Big Clay Pot, by Scott Mills

photo by iom keith, flickr

I happened upon this book quite by accident - it was offered on sale at Daedalus Books for a pittance, and since I was already ordering a few things from them anyway, I tacked it on to my order. It may just turn out to be the best of all the items on the packing slip! Now I'm eager to read some of his other graphic novels, and I've added this book to the suggestion list for my students.

Although it takes place in Japan around 200 B.C.E. and at one point relates the story of the Shinto goddess Amaterasu, the book is more Zen than anything else. It is the story of a little Korean refugee and her developing relationship with an old man, Kokoro (which means heart/mind/spirit - it's a concept that does not translate directly into English). Lovely little piece and I recommend it, even for children. I read it with N, who understood even some of the subtleties underlying the simple text.

~Namaste