Monkey-Fish-Dragon

PreS-Gr 3—Three stories with roots in ancient wisdom philosophies, written by self-help coach Phoebe Lee and narrated by Kat Epple, who also composed the musical score, are featured here. Each tale begins with a statement about its purpose. "Wu Wei" (a concept from Taoism) tells how Jeremy Jones and his sister Zoe must release their pet fish at sea. The fish, actually a dolphin, learns to go with the flow. "Kalpana" (a Sanskrit term for imagination) shows how Zoe is able to conquer her fears of a dragon under her bed by talking to an imaginary friend and using creative visualization. In "Monkey Mind" (a Buddhist phrase), Jeremy believes that a monkey has crawled into his ear, ranting and raving and getting him into trouble. His mother helps Jeremy compose his restless mind by playing a calming audio story. Epple's soft voice, the gently rhyming text, and the soothing background music almost guarantee that listeners will fall asleep. Yet these slight stories present disturbing images—a dolphin confined in a fish bowl, a dragon lurking in the dark, and a monkey crawling into a boy's head. Young children would have a better grasp of these philosophical principles—if that is the author's intention—if the stories contained more substance and some cultural background.—Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN