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Finders Keepers? by Robert Arnett illustrated by Smita Turakhia Atman Press 6 Stars Press Release:  A true story, Finder’s Keepers?  was inspired by the honesty of one young boy in India who found the author’s lost wallet and could not understand why he should be rewarded for returning to Arnett what was his.  The concept …

Wisconsin has a lot of cows.

And while I’ve never owned one myself, I’ve certainly seen herds of them grazing as I’ve driven down the highway. I’ve even met several up close and personal at various dairy-themed school, summer camp and community events.

Even in the bustling metropolis of Madison, Wisconsin, one can’t escape cows completely. Once a year, there’s a Cows on the Concourse event where cows are brought in to graze around the state capital building and meet their adoring public.

And, an annual Dairy Expo featuring all things bovine draws enough traffic that entire lanes of the beltline are dedicated to its attendees.

Today’s guest reviewer doesn’t live on a farm, but she’s certainly familiar with cows. That’s why she enjoyed Phyllis Alsdurf’s picture book It’s Milking Time (Random House, 2012). The book is a warm and wonderful look at life on a dairy farm. It features a girl and her dad milking their herd of cows — every morning and every night.

Cows are collected from the field, led into the barn, fed, milked and cleaned up after. Then, the milk is sent to the dairy where it’s turned into butter, cheese or the the milk most of us buy at the grocery store. Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher’s artwork is cozy. The cows seem like family friends. And the Holstein-inspired end papers are beautiful.

Now, let’s hear from Dharma.

Today’s reviewer: Dharma.

Age: 7

I like: Math, going to the children’s museum, my reading buddies and watching “Dancing With the Stars.”

This book was about: A girl’s job milking cows.

The best part was when: She named the calf Buddy.

I laughed when: They said they tapped the cows on the rear ends to keep them moving.

I was surprised when: The girl shoveled manure into the gutters.

This book taught me: You can skim cream off fresh milk.

My favorite line or phrase in the book was: “We swat rumps to keep them moving to the same places every time.”

Thanks, Dharma!

Phyllis Alsdurf, the author, grew up on a Minnesota dairy farm. She even dedicated this book to her father and one of his favorite cows, Jay-Jay.

Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher, the illustrators, have illustrated more than 35 books. You can visit their website to see more of their work. You also can read this interview to learn more about how they work together.

4. Right Action
The second ethical principle, right action, involves the body as natural means of expression, as it refers to deeds that involve bodily actions. Unwholesome actions lead to unsound states of mind, while wholesome actions lead to sound states of mind. Again, the principle is explained in terms of abstinence: right action means 1. to abstain from harming sentient beings, especially to abstain from taking life (including suicide) and doing harm intentionally or delinquently, 2. to abstain from taking what is not given, which includes stealing, robbery, fraud, deceitfulness, and dishonesty, and 3. to abstain from sexual misconduct. Positively formulated, right action means to act kindly and compassionately, to be honest, to respect the belongings of others, and to keep sexual relationships harmless to others. Further details regarding the concrete meaning of right action can be found in the Precepts for Buddhism.
Basically, Right Action, means: don't kill, don't steal, don't be sexually stupid, and don't lie. And, it's way deeper and broader than this. It means living life mindfully, with careful and explicit thought about everything I do, every step I take every single day of my life. Do I do this? No. I work at it. That is my spiritual practice. I am becoming a better person. Practice, practice, practice. Pick up the spider and take it outside -- IF it is bothering me. IF it's going to bite me. Really, a few spiders can live in my house without harm. Those big garden spiders? They belong in the garden. Juicy gossip? Keep it to myself. No one needs to hear that. I try to avoid hearing it myself.
Stealing? Of course not. It also means if I find something, I do everything possible to locate the owner of the lost property. Or give it to someone who is in charge of Lost & Found. Sexual conduct? I could have done better in my past life. I won't talk about now, thank you. Suffice it to say I'm not hurting anyone. Lies? I do my best to adhere to Thich Nat Hanh's training: "Knowing that words can create happiness or suffering, I am committed to learn to speak truthfully, with words that inspire self-confidence, joy, and hope. I am determined not to spread news that I do not know to be certain and not to criticize or condemn things of which I am not sure. I will refrain from uttering words that can cause division or discord, or that can cause the family or the community to break. I will make all efforts to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, however small."
Have a great day, and please share your own dharma!

Most kids go through a phase where they find certain words absolutely hilarious.

With my children, the word was “underwear.” There was a period of time where the mere mention of the word would make them dissolve into giggles. And they absolutely fell apart when anyone in our house folded a load of laundry.

The mother of today’s guest reviewer, Dharma, says her daughter is enthralled by the word “butt.” It just makes her laugh. And she looks for ways to work it into the conversation whenever possible.

So Dharma was the perfect reviewer for the newest picture book by Artie Bennett, The Butt Book (Bloomsbury USA, 2009).

This book, which is illustrated by Mike Lester, is a funny look at the backsides of everything from people to animals. It’s not an anatomy guide, so don’t expect to learn anything too technical. But do expect to laugh. The book’s purpose is purely playful.

Here’s a sample verse:

Some names for butts have foreign flair:
tuchas, keister, derriere!

In England where they call moms “mums,”
people call their buttocks “bums.”

So on that note, let’s welcome today’s guest reviewer!

Name: Dharma

Age: 6

I like: Reading books. Listening to someone read books to me. Riding my bike. Playing Yahtzee. And, I like strawberries and super-duper sweet corn.

This book was about: Butts that come in different sizes. Some are tall, some are low are some are big and some are small. And butts are useful, too.

The best part was when: I found out a teddy bear’s butt is filled with love.

I laughed when:I heard the book’s title.

I was surprised that: There was a book about butts. And how many different butts there can be.

This book taught me: Some butts go wide, some butts can be long and they are used to sit on the toilet.

Three words that best describe this book are: “Clever.” “Good.” “Nice.”

You should read this book because: You get to say “butt” a lot.

Thanks, Dharma!

Dharma’s mom also said that Dharma liked this book even better the second time they read it. Because by then she knew when the word “butt” was coming and was ready to gleefully yell it out.

Want to get to the bottom of butts? Visit Artie Bennett’s website. He has fun facts about butts plus lots of information about his other projects. (Artie, who provided a copy of his book for review, also has written a book of dinosaur puns and one called 101 Ways to Say Vomit.)

To learn more about Mike Lester, stop by his website.

If Artie and Mike are looking to create another book based on a word that make kids giggle, Dharma suggests “kiss.” She thinks that whole concept is hilarious, too.

What words did YOU think were funny as a kid?

What words make kids you know giggle?

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Gurcharan Das is the author of several books, including the much-acclaimed India Unbound (which has been translated into many languages and filmed by the BBC) and most recently The Difficulty of Being Good: On The Subtle Art of Dharma. He writes a regular column for six Indian newspapers, including the Times of India, and also contributes to Newsweek, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Foreign Affairs.

In the two-part podcast below, Das talks with none other than the brilliant Kamla Bhatt.

The Satyam Scandal, dubbed as the largest corporate scandal in India prompted Mr. Das to ask how could this be? What induced this moral failure on the part of a well-known Indian entrepreneur? He turned to the Mahabharata, the old Indian epic and wondered if this “dark and epic” tale could provide answers to his question about moral failure in business, government and human beings? He had spent time at the University of Chicago learning Sanskrit and reading the Mahabharata.

The result is his latest book “The Difficulty of Being Good: On The Subtle Art of Dharma.” In it Mr. Das writes that the Indian epic “is unique in engaging with the world of politics.” What is more the epic is “suspicious of ideology.”

“The Mahabharata is about our incomplete lives, about good people acting badly, about how difficult it is to be good in this world,” writes Mr. Das. Can the ancient Indian epic help us understand the moral failure of governance and financial disasters of the 21st century?

Kamla Bhatt is the host and producer of The Kamla Show, an internet radio show where listeners can find stories about the new and emerging India and the global Indian community. Bhatt is a pioneer of the internet radio format in India, but started her media career during the dotcom boom in the mid-1990s in Silicon Valley. Through her work  in Silicon Valley’s tech companies Kamla gained an insider’s perspective into the startup culture, and continues to write and broadcast about technology, politics, economics, and more.

To give you just a taste of how far-reaching her talents and interests are, I’ve also chosen to feature the below (unrelated) video, in which she chats with internet legend Chris Pirillo at CES.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Watch more videos from Kamla Bhatt.