Thich Nhat Hanh was a world-renowned spiritual teacher and peace activist. Born in Vietnam in 1926, he became a Zen Buddhist monk at the age of sixteen. Over seven decades of teaching, he published more than 100 books, which have sold more than four million copies in the United States alone. Exiled from Vietnam in 1966 for promoting peace, his teachings on Buddhism as a path to social and political transformation are responsible for bringing the mindfulness movement to Western culture. He established the international Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism in France, now the largest Buddhist monastery in Europe and the heart of a growing community of mindfulness practice centers around the world. He passed away in 2022 at the age of 95 at his root temple, Tu Hieu, in Hue, Vietnam.
For years I have known that spiritual teacher Thich Nhat Hanh is doing marvelous things for children in his Plum Village in France and wherever he travels. But until I found this book, I didn t know how wonderful his beautiful messages are for young people. I sure wish I had had this book when my daughter was asking hard questions. Thay (as everyone calls the author) has such simple, profound answers to questions all our children ask. There are both spiritual questions and really nitty gritty daily life questions, from Why does the world exist? and Why is my brother always so nasty to me? to What is meditation and why do people do it? and Why do I feel sometimes that everyone is against me What a gift Thay s answers are! I want to give this book to every child I know so they can bask in his warmth, kindness, and wisdom. The back of the book includes questions about Thay s life in Plum Village, how he lives, and why he teaches what he does. So much in one little book! I can t recommend this enough. Chinaberry Is Nothing Something? is a delightful book filled with answers to questions, some more philosophical than others, that every child wonders. The answers are concise, compassionate, and wise and are practical for application in daily life. The Children's Book Review Is Nothing Something? is a delightful book filled with answers to questions, some more philosophical than others, that every child wonders. The answers are concise, compassionate, and wise and are practical for application in daily life. -- The Children's Book Review