses the school bus, he gets in a bicycle accident - like I said, a VERY bad day. And he gets VERY angry. To help calm him down, his grandfather helps him make a 'mind-jar', where sparkles swirling in agitated water represent his angry thoughts. Then he 'meditates' on the mind-jar by watching it until all the sparkles settle peacefully at the bottom. At that point, of course, he is feeling much better himself too.
Not only is this a great way to introduce meditation (instructions for the mind-jar are included in the back), but it also provides a way to talk about difficult emotions, and the situations in kid's lives that make them feel that way, in an open and non-punitive fashion. And it's appropriate for parents, teachers, and kids of any religious (or non-religious) background - meditation is not presented within a religious framework. Highly recommend!

EDIT 7/9/10 - I came back to edit this review after reading some of the other reviews. It is true that there is a lot more anger represented in this book than others, and that moody cow's expression of that anger - and his sister's - are pretty aggressive. And the mother's initial reaction to the behavior is punitive. But personally, I feel it has a fairy tale feel to it, because the characters are animals, and so these actions trigger discussion, but aren't presented as models for behavior. My own kid's did gasp the first time we read this book, when he broke the window, in the way they might gasp at a dragon battle or whatnot in another kind of story. I think the value is in triggering discussion, and letting kids feel like we all make mistakes, as opposed to trying to 'regulate' what they are exposed to. Of course what age to do that at is a personal parental decision.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars my "Moody Cow" loves this book!, January 20, 2010

By 

J. Griffith (Oak Hill, VA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Moody Cow Meditates (Hardcover)

I have a very bright, emotionally intense six year old who's best friend loaned us this book a few days ago. We love it! I went out today to buy the fixings to make our own "mind jars"- my son is absolutely fascinated by the idea (he calls it a mad jar). At a playdate this afternoon he related the entire story almost verbatim to another friend, who now also wants to go out and get this book so he can make his own mad jar. Just think, we could end up with a whole population of six-year olds who know how to meditate! Fabulous!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Anger Management for Kids, February 15, 2010

By 

J. Steitzer (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Moody Cow Meditates (Hardcover)

I got this book for my Moody Cow daughter, 7 years old, but found that my 5 and 4 year old really benefitted from the simple act of letting their angry thoughts settle using the technique described in this book. It really works well because it is multi-sensory... VISUAL - kids watch as sparkles sink to the bottom of the jar. AUDITORY - they listen to gong to begin the meditation, and again at the end. EMOTIONAL - The grandfather listens to his grandson's misfortunate day, and EMPATHIZES as he goes along.