Kuan Yin: The Princess Who Became the Goddess of Compassion -- Maya Van Der Meer, Hardcover

Spirituality & Practice Best Books of 2021 Award Winner
Bank Street College of Education The Best Children's Books of the Year

Two sisters discover the power of love and the true meaning of compassion in this princess-adventure story based on an ancient Chinese tale.

Miao Shan isn't your typical princess. She likes to spend her time quietly meditating with the creatures of the forest or having adventures with dragons and tigers. Miao Shan's heart is so full of love that her dream is to spread happiness throughout the land and help people endlessly. But her father has other plans for her--he intends to have her married and remain in the palace. With the help of her little sister Ling, Miao Shan escapes and begins her journey to discover the true meaning of compassion.

During their adventure, Ling and Miao Shan are eventually separated. Ling must overcome doubts, fears, and loneliness in order to realize what her sister had told her all along--that love is the greatest power in the world. After the sisters' reunion, Miao Shan realizes her true calling as Kuan Yin, the goddess of compassion. A princess-adventure story like none other, this ancient Chinese tale of the world's most beloved Buddhist hero is a story of sisterhood, strength, and following your own path.

Author: Maya Van Der Meer
Publisher: Bala Kids
Published: 05/04/2021
Pages: 32
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.30lbs
Size: 12.00h x 10.60w x 0.50d
ISBN: 9781611807998
Audience: Ages 9-12

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 04/15/2021
Booklist 04/15/2021 pg. 41
School Library Journal 06/18/2021 pg. 1

About the Author
MAYA VAN DER MEER is an author, educator, environmentalist, and long-time Buddhist practitioner. She is the founder of the online education platform Bodhi Kids and assists Buddhist communities in establishing or enhancing their children's programming. Maya has run children's programs at meditation retreats and was an instructor at the Middle Way School in Woodstock, New York, where she currently lives with her life partner and their children.

WEN HSU is a Taiwanese-Costa Rican illustrator. She has a wide range of styles working with papercuts, ink, watercolor, textiles and digital art. She has illustrated stories for children in Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, India, Japan, Korea, and China. Wen has had a personal connection with Kuan Yin since she was a child, stemming from the bedtime stories her father told about the bodhisattva and trips to the Kuan Yin temples in Taiwan she took with her grandmother.