Books about prayer and meditation

Can I Pray with My Eyes Open? By Susan Taylor Brown *   A simple rhyming voice of a child exploring a deep message as she is reassured that she can pray where, when, & how she wants and she will always be heard. Great to introduce the concept of prayer.

Grandad’s Prayers of the Earth by Douglas Wood *      Beautiful introduction to prayer showing us that all living things in nature pray "in their own ways, all for their own reasons". Later, a boy is able to cope with the loss of his Grandfather by practicing these lessons he taught him.

Each Breath a Smile by Thich Nhat Hanh *     

A wonderfully simple introduction for children to the art of meditation and mindfulness.

Helen and the Great Quiet by Rick Fitzgerald*      

A girl’s family helps her learn to appreciate the quiet and she discovers nature’s sounds.

Peter’s Patchwork Dream by Willemien Min *     

Stuck in his bed not feeling well, a boy is bored until he realizes how many adventures await him among the fields and orchards of his old patchwork quilt. Great introduction for young kids to the beauty of daydreaming and enjoying quiet time. (kind of a pre-meditation thing)

Bless Your Heart by Holly Bea *     

Delightful but simple rhyming introduction to blessings for children. (No use of "God")

Bless Us All by Cynthis Rylant*     

A sweet introduction for young children to a year’s worth of blessings. One blessing for each month. (Does use "God" in the March blessing.)

The Circle of Days by Reeve Lindbergh *     

Based on a hymn by Saint Francis of Assisi that praises all of creation, this sweet blessings with wonderful illustrations honors the elements, the animals, the world, and life with childlike awe. (Is Christian in that it frames the blessing in a couple of sections as thanking Lord, but is a beautiful representation of their faith that is vivid and affirming.)

A Child’s Good Night Prayer by Grace Maccarone *      Simple blessing perfect for young children! A young child blesses everything around him. No mention of God so can come from any religious perspective.

Peaceful Piggy Meditation by Kerry Lee MacLean *      Excellent introduction to meditation. With a fun piggy presentation, it simplifies how to meditate for young kids and suggests many reasons why it is valuable to do.

A Quiet Place by Douglas Wood *     

Another wonderful book from Douglas Wood! This time, we explore quiet places around our world. From nature to libraries, they are places in which we can think, reflect, and simply enjoy the quiet. Wraps up with the idea that the best quiet place of all is the one inside of us.

Zen Shorts by Jon J Muth *     

Another great book by Muth. In this one, a panda named Stillwater shares three stories that are short meditations – simply ideas to puzzle over that have no goals. Two have been passed on through Zen Buddhist literature and one has roots going back to Taoism.

A Boy and a Bear by Lori Lite *     

A simple "guided imagery" to introduce children to relaxation techniques.

The Way To Start A Day by Byrd Baylor *     

Call it a prayer, song, chant, or a simple hello, Byrd Baylor gets us thinking about how we start our day and to follow the example of our ancestors from long ago who knew just how to start the day.

The Other Way To Listen by Byrd Baylor and Peter Parnall Celebrates the gift of being able to "listen" to nature. Might be too long for some groups.

My Daddy is a Pretzel by Baron Baptiste *    

A creative introduction to yoga in which a child realizes daddy’s yoga poses are similar to the work many parents of classmates do. Includes how to do some basic poses.

DREAM – A Tale of Wonder, Wisdom & Wishes

by Susan V.Bosak *     

Amazing book about the beauty and importance of having a dream. Presented in a lifetime of dreams that transform and inspire. Long for young groups, but worth it for older groups!

Home Sweet Home by Jean Marzollo *    

A very simple blessing book perfect for young kids ... blesses different animals one by one with nice illustrations "in our home called Earth".

** note that the book lists come on CD and vary in length from half a page to many pages.