Daisaku Ikeda (1928–2023)

I was given this book as a child in 1975 and lost it in my 20's. It's one of the first children's books I can remember and I think of it and the illustrations all the time to this day. Because of this, it's still one of my all-time favorite children's books.

The story is a tough subject, even for children due to the fact that it's about the repercussions of war and the strength and resilience of humanity. I'm glad I was given the opportunity to be able to read this at such a young age (4) so show more that I could begin to understand early about this sensitive subject. Every time I re-read it, I come to a deeper understanding of the context of the subject, the author and the point of view from which he was writing and living this story. show less

When Akiko and Hiroshi move to a new island with their parents, they don't know anyone on the island and are terribly lonely until they meet Pablo. However, when Pablo asks his grandmother about the wreck in the local bay, he learns that people from Akiko and Hiroshi's island had attacked Pablo's island many years ago. Akiko and Hiroshi's ancesters where the "enemy." So, Pablo decides to not be friends with Akiko and Hiroshi. A near-tragedy brings them together again and they learn that show more their ancient ancestors all came from the same place, carried around the world by boat. They realize that humanity is truly one large family and that war from the past does not have to lessen their friendship now. show less

This story was nothing like I imagined it would be but I really like it. The young girl in the story seems to have a few behavioral issues and isn't very nice to other kids. She learns through her visit to the moon to learn to treat others nicely. Her story teaches that a smile goes a long way. I think this is especially good for a student who seems to be grumpy. Students learn that their attitudes towards different situations may affect how they are perceived. Learning to treat others how show more they would want to be treated is always a powerful lesson to me. I love how the young girl is shown how much better she is by a sparkly rabbit.
The illustrations are equally beautiful. The colors are vibrant enough to hold a young child's attention. I am not sure of the material used to make the illustrations, however it looks like watercolor and possibly oil paints. show less

Review From LibraryThing:

Although following the particular views of Nichiren as interpreted by Soka Gakkai, I think that this book is of interest to anyone who is curious about Buddhism.

In particular the first part of the book, has many stories and tales that I found fascinating. Being interested in Ancient Rome, I enjoyed reading about the connection between Ashoka and Ancient Greece, as well as Ikeda's comments on "Questions of King Milinda." Many other stories presented in the book were show more also interesting, such as the one about Ambapāli, a prostitute who followed Buddha. I would love to read a study comparing her with Mary Magdalene. (Perhaps "Buddha and the Gospel of Buddhism" by Ananda?)

The second part deals more with the differences between Hinayana and Mahayana Buddhism and explains Buddhist, such as kū. show less