“Chasing pigeons was Ziji’s favourite thing”—Book review of Ziji: The Puppy Who Learned to Meditate
Review by Sarah Mist

Book: Ziji: The Puppy Who Learned to Meditate 
Author: Torey Hayden and Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
Illustrator: Charity Larrison
Publisher: Wisdom Publications
For readers aged: 4 years and up (but perhaps ideal for six- to eight-year olds)

Ziji is an active little puppy that is taught meditation from his new next-door neighbour in the park below their apartments.

Simple and clear meditation instructions for kids (and adults) framed around a sweet story about a puppy and family. The story has an ordinary, familiar quality that makes it all easy to relate to. My active seven-year-old son likes this book and I think it helped him to appreciate meditation in a wider context. The meditating puppy is a lovely analogy for young children.

The authors included four pages at the end entitled, “On Using this Book—A Guide for Parents and Teachers” which includes direct instructions for adults on what meditation is, and what it is not. They speak of how practical and beneficial meditation can be for children in our increasingly stressful world, and that it’s a great time to introduce when their minds are pliable and ready to learn new ideas. These instructions can take what is already an inspiring children’s book if only read aloud to a child, and transform it into a multi-faceted tool for skillfully helping children learn meditation.

★★★★ 4 stars from my seven-year-old son

Ziji The Puppy Who Learned to Meditate via Wisdom Publications