Navjot Kaur (mentioned on this blog before) is the author of the acclaimed and award-winning children’s book A Lion’s Mane (2009), which, as she describes on her website, educates and engages young children in the concepts of identity and interconnectedness.  It is regularly cited as a great resource to teach both Sikh and non-Sikh children about the Sikh identity.

With the success of her first book, Navjot Kaur has now announced the release of her second children’s book, Dreams of Hope:

In Dreams of Hope, a father takes his daughter- his Little One- on a dream journey each night. His lullaby fosters a sense of wonder for her world and a respect for all living things. Together they see amazing creatures such as the land bound Sundees (caterpillars) turning into high flying butterflies and the gentle Chirus (Tibetan antelope) snuggling into their Shahtooshi (Chirus’ wool). Father’s lullaby fills her with dreams of hope and peace for Mother Earth that will someday take flight.

The theme of this second book is different than her first:

“Dreams of Hope is filled with peaceful messages that help parents introduce the value of becoming responsible global citizens to their children,” says Kaur. “For example, people often forget that the Chiru is an endangered animal hunted for its wool, and so, Dreams of Hope promotes dialogue and action regarding environmental issues like these. It encourages children to think about their world in a whole new way and dream of what they can do to help it.”

Navjot Kaur’s books plants the seeds of cohesiveness in the fertile minds of children, connecting them with other people and with the world around them to help them become more aware individuals. In Sikh parlance, she is truly expressing the concept of sarbat da bhala – the wishes for peace and prosperity for all in this world – in her work.

One of the compelling things about Dreams of Hope is that it engages children beyond its words to capture the imaginations of these young minds:

Each book is made from 100% recycled paper and comes with a keepsake page where parents and caregivers can record dreams of hope for their children. The end papers are illustrated with a unique travel guide that moves away from traditional tourist attractions to monuments of peace around the world. These pages also feature the word “goodnight” in many different languages.

Dreams of Hope (and A Lion’s Mane) are available at Saffron Press.