Details the adventures of the Little Monk in his first year at the monastery of Maloo, where he engages in a spiritual battle to save his soul. A timeless fable that will entrance both adults and children.

"Engaging and knowledgeable…brings magical light and clarity to veiled martial arts history. In a cocoon shell, a man 'tis not a mantis til Fusco's faithful rendering of true life hero Wong Long bugs the Shaolin elders into accepting the teachings and virtues of the world's most dynamic insect…the praying mantis.--Dr. Craig D. Reid, Martial Arts Historian"

A humble and self-effacing "little monk" is the unlikely hero of this gentle parable about making prayer the centerpiece of life. The little monk is sent to a mythical monastery, where he must learn about prayer, one lesson a year. Armed with a slingshot and accompanied by a kitten, the little monk goes on his journey--a loving metaphor for the spiritual search we all undertake.

Strange little creature. Strange pale eyes, so full of fear. Strange little monk, his habit black as nightmares, his surplice grubby as spilt milk. Strange little boy shaped like a question mark, who are you?

Two completely different stories by the inimitable César Aira The Little Buddhist Monk is a story of Asian invention gone wild, as a diminutive Korean Buddhist monk acts as a tour guide to an increasingly distraught French couple on a working vacation in the Far East. The Proof brings us quickly back to the West, where two punks, plus a new recruit (“Wannafuck?” is the opening line as the two punk lesbians accost the chubby and shy Marcia on a quiet street in Buenos Aires), take control of a local supermarket with dire consequences for the hostages. These two Aira works are as different as night and day. Nevertheless, sex, identity, and modern day economics figure deeply in both of these fast-paced, edgy fictions.

The book, apart from narrating wisdom tales from Indian mythology, introduces the child to the world of new words. The words have been carefully chosen by a panel of experts and are explained in detail at the end of the book in a glossary.

This delightful and humorous classic's simple reflections--offerings in short sentences with line drawings--are humorous insights into the spiritual light of people's lives.