I Once Was a Monkey: Stories Buddha Told

by Jeanne M. Lee

A colorful introduction to Buddhist fablesA monkey, caught in a monsoon, finds shelter in a cave amid the rubble of a temple. The monkey is not alone. A lion, a jackal, a turtle, and a dove bicker in the cramped space, until a statue of Buddha comes to life. "Hush, children, hush." Buddha says. "I will tell you a story to pass the time." From the tale of the clever monkey outwitting a hungry crocodile to that of a bird and turtle rescuing a friend, the six amusing parables told by the Buddha will introduce young readers to the famous cycle of fables in Buddhist literature known as the Jatakas, or birth stories, which Buddha originally told to his disciples to illustrate his teachings. Joined with stunning linocut illustrations, Jeanne M. Lee's I Once Was a Monkey form a book notable for both its beauty and its wisdom.

Genres: Buddhism, Childrens, Religion, Short Stories, Spirituality, India, Philosophy

41 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 31, 1999

About the author

Jeanne M. Lee is the author and illustrator of many books, including The Song of Mu Lan and I Once Was a Monkey: Stories Buddha Told.

Reviews

[Lauren Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the way that this book was a short chapter book but used pictures to enhance the stories. Like usual, if read aloud any student can hear it. If a student is reading it, the book is very text heavy so 3-5th graders may be reading this content.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

These stories are moralistic tales akin to Aesop’s fables. However, they feature the tale of a divine figure who fondly recalls all his previous lives and uses them as warnings and pastime for a bunch of animals trapped in a cave with him.

The stories are wonderful and new to this reader. While the novelty of these tales was very pleasing, I was happy to see resemblances to other stories of similar ilk. Here, the gluttonous are punished for overeating; the clever, weaker animal outwits the stronger; animals learns to live in harmony with each other, even when those others are natural enemies.

The illustrations are lovely and unusual, alternating color pages with black-and-white images. I’m sure this will be a treat for children and adults alike.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A kid friendly introduction to Buddhism and its principles. My daughter liked the animals in the stores, while I found them to be a good conversation starter for us to discuss issues like greed, fear, and empathy.

[Breanna Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story about the lessons of Buddha and a great way to introduce kids to Buddhism.

[Esuominim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked how there were stories within stories within stories. . .and that you could read each chapter individually for the story it contained, or you could read the whole book front to back for a bigger broader story able to add greater context to any of the individual parts within the whole.

Another huge plus this book has to offer is story-lines that include faulted-characters. No character is good or bad, smart or dumb. . .they all display aspects of many traits and are incredibly relat'able. Perhaps the crocodile seems sinister and cruel-hearted, but the monkey set in contrast to him can also be seen as rude and selfish with the intention to exploit his fellow critter's weaknesses. All the stories come down to logic, and being mindful to do your best at the disadvantage of no other creature. All the stories convey a message of patience, persistence, peacefulness, and intellect.

Aside from the obvious re-incarnation references made in the book, this book is entirely religion-neutral. The book does not preach Buddhist 'truths' or insist upon the adoption of any particular doctrine. The book's messages come from morals and logic that could be found in any spiritual or religious text, or simply in a moral, logical, or philosophical context devoid of any religious influence entirely.

[Jean-Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nicely told and illustrated collection of six Jatakas, stories about the previous lives of Buddha in human and animal form. We read this picture book to complement our ancient India history lessons about Buddha and Buddhism.

[René · Rating 4 out of 5]

We use this in our homeschool, it is a great book.

[Teri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good supplemental reading for learning about Buddhism--definitely longish without extraordinary illustrations.