Below are some additional resources about Sikhs and the Sikh identity that we have read and enjoyed. We hope you will read and enjoy them as well! You can visit their respective websites for details on how to purchase the books for your home or your school.
Jessi Kaur
Jessi Kaur is the author of three highly acclaimed children’s books – Dear Takuya, The Royal Falcon and The Enchanted Garden of Talwandi.
Dear Takuya
Dear Takuya has been approved for inclusion in several hundred school and public libraries in the US. “There is a deep desire among the Sikhs in the Diaspora to communicate to Sikh and non-Sikh children the core values of Sikh history, religion, culture and customs. Not enough children’s books of high quality on these subjects are available to meet this need. In Dear Takuya, Jessi Kaur has come up with an elegant and eloquent way to convey Sikh philosophy and values to Sikh and non-Sikh children, as well as grownups. Anyone who reads this book will taste the essence of Sikhism.”
The Royal Falcon
The Royal Falcon was selected as one of eight books to be showcased in Melbourne at the Parliament of World’s Religions in 2009. The Royal Falcon was produced as a multicultural children’s musical and had three successful shows in California in 2011 and 2012. Eight-year-old Arjan suspects his class mate of stealing his special pencil. In a magical moment, Guru Gobind Singh ji’s falcon comes alive to help him. Will Arjan get his pencil back? Why does the royal falcon take him back in time to 1705 to witness Guruji’s court in session? Join Arjan and Khushi, the falcon, in an exciting tale of adventure and friendship.
> Access lesson plans for this resource here http://www.jessikaur.com/royal-falcon.html.
The Enchanted Garden
Jessi Kaur’s third book The Enchanted Garden of Talwandi is recently published. She is currently working on The Unstruck Melody, a lyrical exposition of spiritual concepts prevalent in the Eastern traditions.
The Enchanted Garden of Talwandi is based on a janamsaakhi (fable of childhood) of Guru Nanak sahib, founder of the Sikh religion. The janamsaakhies are part of the folklore that celebrates Guru Ji’s divine presence and message. Parents often relate these stories to young children to foster love for Guru Ji, and teach morals and values.
For more information, please visit: http://www.jessikaur.com
Jessi Kaur is the author of three highly acclaimed children’s books – Dear Takuya, The Royal Falcon and The Enchanted Garden of Talwandi.
Dear Takuya
Dear Takuya has been approved for inclusion in several hundred school and public libraries in the US. “There is a deep desire among the Sikhs in the Diaspora to communicate to Sikh and non-Sikh children the core values of Sikh history, religion, culture and customs. Not enough children’s books of high quality on these subjects are available to meet this need. In Dear Takuya, Jessi Kaur has come up with an elegant and eloquent way to convey Sikh philosophy and values to Sikh and non-Sikh children, as well as grownups. Anyone who reads this book will taste the essence of Sikhism.”
The Royal Falcon
The Royal Falcon was selected as one of eight books to be showcased in Melbourne at the Parliament of World’s Religions in 2009. The Royal Falcon was produced as a multicultural children’s musical and had three successful shows in California in 2011 and 2012. Eight-year-old Arjan suspects his class mate of stealing his special pencil. In a magical moment, Guru Gobind Singh ji’s falcon comes alive to help him. Will Arjan get his pencil back? Why does the royal falcon take him back in time to 1705 to witness Guruji’s court in session? Join Arjan and Khushi, the falcon, in an exciting tale of adventure and friendship.
> Access lesson plans for this resource here http://www.jessikaur.com/royal-falcon.html.
The Enchanted Garden
Jessi Kaur’s third book The Enchanted Garden of Talwandi is recently published. She is currently working on The Unstruck Melody, a lyrical exposition of spiritual concepts prevalent in the Eastern traditions.
The Enchanted Garden of Talwandi is based on a janamsaakhi (fable of childhood) of Guru Nanak sahib, founder of the Sikh religion. The janamsaakhies are part of the folklore that celebrates Guru Ji’s divine presence and message. Parents often relate these stories to young children to foster love for Guru Ji, and teach morals and values.
For more information, please visit: http://www.jessikaur.com
Pushpinder Kaur
Pushpinder Kaur was born and brought up in a village in Punjab, earned M.Sc in biology and Bachelor in Education degrees from India. She immigrated to the US along with her husband and has lived in San Jose, California. She holds teaching credentials and M.A. in Elementary Education from San Jose State University. She works as a literacy coach in a California public school district.
The Boy with Long Hair
Author & Illustrator: Ms. Pushpinder Kaur
Publisher: The Sikh Foundation
Approved by the California Department of Education as
Supplemental Instructional Material for K-3 grades.
The Boy with Long Hair is a true story of a California-born Sikh boy. He was quite happy in San Jose. His family moved to a small town where they had not seen a boy with long hair. Here, no one wanted to play with him, or talk to him. His isolation saddened him and ignorance of kids around him angered him. This book tells the story of courage and triumph of this young boy, how he dealt with the situation and finally became happy as the boy with long hair. His unique identity was no longer a problem. Everyone in his school knew him as an intelligent fun-loving boy.
For more information, please visit:
http://www.sikhfoundation.org/sikh-arts-heritage/the-boy-with-long-hair/
Pushpinder Kaur was born and brought up in a village in Punjab, earned M.Sc in biology and Bachelor in Education degrees from India. She immigrated to the US along with her husband and has lived in San Jose, California. She holds teaching credentials and M.A. in Elementary Education from San Jose State University. She works as a literacy coach in a California public school district.
The Boy with Long Hair
Author & Illustrator: Ms. Pushpinder Kaur
Publisher: The Sikh Foundation
Approved by the California Department of Education as
Supplemental Instructional Material for K-3 grades.
The Boy with Long Hair is a true story of a California-born Sikh boy. He was quite happy in San Jose. His family moved to a small town where they had not seen a boy with long hair. Here, no one wanted to play with him, or talk to him. His isolation saddened him and ignorance of kids around him angered him. This book tells the story of courage and triumph of this young boy, how he dealt with the situation and finally became happy as the boy with long hair. His unique identity was no longer a problem. Everyone in his school knew him as an intelligent fun-loving boy.
For more information, please visit:
http://www.sikhfoundation.org/sikh-arts-heritage/the-boy-with-long-hair/
Navjot Kaur
Born and raised in England and of Sikh-Panjabi heritage, Navjot Kaur is fascinated and inspired by diverse environments and culture. Her , won the 2010 Skipping Stones Honor Award for Multicultural and International Awareness. She believes that our children can become advocates for social change and uses her writing as a way to inspire them to become responsible, global citizens.
Navjot loves to capture treasured moments with scribbled notes-to- self, which will one day form the serifs of a yet untitled story, waiting to be brought to life. She currently lives in picturesque Vancouver, Canada with her little lion cub and wonderful husband.
A Lion’s Mane
Written by: Navjot Kaur
Illustrated by: Jaspreet Sandhu
Publisher: Saffron Press [www.saffronpress.com]
One of my notebooks did begin to fill quite rapidly during the very uncertain time of my son’s diagnosis. My writing moments, deep into the night, became a sort of healing therapy, forcing fears of the unknown to be quashed and new realities to evolve. My son’s Sikh identity would be a constant and so would his now Deaf identity. The written words rooted a desire for my son – that he should never feel afraid to stand out and be different. My first book, A Lion’s Mane, leads a way forward for any child wondering about personal identity, with the protagonist’s big question: Do you know who I am?
Dreams of Hope
Written by: Navjot Kaur
Illustrated: by Gurleen Rai
Publisher: Saffron Press [www.saffronpress.com]
For more information, please visit: http://navjotkaur.com/books
Born and raised in England and of Sikh-Panjabi heritage, Navjot Kaur is fascinated and inspired by diverse environments and culture. Her , won the 2010 Skipping Stones Honor Award for Multicultural and International Awareness. She believes that our children can become advocates for social change and uses her writing as a way to inspire them to become responsible, global citizens.
Navjot loves to capture treasured moments with scribbled notes-to- self, which will one day form the serifs of a yet untitled story, waiting to be brought to life. She currently lives in picturesque Vancouver, Canada with her little lion cub and wonderful husband.
A Lion’s Mane
Written by: Navjot Kaur
Illustrated by: Jaspreet Sandhu
Publisher: Saffron Press [www.saffronpress.com]
One of my notebooks did begin to fill quite rapidly during the very uncertain time of my son’s diagnosis. My writing moments, deep into the night, became a sort of healing therapy, forcing fears of the unknown to be quashed and new realities to evolve. My son’s Sikh identity would be a constant and so would his now Deaf identity. The written words rooted a desire for my son – that he should never feel afraid to stand out and be different. My first book, A Lion’s Mane, leads a way forward for any child wondering about personal identity, with the protagonist’s big question: Do you know who I am?
Dreams of Hope
Written by: Navjot Kaur
Illustrated: by Gurleen Rai
Publisher: Saffron Press [www.saffronpress.com]
For more information, please visit: http://navjotkaur.com/books