cover image The Yeti and the Jolly Lama: A Tale of Friendship

The Yeti and the Jolly Lama: A Tale of Friendship

Lama Surya Das, illus. by Vivian Mineker. Sounds True, $17.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-683643-86-9

In a secluded cave high above a Tibetan mountain village lives a peaceful “jolly lama” who spends his days “sitting quietly in meditation... wishing peace and happiness for the world and its creatures.” When he learns that a yeti has plundered the villagers’ fields, leaving them fearful and bereft before their mid-summer festival, he encourages them to celebrate anyway. After all, “Yeti has a good meal in his belly now and won’t bother you.” Later, during his nighttime meditation, the lama is nearly attacked by the fearsome yeti, who is stopped in his tracks by the lama’s radiance. From then on, the two share meals, chores, and meditate together “like long lost brothers.” The lama’s calm and resplendent spirit is contagious, and gradually, the yeti’s heart shines “as brightly as the lama’s, like a golden sun.” A story about friendship and the overflowing nature of inner peace. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)