"The Children of Sun and Moon" is a beautiful, poetic and compassionate tale and an inner adventure for the whole family from toddlers to grandparents, with a special therapeutic function for families and children in crisis or life-changes.
The story springs from ancient mythic themes of psychological growth up to the stormy surface of modern world with cultural conflicts, falling apart of families and societies, fear and loneliness. However, the atmosphere throughout the story is soothing, comforting and full of hope. The end, like real life, however, may be other than expected and leave questions open for the reader and listener -an open space for their own imagination.
In this story, the Sun and the Moon end up in a stormy divorce and they share the sky into day and night. Their twin-babies, Ambra and Indigo are split apart. They fall from the cradle of clouds and dreams into two separate worlds ruled by their parents. While growing and questioning the limits of their worlds, they are secretly longing for somewhere else. One day they will find each other, guided by their innate and growing courage, curiosity and creativeness. The children succeed in building a bridge between the two opposite worlds symbolized by day and night.
Within the main scheme, there are interwoven symbolic little stories related to enigmas and miracles of the nature. The children under 4 years enjoy them and the illustration, but children between 4 and 10 years understand the main scheme with increasing levels of the meanings. For an adult it is a symbolic depiction of inner growth and integration.
The book is warmly recommended by Silja Mäki (Chair of Finnish Association of Bibliotherapy), Kirsi Huttula (Chair of Finnish Association of Art therapy), Sirpa-Maija Harjunkoski (Lecturer of Literature), Terttu Arajärvi (Emerita Professor of Child Psychiatry) and Jari Sinkkonen (Writer, Child Psychiatrist).
Each book sold supports Save the Children Association of Finland.
Publisher: Kustannus oy Pieni Karhu
www.pienikarhu.fi
Illustrator and writer of the book: Katinka Tuisku, MDPhD, Art therapist
email: katinka.tuisku@suomi24.fi
Cultural colours
Besides studying Bharatanatyam in Tamilnadu, the author has been deeply impressed by classical indian arts. Kangra-painting style has inspired the dream-like shades of colours and symbolic landscapes of illustrations. The lyric metaphors and interaction with the surrounding nature have been inspired by Sanskrit poetry and Rabindranath Tagore.
"The Sun and Moon
The sun and moon, for all their light,
Have little reason to be proud,
When he by day and and she by night
Share the same ragged patch of cloud"
Bhartrhari (translated from Sanskrit by John Brough 1968)
"My heart, the bird of wilderness, has found its sky in Your eyes
They are the cradle of the morning, they are the kingdom of the stars
My songs are lost in their depths
Let me but soar in that sky, in its lonely immensity.
Let me but cleave its clouds and spread wings in itse sunshine"
Rabindranath Tagore (translated from Bengali by Tagore himself 1921)