Four Questions to Make You Smile Again
Tiger-Tiger, Is It True? is a story about a little tiger who thinks that his whole world is falling apart: his parents don’t love him, his friends have abandoned him, and life is unfair. But a wise turtle asks him four questions, and everything changes. He realizes that all his problems are not caused by things, but by his thoughts about things; and that when he questions his thoughts, life becomes wonderful again.
In Byron Katie's notes she encourages dialog between the reader and the child:
...The Work, which forms the basis of this story, is a way to identify and question the thoughts that cause all the suffering in the world. It is a way to find peace with yourself and with the world. The old, the young, the sick, and well, the educated, the uneducated, anyone with an open mind can do this Work.
Those of you who are interested in learning how to do The Work, yourselves or with your children, will find everything you need to know in my book Loving What Is, or on y website, www.thework.com
Since the beginning of time, people have been trying to change the world so that they can be happy. This hasn't ever worked, because it approaches the problem backward. What The Work gives us is a way to change the projector―mind―rather than the projected. It’s like when there’s a piece of lint on the projector’s lens. We think there’s a flaw on the screen, and we try to change this person and that person, whoever the flaw appears to be on next. But it’s futile to try to change the projected images. Once we realize where the link is, we can clear the lens itself. This is the end of suffering, and the beginning of a little joy in paradise.
This is a heartwarming story with a powerful message that can transform the lives of even very young children. Byron Katie’s wisdom-filled words and Hans Wilhelm’s vivid, magical illustrations combine to make a book that will become one of the classics of children’s literature.
If you have a child that is last to be picked for sports, seems to think the world is a horrible place, thinks he/she has no friends, or that nobody cares, this is the book that will start a positive dialog and 'turn' things around.
Byron Katie (she was born Byron Kathleen Reid, and everyone calls her Katie) discovered inquiry in 1986. Everything in this book comes from The Work of Byron Katie, her remarkable method for finding happiness and freedom. Katie has been traveling around the world for more than a dozen years teaching The Work directly to hundreds of thousands of people. In addition, she has introduced The Work into business settings, universities, schools, churches, prisons, and hospitals. Her website is www.thework.com, where you will find her schedule, articles about her, registration forms, and basic information about The Work. With over 42 million books in print, Hans Wilhelm is one of America’s foremost authors/illustrators of children’s books. Many of his 200 books have been translated into 20 languages and have become successful animated television series that are enjoyed by children all over the world. His books have won numerous international awards and prizes.
6 Reviews Hide Reviews Show Reviews
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Great book!
I've been using Byron Katie's work for a couple of years now. I use it for myself and my clients (I'm a Marriage and Family Therapist). This book allows me to use it with children as well. It's well written and the pictures are captivating. My 6 year old son really enjoyed it and asked to have it read to him again the next night. Now that he understands the concept of questioning his thoughts I can talk to him about it when he comes home upset from school or a play date. Even at this young age he is learning that suffering is a choice and that using "inquiry" can set him free from the thoughts that are causing his suffering.
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not just for kids!
This is a wonderful little gem. I got it for my youngest grandchild and after reading it I had to get one for all of them -even the oldest. It is a wonderful story about a little tiger who feels his world is falling apart. When a wise owl asks him 4 simple questions he realizes his thoughts cause his problems. I think it is great book that even adults will find very valuable.
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Wonderful children's book - and for adults, too!
The message here is that we choose how we want to feel - a very good lesson for anyone, not just children. No one is angry, sad, happy, depressed, excited, anxious - without his or her permission. A profound message with a light-hearted delivery - what could be better?
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Highly recommended!
It was the best book for adults to read to children that I have found. It is a great read about the realities of life and how we can easily get into a negative frame of mind and then providing a simple stratagy to resolve that thinking with inspiring questions. A treasure that needs to be on everyones book shelf at home. Fantastic illustrations A great gift suitable for everyone.
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Perfect
This book was all I had hoped it would be...I had recently begun "The Work" myself and longed for my children to find relief much earlier than me. My 10 year old daughter said, "This is inspirational, Mom." Very well written and easy to understand. Beautiful pictures as well. The Work for Kids, March 29, 2010 By Janet Boyer "Author, Blogger, Mystic" (JanetBoyer(dot)com) - See all my reviews (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME) This review is from: Tiger-Tiger, Is It True?: Four Questions to Make You Smile Again (Hardcover) "Nobody cares, and nobody likes me. Tiger-Tiger felt anger tears welling up in his eyes. Suddenly there was a ripple in the water. It was Turtle." - From the book Deceptively simple but profoundly transformative, Byron Katie's four-questions of self-inquiry has changed thousands of lives. First presented in the book Loving What Is and in later books such as I Need Your Love: Is That True?, The Work presents a powerful method for examining distressing thoughts, asking first "Is it true?" and then working towards turning the questions around for a reality that is not only truer, but far less painful. In her first children's book Tiger-Tiger Is It True?, Katie teams up with illustrator Hans Wilhelm to introduce The Work to children. When Tiger-Tiger gets out of the "wrong" side of bed, he laments, "It's going to be one of those days"...and he's right. His parents argue at breakfast, he was picked last for games, and his friend Zebra decided to play with someone else. Consumed with anger and sadness, he sits by the water crying until Turtle surfaces and asks him "What's up?" Gently by persistently, Turtle prods Tiger-Tiger to reexamine his assumptions through the four questions; "You say that nobody cards about you and nobody likes you. Is that true? Are you sure?", he begins, and then leads Tiger-Tiger through The Work. By the end of the book, Tiger-Tiger realizes that when he isn't thinking thoughts like "nobody cares" and discovers that he would be happy if he could never believe that thought again, he rejoices: "I would be a happy tiger! I would feel great! I could do anything, and nothing would bother me!" he exclaims. Illustrated with cheerful watercolors and expressive characters, Tiger-Tiger Is It True? is a fantastic book introducing children to The Work. My 11-year old read it and enjoyed it; we often use The Work to navigate through painful thoughts (especially me!) so this book was a great reminder that freedom and joy can be right around the corner through inquiry--a mere four questions away, in fact.
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For young and old, a necessary reminder of the incredible power of our thoughts!
When I originally purchased this book, I had intended it for my 6 year old. After us reading it together, I realized how profoundly it had impacted me as well. So often, as adults, we forget how much power our thinking has over us. This book was an amazing reminder and even simple enough to leave an immediate impression on my son. A story I'm sure we will read again and again and one that I will share with his brothers and my friends as well. There are so many adult friends in my life that I intend to purchase this book for as well. :)