please recommend Vedic storybooks for baby/toddler

[Guest Jaya]

Hello! I want to buy some books for my daughter's first birthday. I live in Europe and am not Indian. I am a practitioner of Kundalini Tantra and have a deep reverence for the ancient wisdom of the Vedas and pre-Vedic mythology.

 

What children's books do you recommend for a baby/young toddler that tell the tales of the Vedas?  I want to immerse her in the great myths from a young age.  Please include links if you can.

 

Thank you!

[The Editor]

Do a search in google for Amar Chitra Katha comic books.

[Guest vidya]

I would recommend Tales from India by Jamila Gavin and Amanda Hall:

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tales-India-Collectors-Classics-Jamila/dp/1848772025

 

It's beautifully illustrated in various Indian styles and the stories are very well written.  I have it and it's suitable for reading to my seven year-old but probably too early for a toddler.  You might find the books written for Indian audiences have a different language and register and might not be as accessible or engaging for a western audience or western-born indian child.

 

[Guest chander]

I congratulate the Mother who decided to teach her 1 year old about "Indian" Ways.

Being a grandfather, with grandchildren living abroad;

and having seen their harsh daily life created by the no-free-time parents;

by which their "childhood" --innocence, laughter--are all lost;which will make them self-centred & egoistic as they grow up.

 

Vedas for Toddlers!!

India is not Vedas! I hope you know -- India is also not elephant gods and magicians  and snakes and birds & rats as God-vehicles! 

Indians are never asked to  "believe" in anything -- even mysterious gods with miraculous powers. 

This stage is only to discipline the play-school stagers (I mean grown ups) -- for practising a Righteous (dharmic)  Life.

 

Teach your toddler anything and everything where the moral is "Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu" -- irrespective from which country that story originates. The LSSB 's nearest English meaning is "Empathy".  Kindness, Caring, Sharing etc are also to be added.

 

This will develop kindness towards each and every being --plants, insects, animals and people.

From this will come -- right ways ("righteous" actions)of living and finally universal Love. 

These can be taught them through stories can be about Ants, Animals to Humans and Angels.

Once the Universal Love is "felt" even partially, the perfect Human is already there.

 

Teach them "goodness" by your own example of living, rather than through instructions of harsh Do's and Dont's. 

 

Don't be in a hurry to teach about Elephant Gods and Vedas.

Toddlers will definitely consider Kings, Demons and Devils as "fairy tale" (although they will realize on growing up, that these people live among us with different clothing).

 

Rama and Krishna were children like our own. But they wore crowns and lived with Kings and Cowherds.

So teach them how  "nice" they were. You will encounter questions about ogres etc. Then be prepared for "right" answers.

So you can introduce Rama and Krishna (not whole of Mahabharata, Bhagawata and Ramayana) when they grow up -- when they can ask questions.

 

For a toddler -- you have to spend time with him and the book .

Some very low cost books are from  http://www.gitapress.org/Use_child.asp?pagenum=1

Also search for book codes:1491, 1492, 1445.

 

Don't be in a hurry to thrust -- it will become sour afterwards, if you are in a hurry.

 

One more point: Just teach him/her the lives of Great People -- across the world.

They became great because of hard work, concern for others and devotion to duty  -- despite the privations.

 

Have a Learning Experience by "Teaching".  Good Luck

 

 

 

 

[Guest chander]

You can visit this  page also: (for future use):

http://advaitaashrama.org/Book/Search/?q=children

 

 

Sorry -- I missed the point that you just wanted to buy a gift; and not specifically books  on Vedas.

 

Being the first birthday -- see if you can get a Krishna (with a flute) or a Ganesha.

Buy a low priced ones (like Rs 500 or less)

http://www.exoticindiaart.com/

 

You can buy a video like:

http://www.exoticindiaart.com/product/audiovideo/little-krishna-darling-of-vrindavan-dvd-ICO067/

 

By the way when is the birthday? So that I can post more when I have time!!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

[dwanger]

These are very good resources, although, mostly for older children.  I enjoy the stories as well.      http://bal-mukund.org/books-cds/