A review by afi_whatafireads
The Cat Who Taught Zen by James Norbury

lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

There's something satisfying about a book that is relatively simple and yet so wholesome.

With the first book from the author that I have read which is The Journey & Big Panda and Tiny Dragon By James Norbury 2 Books Collection Set, the Cat Who Taught Zen is how the author talked about the concept of Zen in a relatively simple manner that will be easy to understand by everyone and anyone who is reading it. Alike the first book from the author, the illustrations in here is just beautiful and so well done . It totally fits in the whole narrative of the story and I liked how its just wholesome to read till the very end.


"This was about taking all the things he had learned over his life,
all the gifts he had been given, and sharing them.
And that the small things he'd ignored were in fact
the things he should have been paying the most attention to.


The book started off with the cat who has been through various journeys in his life and wanted to find the ultimate solace. When the rat suggested him to find the "big tree", he set off on a journey to find the inner peace that he's seeking. I love how throughout his journey, he had found various other animals, all with their own set of problems and tribulations, and each served a purpose to the cat in realizing that us - beings and nature - are connected as one. What one does will affect the other and its relatively that , the simplest concept of Zen to be understood and taught, in a manner that is both easy to understand and won't be confusing.

At the end of the day, for me, the concept of Zen is how we perceive ourself to the world. How every being in this world is somehow connected with the other and its our duty to be responsible for our actions. Only then, the inner peace we seek will come naturally.

Loved the works from this author and can't wait to read his next books!

4🌟

Thank you to Times Reads for this copy, I appreciate it always :)