What Teachers and Children are Saying about Hoopoe Books . . .
Letter to ISHK Hoopoe Books
(click image at left for full size)“... I enjoy the books because they are good books.
I think that people should give money to the organization that makes these books. I think they are doing a good thing for people.
My favorite books are, The Boy without a Name, Neem the Half-Boy, and The Magic Horse.”
—Sarah, age 9
The Lion Who Saw Himself in the Water
“I have used this tale with many children ages 3 to 8 in schools around the United States. It is a terrific vehicle for asking higher order questions and for teaching thinking and questioning strategies. In Central Asia, the ‘teaching-story’ is a vehicle for indirectly teaching concepts that are not always possible to get across in more direct, intellectual ways.
They also have a deconditioning effect, that is, they prepare the listener or reader so that when faced with difficult circumstances, he/she can choose a less automatic, more conscious solution. My students have thoroughly enjoyed this tale and easily understand the concepts that many adults have trouble getting. It’s a great discussion starter for helping children understand the differences between irrational and beneficial fears.” —Susan Josephs, National Urban Alliance for Effective Education“My favorite part is when Share the Lion saw his face in the water. It is my favorite part because his face looked like a sun with eyes, nose, and mouth.”
—Second grade student“My favorite part is when the beautiful butterfly told Share the Lion that it wasn’t another lion. It is my favorite part because that was nice of the beautiful butterfly.” —Second grade student
“With illustrations that make you want to step right into the picture, this book is a great telling of a classic tale for kids. My first graders adore it. Sometimes I think we forget or don't realize how powerful certain images and impressions we get from our early books really are and how much they can impact our lives. And what a great image to take through life — the notion that you might sometimes be hindered by fear of your own reflection.” —First grade teacher
“Colorful illustrations, easy to read, inviting.” —Second grade teacher
“[The Lion Who Saw Himself in the Water] gave us a chance to discuss life in Afghanistan and how normal people live there — and how war affects not only people, but all facets of life.” —First grade teacher
The Magic Horse
“The students enjoyed The Magic Horse immensely. We enjoyed talking about Afghanistan.” —Fifth grade teacher“There are so many mysterious twists and turns to the telling of this amazing and complex story. I read this book to all my classes (third graders). The kids hang on to every word in spellbound silence. How important in this technological, materialistic culture for our kids to be exposed to the very notion of a ‘heart's desire,’ to the idea of life as a richly complex journey with multiple dimensions and possibilities beyond our wildest dreams — possibilities that we must stretch ourselves to discover and realize. I highly recommend this book for kids of all ages.” —Third grade teacher
“Children’s books by Idries Shah build mental agility. It’s clear that we need to provide our kids — especially boys — with tools to counter the violence and knee—jerk aggression ubiquitous in popular culture. These children’s stories by Idries Shah are just this kind of tool. They’re not preachy. They don’t offer simplistic lessons or moral platitudes. They’re more like exercises for ‘mental muscle groups’ grossly underdeveloped in this culture. At least one of these books should be on every child’s bookshelf.” —Third grade teacher
“This sensitized our students to a culture that’s receiving a lot of negative emotion.” —Fourth/Fifth grade teacher
“It’s a great book for writing/illustrating how we can handle our fears.” —First grade teacher
What
Teachers and Children are Saying about Hoopoe Books (Adobe
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Last modified June 25, 2005. +slb (web@hoopoekids.com)