Zen Pencils--Inspirational Quotes for Kids

This colourful book will likely entertain young readers with wise advice from a host of diverse historical figures.

Great comic stories created around famous quotes.

This book is filled with inspirational quotes meant for children. After reading it, I feel that you shouldn't let the word "Kids" in the title dissuade you from reading it. I found myself taking the messages to heart as I read. There is an adult version of this, so if you really want to read something not geared towards kids, I would suggest that.

The illustrations were great and helped to bring a new layer to the quotes. They provide a story all on their own.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review.
Author: Gavin Aung Than
Publisher: Andrews McMeel
Publication Date: 17 Oct 2017

It's an all-star cast of characters that are fun, goofy, and sure to entertain many readers. The graphics are engaging and goofy sure to make children giggle and laugh their way to the end.

This is a nice book to gift to the young readers in your life. Teens will read it because it's in comic book format and easy to read. The fact that they learn something will be an added bonus. The author Cavin Aung Than takes quotes from famous names like Confucius, Marie Curie, and Henry David Thoreau, to Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Calvin Coolidge, to contemporary notables like Ira Glass, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Neil Gaiman. Each comic panel is only a few pages long and is kept simple and sweet. It's funny and inspiring and not limited in scope to the young. Published in 2014

I'm not sure what made this book more enjoyable for me than the first one, but I was very happy I got to review this book. Some of the comics I'd like to have a poster of to hang up at work.

I like the idea behind this book, a whole heap of inspirational quotes in comic book form which are aimed at inspiring children to reach for the stars. There are plenty of quotes from well-known greats from history, which have been converted into short comic stories which give the quotes some context. Some of the strips have less text than other and require more thought and interpretation, whereas others are more obvious. Although this book is aimed at kids, I have certainly taken note of a few of the quotes here!

Clever comic-style approach to enhancing inspirational words from leaders, innovators, philosophers. Am certain any child or adult will find a comic-style story or quote that works from them in this collection.

This book was super fun!!! As a teacher, I can definitely see how this book could be used for "teachable moments", as well as insightful in small groups as a counselor. The illustrations were very vivid and the book was similar to a comic book. I loved it and my 13 year old son did, as well. Oftentimes, I "preach and teach" him using popular cliches and quotes, and this book enabled me to "show" him in a different perspective, literally by visual means.

This book is a mashup of inspiration quotes from famous people (mostly dead) and graphic novelization. I quite enjoyed this mashup and the way the author interpreted the quotes.

Big fan, read all the previous books, but I’m pretty sure this is the first time it’s been written with kids in mind. It’s still the same format: a short visual story set around a great person or a great quote. Some highlights:
If you ever wondered where the quote about “Choose a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” comes from, it’s Confucius.
Teddy Roosevelt’s “The Man In the Arena” has had a huge resurgence lately, from Dr. Brene Brown to Lindsey Stirling. Another popular one is the Native American legend of the Two Wolves.
Haven’t heard Jack London’s “Ashes or Dust” in a long time.
There’s a lot of superheroes in this.
The basketball girl crashing into the pink smiling monster is hilarious.
Robert Kennedy’s is pretty timely.
As much as I can’t stand Churchill, his was probably my fave.
In the end I didn’t feel like there was that much of a difference between this and the adult version; the stories felt the same. I suppose the artwork was geared more for kids, but this should be enjoyed by adults just as much.

I discovered Zen Pencils while sipping coffee at a cafe on Penang Island in Malaysia almost a year ago and was an instant fan. Taking both contemporary and historical quotes and creatively transforming them into the comic book/graphic novel style, the message exponentially increases in meaning and representation. Ideal birthday, graduation, holiday and achievement gift for all ages and one that will be treasured and saved.

An excellent illustrated quote book that will inspire and entertain.

wonderful zen quotes with colourful illustrations...........

Praises for Gavin Aung Than and his publisher Andrews McMeel for coming up with this graphic novel that contains 23 inspirational quotes from some of the notable personalities, such as Winston Churchill and Confucius. The supporting illustrations drawn by the author himself were quite appealing that will undeniably pleased both young and adult readers.

In this book, one of the remarkable quotes for me is by Howard Thurman, "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." The accompanying story and artwork for this quote is absolutely appropriate; as it depicts how we usually forget about our dream because our parents dictates what we should become. There are other issues addressed in this graphic novel, such as hatred, bullying, and racial differences, to name a few.

I'm hoping that the author will release a second volume of this; because I believe that there are a lot more uplifting quotes that were not included in this book. Kids really need this kind of book — to inspire them and boost their morale — especially now in this chaotic times. I don't have any unpleasant remarks for this book, only satisfactory and delightful compliments.

This book is delightful. Thoughts and sayings which might normally be a bit above my students' heads are made much more accessible through illustration and the comic book format. I think this one will fly off the shelves, and I wrote down several of the quotes to inspire me in the coming days.

It is a collection of quotes from famous people presented in a graphic comic format. It is interesting; can be explained to kids. Quotes are inspiring. A small detail about the person who quoted is given at the end.

Love this book!!! I always love quotes so when I saw this book of inspirational quotes for kids I had to request it. This book is in graphic novel format with illustrations which tell a story leading up to the inspirational quote. How cool!!! Kids might not always understand what a quote is trying to tell them, share with them, or how it is meant to inspire them. With the illustrations, they are able to understand the quote and feel the inspirational meaning! I would love to have this in physical book format to give as a gift. Definitely going to be sharing this book!

I love inspirational quote books, but this book went above and beyond. Putting inspirational quotes into comic book style thumbnails was genius! I loved this book and it's approach. I think that the way this book is laid out makes the idea of quotes more accessible, interesting and fun for children. I can see many readers enjoying this book.

The book contains the quotes of the famous people such as John Green, Marie Curie, Dalai Lama... Each of the quotes are retold with comics. First, it was such fun to read the book. It is not only just for kids but also for adults. The short bios of those people were really informative. I didn't know a few people and those pages really supported my reading.

Very cute and quick. Drawings accompanied the inspirational quotes really well. The style was fun. It brought the philosophy of these quotes to life in a way that can enhance their importance for more visual learners. I plan to use some of these quotes with my students in the classroom and with my yoga community.