Zen Pencils--Inspirational Quotes for Kids by Gavin Aung Than

Zen Pencils--Inspirational Quotes for Kids Reviews

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  [S] Bibliophage

  Praises for Gavin Aung Than and his publisher Andrews McMeel for coming up with this graphic novel that contains 23 inspirational quotes from some of the notable personalities, such as Winston Churchill and Confucius. The supporting illustrations drawn by the author himself were quite appealing that will undeniably pleased both young and adult readers.
  
  
  
  In this book, one of the remarkable quotes for me is by Howard Thurman, "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." The accompanying story and artwork for this quote is absolutely appropriate; as it depicts how we usually forget about our dream because our parents dictates what we should become. There are other issues addressed in this graphic novel, such as hatred, bullying, and racial differences, to name a few.
  
  
  
  I'm hoping that the author will release a second volume of this; because I believe that there are a lot more uplifting quotes that were not included in this book. Kids really need this kind of book — to inspire them and boost their morale — especially now in this chaotic times. I don't have any unpleasant remarks for this book, only satisfactory and delightful compliments.
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  Am Y

  Quotes/Anecdotes from famous people are turned into short comic book stories spanning anywhere from 1-11 pages long.
  
  E.g. Seneca's "all cruelty springs from weakness" is turned into a short story in which you discover that a ferocious demon's bullying behaviour is due to insecurity over his ugly looks, and you realise that we should not be so quick to judge, as there sometimes may be a sad reason behind why someone acts the way they do, and by understanding the underlying reason behind their behaviour, we can empathise with their actions and perhaps help them correct it.
  
  Not all the stories were as good as this one though. Some were a bit contrived, or else the anecdotes used weren't really inspirational to begin with. I wish a better selection of quotes had been used.
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  Kailey (Luminous Libro)

  This book is a collection of quotes from famous people about doing your best, being yourself, striving for greatness, never giving up, and keeping positive no matter the obstacles. Each quote is illustrated with a short comic that tells a little story which portrays the concept of the quote.
  
  I really enjoyed reading this book! The quotes are uplifting and there's a lot of good wisdom in this book. The comics are beautifully drawn with vibrant colors, and some of the characters from the first comics reappear in other comics at the end, so there's a sense of continuity and overall structure.
  
  I was a little surprised that many of the comics are violent, depicting knights killing dragons, wrestlers taking down opponents in the ring, and even a Buddhist monk fighting a monster/demon. I thought that many of the quotes NEEDED a certain amount of violence to mirror the "fight for the right" message of the quote, and I enjoyed seeing those evil dragons taken down. (When you're quoting Winston Churchill, you probably need to show a fight of some kind. And that's good!) But there were just a LOT of them.
  Couldn't some of the quotes about courage and tenacity have shown someone helping the elderly, feeding the homeless, tutoring a child, overcoming a bad habit, or taking a meal to a sick person? Courage encompasses many different things, not just battling dragons and demons.
  The subject material for the comics felt a little one-sided, and all that violence is not very "zen".
  
  The quotes themselves are from wonderful role-models with lots of wisdom to give the world, and each one really makes you stop and think about how you can apply that knowledge to your life. I enjoyed it immensely!
  
  Disclaimer: I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts and are not influenced by anyone.
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  Amber Webb

  I love inspirational quote books, but this book went above and beyond. Putting inspirational quotes into comic book style thumbnails was genius! I loved this book and it's approach. I think that the way this book is laid out makes the idea of quotes more accessible, interesting and fun for children. I can see many readers enjoying this book.
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  Vernon Area Public Library KIDS

  A gathering of inspiration quotes from notable people around the world and across time. It is a quick and easy read that can appeal to all kinds of readers, especially reluctant ones. The graphics add humor and allow readers to understand a message within the quotes. Educators can utilize the quotes to begin discussions and debates and encourage young readers to be the power that makes a positive change. I believe that readers, who enjoy 365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Brown’s Book of Precepts, will like this book.
  
  Recommended for grades 2-5. Lexile Level: NA
  Reviewed by Christine Hwang, Youth and School Services, Vernon Area Public Library
  
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  Mary Lee

  If you don't follow Gavin Aung Than on social media or subscribe to his website, you need to start right now. I was so psyched to see he had put together a collection of quotes-made-comics for KIDS.
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  Martha

  This cartoon offering is very different from my usual read. I don’t read too many cartoon style books and I thought this would be fun. It is fun with the author sharing some great quotes with unique and wonderful illustrations. My favorites were The Two Wolves, To Love at All (C.S. Lewis) and Invictus-- a Tribute to Nelson Mandela. All three of these are favorite quotes or poems of mine so it’s not surprising I liked them. I liked how Mr. Than matched the images to the literary works.
  
  There are many other inspirational pieces with unique comic strips expressing emotions for each piece. The only thing that troubled me was some of the illustrations have very angry faces. We have enough terrible rage and mean-spiritedness in the world. I can appreciate the emotional intensity but I don’t think the terrible anger expressed is suitable for young people or a book promoting “zen”. I guess I have always associated “zen” with calm and peace although it is more accurately a focus of togetherness of mind and body in tune with natural intuition. Apparently the anger aspects did not bother other reviewers.
  
  I read this on my tablet so I could experience the color comics. The set up allows expanding individual frames which I found interesting. I think the book might work even better in print but it worked fine on tablet too. Except for the anger emotions, I would recommend this as a unique presentation of inspiring words.
  
  Source: NetGalley.
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  Paul Franco

  Big fan, read all the previous books, but I’m pretty sure this is the first time it’s been written with kids in mind. It’s still the same format: a short visual story set around a great person or a great quote. Some highlights:
  If you ever wondered where the quote about “Choose a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” comes from, it’s Confucius.
  Teddy Roosevelt’s “The Man In the Arena” has had a huge resurgence lately, from Dr. Brene Brown to Lindsey Stirling. Another popular one is the Native American legend of the Two Wolves.
  Haven’t heard Jack London’s “Ashes or Dust” in a long time.
  There’s a lot of superheroes in this.
  The basketball girl crashing into the pink smiling monster is hilarious.
  Robert Kennedy’s is pretty timely.
  As much as I can’t stand Churchill, his was probably my fave.
  In the end I didn’t feel like there was that much of a difference between this and the adult version; the stories felt the same. I suppose the artwork was geared more for kids, but this should be enjoyed by adults just as much.
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  Wayne McCoy

  'Zen Pencils: Inspirational Quotes for Kids' by Gavin Aung Than is a collection of famous quotes that have been illustrated.
  
  As in the other Zen Pencils collection, the artist takes famous sayings and illustrates them in interesting ways. So for the armed forces motto, we see a warrior training for battle, then heading in the mountains to fight a monster. Theodore Roosevelt's quote is about a man watching tv, and the man he's watching actually climbing a mountain.
  
  These are some good quotes, but kids might be a bit young of a description as some of these quotes would probably be a bit beyond an 8 or 9 year old. Regardless, this is an inspiring collection of quotes, and I really like how this artist transforms these sayings.
  
  I received a review copy of this ebook from Andrews McMeel Publishing and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
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  Ganesh Narayan

  Before I write about the book, a couple of things about why I started reading this book.
  
  I have been a fan of Gavin's works for years now. His website - Zen Pencils is my go-to destination on the web when I feel down or need a jolt of inspiration.
  
  I love his works for 2 reasons:
  1. His comics have a nice feel to them. They make me feel like a child again.
  2. Although each comic is short, hardly 3 to 4 pages long, the message is life-changing. There will be at least one quote that will cling to your heart, make you feel better, and urge you to become the person that you want to be.
  
  This book, in particular, is created for children. It puts to rest the doubts, fears, and qualms they have while growing up. It is sure to inspire a child to dream for a good future where they can be happy doing what they love doing without the fear of being bogged down by society's expectations.
  
  Gift this to your child or any other child you care for. They will thank you in the future.
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  Barbara

  Inspirational quotes--and don't we all need a little bit of inspiration every day?--from various individuals are shared in this unique series of cartoons. The words are culled from sources as various as Confucius, Amelia Earhart, Sir Ken Robinson, and Henry David Thoreau. There's even some advice from popular YA writer John Green. While the words alone are sure to make readers think, the fact that the illustrator uses them as jumping off places to tell stories that exemplify the quotes makes the book accessible to a young audience. This is pretty nifty stuff, and a balm for the negativity that often seems to fill our world. The creator doesn't claim to have all the answers, but the book does make readers reflect on their own behavior and choices, something that more of us should do. After all, as it has been said, an unexamined life is not worth living.
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  Lisa

  Each quote from a famous person came with a cartoon strip story to illustrate the point made. In some cases, it took me longer to understand the story than the point of the quote. The quotes are mainly from people in the US and from the 20th and 21st century.
  
  I did think that some quotes would be difficult for children below the age of about 9-10 years to understand without adult help, perhaps this is more like Inspirational Quotes for Teens or Tweens? The choice of quotes was thought provoking and I wasn't expecting to find Ken Robinson mentioned (as a teacher I've watched his TED talk and admire his work).
  
  I was given a free e-book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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  Laura

  I like the idea behind this book, a whole heap of inspirational quotes in comic book form which are aimed at inspiring children to reach for the stars. There are plenty of quotes from well-known greats from history, which have been converted into short comic stories which give the quotes some context. Some of the strips have less text than other and require more thought and interpretation, whereas others are more obvious. Although this book is aimed at kids, I have certainly taken note of a few of the quotes here!
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  Lynne Vanderveen Smith

  If you are unfamiliar with the Zen Pencil books, go to their website and see what they do! The graphic books (this as well as earlier publications) are inspiring. Some of the quotes are quite familiar, others not so much. Each quote is presented as a comic strip that illustrates the truth of the quote using pictures that set it into a time, a place, and with given characters in a story. While the quotes are great alone, seeing them this way adds a great depth and will give readers more to ponder.
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  Heather

  I had read a majority of these on Gavin Aung Than's website, zenpencils.com . I enjoyed this collection I feel like not all of these are truly for children, I think more so for the dying child inside of us grownups. However, I feel like there is a lot here for children, especially older children say grades 5th and up. I think stating "for kids" limits this book in a way that is unnecessary.
  Some of my favorites weren't included, some this was the first time I had ever seen.
  Overall Excellent way to use art as an medium to relate inspirational quotes to almost any age.
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  LongYC

  A collection of some of the most inspiring ones from Zen Pencils - uplifting and motivational. The reference to pop culture and recurring characters make the quotes more relatable. It's nice to have short introductions of people behind the quotes at the end of the book. My favourites are The Two Wolves and An Astronaut's Advice, the latter is by Chris Hadfield.
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  Amanda (PandaCat)

  ***I received this title from Netgalley for an honest review***
  
  This book is a mashup of inspiration quotes from famous people (mostly dead) and graphic novelization. I quite enjoyed this mashup and the way the author interpreted the quotes.
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  Jeimy

  Great comic stories created around famous quotes.
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  Robert Ellington

  Awesome!
  
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  Rogene Carter

  An excellent illustrated quote book that will inspire and entertain.
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  Matt Haynes

  All of his cartoons are so amazing!
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  Sudarshan Bindal

  Just superb!!! Very inspirational!!!!!
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  Michelle Gray

  This was so well done and would be such a great addition to a classroom library. So much a teacher could use by tying in the different quotes.
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  Lesley

  This was awesome and definitely not just for kids. The creativity and clarity given to these quotes by Than's clever drawings was just plain fun.