Review: Gifts - and what you accept or don't accept
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 17, 2014
Author Assaf Marcus with the fine assistance of Malgorzata Godziuk, illustrator, have created a very worthwhile book that will delight children while offering some excellent lessons on behavior.We meet the Peaceful Lion who is always calm and happy and an evil crow to loved to tease and annoy everyone - the Nagging Crow. One day the crow sets out to attempt to take the peaceful attitude of the lion to test - following him around, mimicking him, and so forth, but the lion stayed peaceful. The frustrated crow set out on a plot to disturb the lion - and for a year he played loud music, made lots of noise, acted silly - but the lion remained peaceful. Finally the crow decides to discuss the matter with the lion, asking the lion how he can remain peaceful in view of all the attempts by the crow to destroy that peace. The lion simply answers with a little lesson about gifts: if someone gives you a gift and you take it, it belongs to you, but if you don't accept it, the `gift' still belongs to the giver. Ultimately the crow understands the lesson: he had tried to make the lion angry but the lion had decided to not let the crow do it - he just stayed happy and peaceful. And the crow understands he has the choice to be happy or angry. From then on the Lion and the Crow are both Peaceful Friends.Assaf Marcus sums up the message as follows: "Don't Take Anything Personally. Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering."  - Don Miguel Ruiz.  This is a beautifully written and beautifully illustrated book for children. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, April 14