Sarah Conover – författare

"Kindness is packed with excellent tales that will surprise and delight readers while introducing them to the diversity of religious traditions." ―John Green, BooklistFollowing the Buddha through his various transformations, these clarified, often humorous narrative journeys open the ancient masters profound and gentle teachings to persons of all ages, religions, races, and ideological persuasions. Over and over this marvelous book tells us, "let go of your anger, your fear, your greedy desire. Embrace gladness. Follow the path." And the stories themselves, simply as stories, form a wondrous pageant of elephants, monkeys, monks, and men working through foolishness toward wisdom and delight. This collection of traditional Buddhist tales leads us to the kind of implicit understanding of ourselves and others that only stories can provide.

A rich and vibrant collection of stories that will be treasured by all who wish to broaden their understanding of Islamic tales and traditions. Winner of the 2004 Aesop Prize, Ayat Jamilah: Beautiful Signs draws from the core of Islamic spirituality and ethics, the Qur’an and the hadiths, and also from a rich history of mystical verse, folk tales and figures of the Islamic narrative. Ayat Jamilah gathers traditional stories from the farthest reaches of the Muslim world, which stretches from Morocco in the west to Indonesia in the east, and from China in the north to Tanzania in the south. This singular anthology, with its thorough explanatory notes, will be invaluable to anyone wishing to understand, or to teach, geography, world history, or world religions. It will also be treasured by Muslim families and by all parents committed to broadening the lives and values of their children and themselves.

A collection of traditional stories from one of the world's oldest civilizations. Simple, often humorous, and always wise, these tales will delight readers of all ages, making Harmony a book to cherish.For over two thousand years, the Chinese have used brief sayings known as chengyu to sum up practical wisdom and ethical principles. Most chengyu are associated with a story that illustrates their meaning, and these stories have been passed down by word of mouth over the centuries.Gathered in this volume are twenty-four of the most popular chengyu and the stories based on them, each beautifully illustrated by one of China's foremost artists, Ji Ruoxiao. For readers curious about the cultural context of the tales, the book includes a brief overview of Chinese religious traditions as well as background notes on each story, a map, and chronology.

This collection of essays from Barbara Kingsolver, Anne Lamott, Barry Lopez, and others reflects on how parenting challenges, enriches, and magnifies our spiritual lives.They explore those times when children helped them appreciate the mystery and beauty of life, how children threw them into battles with their souls, and how children helped them say “yes” to living. Parents with families of all kinds will find in these essays moments of joyful recognition and compassionate understanding for the unique spiritual adventure of raising children.

In the pages of MUHAMMAD, young readers will encounter a man very different from the figure often presented in Western popular culture. Drawing from biographies, the Quran and hadith, Sarah Conover, co-author of Ayat Jamilah, Beautiful Signs, relates the story of a radical prophet who challenged the rich and powerful, guided his community of followers through a dangerous time of persecution and exile, formed alliances with people of different beliefs and preached "love for humanity what you love for yourself."Before he became one of the most venerated and most misunderstood, religious leaders in history, Muhammad was an orphaned child and a shepherd.Written for readers 12 and up and with a foreword by Eboo Patel (founder of Interfaith Youth Core and a member of the President's Council on Faith-Based Neighbourhood Partnerships), MUHAMMAD will educate and inspire young adults and adults of all faiths.

A captivating collection full of the sights and sounds of India, this is a book of stories from Ancient Hindu epics, myths and folk traditions. Thousands of years in their telling and retelling, these stories invite readers of all ages to explore one of the world's most ancient and varied religious traditions. Vivid dramas featuring gods, goddesses, kinds, sages and fools have been selected from Ancient Hindu epics, myths and fold traditions across India. The stories themselves convey key values such as honesty, generosity, devotion and justice and, also, introduce readers to unique religious and cultural observances. Included are vibrant colour illustrations and a resources section which provides background information on Hinduism.

How would the most cherished stories of Christianity, Judaism and Islam be different if women were the active central figures?This ground-breaking collection of short stories brings to life the women—daring, brave, thoughtful and wise—who played important and exciting roles in the early days of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.Join Esther as she stands against injustice and her king to save her people, Aisha as she leads hundreds of men into terrifying battle and Mary as she and Elizabeth dream of the new lives growing inside them. How must Sarah have felt, turning Hagar out into the desert? And how must Hagar have felt, traveling from the safety and security of Abraham's land toward an uncertain future? These stories invite us to come to know and appreciate the struggles and triumphs of these women—mothers, daughters, believers and seekers.