Books

Item Description

Buddha:

Many centuries ago, in a kingdom in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains, a miraculous child was born to the king and queen. The young prince, Siddhartha, was raised in the greatest luxury, sheltered from all pain and ugliness. But one day Siddhartha left the palace and saw, for the first time, human suffering and death. He knew then that he must relinquish everything-- his family, his wealth, his position-- to discover the Truth of life and death. With only a few humble possessions, he began a remarkable spiritual journey that ended many years later under a bodhi tree. There he finally discovered the Truth and became an Enlightened One, a Buddha. The Buddha taught the Truth and the path to inner peace for forty-five years, attracting thousands of disciples. Today millions of people around the world live by his teachings.

Demi's exquisite illustrations, inspired by the paintings and sculptures of several Asian cultures, are layered with meaning; each brush stroke has a special significance. Demi, herself a Buddhist, brings her devotion to the teachings of the Buddha and her vast knowledge of his life to this comprehensive picture-book biography of an extraordinary spiritual leader.

Kites:

"In brilliant colors and on spacious double-page spreads, Demi depicts the origin of the Chinese holiday Ch'ing Yang or The Double Ninth Festival, a festival of kites that takes place on September 9, the ninth day of the ninth month. Long ago in China . . . [a woman] went to a painter of holy pictures . . . and requested a picture of a dragon, 'a symbol of wealth, wisdom, power, and nobility,' but instead of an ordinary holy picture she requested the painting on a kite, in order to 'fly it right up to the sky [so] the gods in heaven will see it immediately.' Soon everyone wanted kites for their wishes and prayers, and finally, Ch'ing Yang was born and is celebrated to this day. The kites are what's important here, and Demi fills the pages with airily desirable kites in the shapes of birds, insects, reptiles . . . and symbols captioned with their attributes. . . . This is a celebratory sort of book that is going to inspire some serious kite-making/kite-flying activities."

--The Bulletin

Tutankhamun:

After thirty-two centuries of lying hidden in the Egyptian Valley of the Kings, King Tutankhamun’s sacred, royal tomb was discovered by a British archaeologist, and Tut’s story became known throughout the world. Demi sets King Tutankhamun’s life in the context of the religious beliefs of his ancestors.Born to a pharaoh who had the revolutionary idea that all of Egypt must worship only one god, Tut ascended the throne and restored religious freedom to the Upper and Lower kingdoms. He allowed his subjects to worship either the one god, Aten, of his father or the many shapes and forms of the sun god, Amun, whom they had worshiped since ancient times.

Using research that includes the artifacts in King Tutankhamun’s tomb, Demi shares the rich details of the king’s life, from ostrich to lion hunts, to the challenges of ruling his Kingdom. Demi’s storytelling skills and magnificent artwork, inspired by Egyptian line in paintings, architecture, sculpture, and jewelry, reveal the life of a remarkable king who has been watching us "across a span of more than 3,000 years.

Firebird:

Bring me the Firebird, or I swear by my sword, your head will no longer sit upon your shoulders!

A retelling of a popular Russian folktale

Demi's retelling captures the charm and drama of this favorite Russian folktale, while her lavish, gilded illustrations vividly evoke the grand setting and daring adventures.

Item Special Note

shipping fees may apply