The Fab Five

I have been waiting for this since November! I ordered this book thinking it would arrive on time for my birthday, but no such luck. When I got to work today, I found a box from Amazon.com sitting on my desk. I knew it had arrived. Book Five.

Osamu Tezuka (often referred to as the godfather of Japanese manga comics) created an eight-volume work on the life of Buddha. While not completely accurate (Tezuka sprinkles some characters of his own creation into the story line) the journey of Buddha's life (beginning before his birth) unfolds as art.

These books are totally engrossing. I plan to lose myself in this one for hours when I'm on vacation next week. They are also a good way to introduce Buddha to children. While there is some nudity and mature language, the nudity is National Geographic not Playboy and in my opinion it is impossible to shield children from language (especially these days). So, I have allowed my daughter to read these books. She finds them equally engrossing and the story line provides me with the perfect context to talk about and teach about Buddhism.