Peaceful Piggy Meditation [Hardcover]

Kerry Lee Maclean (Author), Kerry Maclean (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: January 1, 2004 | Age Range: 5 - 9 years

Sometimes life seems like it's all about hurrying--so many places to go! And sometimes it's hard when things don't go your way--it can make a piggy angry and sad. So how do young piggies find a peaceful place in a frustrating world? They meditate!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3–The young pigs in this story balance a stressful, hectic life with regular meditation. Using straightforward–though somewhat saccharine–language and images, MacLean, a certified children's meditation instructor, describes this practice and explores its benefits, which include increased self-confidence and feelings of peace and well-being. The vibrant illustrations featuring the blissed-out pigs are childlike in their simplicity. At the end of the book, the author offers instructions on how to meditate and describes her experiences with using family meditation in her own life and in her practice. There are few titles for young children that explain and teach meditation techniques. As such, this offering will find a place in many libraries.–Marge Loch-Wouters, Menasha's Public Library, WI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 2. Maclean, a meditation therapist, presents her case for deep relaxation in terms pitched straight at kids: "Sometimes the world can be such a busy, noisy place"; that's why "it's good to meditate." There's nary a lotus-blossom or a Bodhisattva to be found in the bright paintings of disarming piggies who tease their siblings, get mad, play video games ("You feel like you can't slow down. Even when you're sitting down!"), but also "know when to take a break, find a quiet spot and just breathe, breathe, breathe." For all that, Maclean advocates an essentially abstract spiritual practice: the instruction is as nondogmatic as it is concrete. She suggests that kids "have Mom or Dad help them set up a special place" for meditating, and concludes with an activity that invites kids to visualize the quieting of their minds as the settling of particles in a muddied jar of water. Even families that normally regard meditation as so much New Age folderol may find this chipper offering both endearing and persuasive. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 5 - 9 years
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company (January 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807563803
• ISBN-13: 978-0807563809
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 11 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #717,951 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kerry Lee MacLean is author and illustrator of three best-selling and award-winning series of picture books: The Peaceful Piggy Meditation series, the Moody Cow Meditates series and the Pigs Over Colorado series. She has been leading family meditative arts workshops of all kinds at Shambhala Meditation centers in Europe, Australia and North America for 15 years. Kerry just collaborated with 4,000 Boulder elementary school children on the writing and sketches for Pigs Over Boulder 2, to be released November, 2012, and Moody Cow Learns Compassion was just released, too! Her next book will be for parents and kids together: The Family Meditation Workbook.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 63 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction to the subject June 29, 2005

By Maizuru

Format:Hardcover

This is an excellent introductory book on meditation that we recently used with great success to teach children to meditate at a Buddhist summer camp. The theme of the book was just about right for kids aged 4-9. I did not find the material "dumbed down" for this age group as a previous reviewer suggested, but perhaps older children might find it to be so. The piggies are cute and kind of cool (I liked them!).

The book guides children through the reasons why meditation is necessary, and believe me when I say it is the best book on the market for doing so (I looked around extensively). Especially good is the "mind-in-a-jar" experiment at the end of the book which gives a concrete, hands-on demonstration of why meditation is necessary. We placed dirt into a jar, spun it around, and the kids noticed how the sediment settled to the bottom after they meditated. A note, however: a little dirt goes a long way - don't put too much in or the experiment won't be as successful.

Some practical notes: it is best if this book is taught by someone who is experienced in meditation, as is the case with all meditative traditions. Furthermore, most children can't really meditate effectively for more than five or ten minutes due to modern attention spans. Just like adults, some children can meditate in full-lotus, some in half-lotus, and some can't do either. Especially if teaching in a group, care needs to be given to all three groups and children should be allowed to do what is comfortable. Finally, instruction is needed on the importance of giving ourselves some time to "switch modes" from meditation-mode to running-around-and-playing-mode in order to adjust. If children just get up and run around one second after meditating, the sudden switch between sympathetic and parasympathetic systems may cause some discomfort.

Overall, I believe this is a "must-have" book for anyone who wants to teach meditation to children aged 4-9, but as with any meditation book, this is best taught by an experienced meditator.

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun and valuable March 2, 2006

By Spinner's End VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book was a useful step in introducing my two year old to pairing meditation with awareness of breath. She and I have been cultivating the ability to sit still and be aware of our breathing for a while. This book helped her to see that she can use breath awareness to calm herself in a stressful situation (hearing the vacuum cleaner, having to do something she doesn't want to do, etc.).

I did not give the book 5 stars because it lacks the substance to interest older readers, yet some of the concepts are a bit advanced for younger readers. By the time my daughter is old enough to be concerned about enemies, standing up to others, and accepting things as they are, she will probably be too old to relate to personified pigs.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Introduction! March 3, 2006

By Denice A. Evans

Format:Hardcover

While the story is not actually a meditation it is a great introduction for children to understand why....they should meditate. Simple text and adorable illustrations explain and show that "When you're peaceful, you can be truly fearless!" This book can definitely motivate young children to want to try and meditate. I also recommend the "Indigo Dreams Series" to move your children into meditation after being motivated by the peaceful piggies to try it. Great way to introduce a complicated concept.