Samsara Dog by Helen Manos... an affecting, beautifully written and illustrated children's book wherein the dog, who is originally introduced as a feral, vicious, self-serving beast, over the course of several increasingly positive rebirths becomes a connected, compassionate sensitive, life-saving hero and friend... this book is unusual in the extent to which, as a visual narrative without overt explication, it openly connects and presents the path of compassion and realities of karma and rebirth. ( )

Samsara dog lived many lives. Some of his lives were long. Some lasted only a few days. Dog never remembered them. He lived each life as it came, until he leaned the most important lesson of all. Based on Buddhist concepts it is a moving story about love and life, death and dying. ( )

A handy book for explaining reincarnation to children at a concrete level. In Dog's first life, he loves and trusts no one, living only for himself. With each successive life, a little more empathy and love develops until in his final life, Dog experiences and gives unconditional love. ( )

In the book the Samsara Dog written by Helen Manos is a Buddhist story of reincarnation, life, death and the pursuit of love and the meaning of life. The dog went through many lives in many different situations, from being a stray dog on the streets to a rescue dog, to a dog who lives with a family and a boy who loses his sight and the dog takes care of him. One life only last a few hours to a few days, where he was living with a Buddhist monk, who tells the dog that he will continue to be reborn until he learned the reason for living, the meaning of life. The dog lived many lives until finally reaching his final life. The final life was with a boy who was injured and became blind, the dog throughout the rest of his life stayed with the boy. They lived together until the dog died and the boy cried as his best friend drifted to sleep never to wake up again.
I love this book, it showed life and death, but it showed death is an easier manner because the first few lives the dog lived didn't always say that he died, he just moved on to the next life. It would be a great book to show the way of life, as well as the meaning of life is learning to love someone more than he loves himself. It shows so many different topics that could teach kids, about death and life. In my opinion I think that the writer's point on life and death is a valid on that the dog's meaning of life is to learn how to love someone more than a person loves themselves. He lived a full life when he was living with the one person he loved more than himself. ( )

Reincarnation Prejudice
The story of the many lives of Dog is artfully rendered. The author places the reader in each life the dog lives. My low ranking review is not on the writers style or execution, but more on the concept and choice of delivery. If the author had come out annd revealed the book was an exploration of reincarnation I might have felt differently.

I am a Christian and not a fan of the subject of reincarnation. If this had been an explanation of what reincarnation is, I would have been open to that. I'm usually very open minded and enjoy purely fiction books. Fantasy fiction is one of my favorite genres. My prejudice of the subject has affected my objectivity when I reviewed the book.

As a quadriplegic I am unable to hold a book. I have only been able to listen to the book on a sound recording. I was unable to see the illustration. ( )