Books published by publisher SteinerBooks

The Beejum Book offers a journey into a world of fantasy that, deep down, each of us knows and longs for. It tells the story of Teak, a child living abroad between the two World Wars. Teak’s mother tells her not to worry about being left alone, because every night, when she goes to sleep, they can meet in Beejumstan.Teak’s travels to this magical realm bring her face to face with Lonesome, a well-attired rabbit and Beejumstan’s “ambassador without portfolio”; Figg Newton, the alchemist; the witches Rudintruda and Idy Fix; Gezeebius, the Wise Old Man; and many other fascinating characters.Alice O. Howell is a wise woman who can present deep truths in simple and engaging ways.Through this enchanting tale, she suggests that within us are many worlds as real and compel­ling as the one we know outside. Delightfully told and charmingly illustrated, The Beejum Book offers seekers of all ages a beautiful way of imbibing wisdom.

Roses for Isabella invites us to experience life in Ecuador through the eyes of a young girl who keeps a journal and loves to write. We learn about Isabella’s parents who work on one of the hundreds of farms growing beautiful roses that are sold all over the world. But not all of these farms are fair to workers and kind to the earth. Through Isabella, we learn how her family’s life changes for the better when her parents find work at a Fair Trade farm. Written by award-winning author, Diana Cohn and brilliantly illustrated by award-winning artist Amy Córdova, Roses for Isabella will touch the hearts of children and parents, as well as introduce them to the cultural traditions of Ecuador and the importance of making choices that support Fair Trade products.

The illustrations in Three Grimms’ Fairy Tales by the German painter Gerard Wagner for “Briar Rose”; “Jorinde and Joringle”; and “The Star-Taler” represent a unique artistic approach to children’s book illustration. Through Wagner’s life-long investigation into how form can arise from objective color experience, the images are attuned individually in a deep way to the mood of each fairy tale and to children’s essential moral nature and creative fantasy. The book is a finely illustrated children’s book as well as a book of fine art. Three Grimms’ Fairy Tales also includes an afterword on painting “out of the color” by Peter Stebbing, director of the Arteum Painting School in Dornach, Switzerland, and a lecture by Rudolf Steiner on fairy tales in the light of spiritual investigation.

Nima Sherpa lives in Nepal at the top of the world, where the tallest mountain on earth, Chomolongma―the mountain we call Everest―towers above the clouds. Nima has promised her father, a mountain guide, that she will find a way to help make the world a better place. Every day, on the long walk to the market village where she goes to school, Nima meets porters and caravans carrying their goods to market, travelers trekking to their next lodge, and monks on their way to their monastery. After school, she meets her friend Tenzing, an old Tibetan trader, who shares some honey with her at the market place. Whenever Nima sees someone, she brings her hands together with her fingers almost touching her chin, bows her head slightly, and says “Namaste”―the light in me meets the light in you. Her mother tells her, “When you say ‘Namaste,’ try to see the special spark of light that shines within every person’s heart.” In Namaste! Nima learns that she brightens the day for friends and strangers alike when she shares her sweetness and light, every time she says “Namaste.” Woven into this simple, gentle story about recognizing and honoring the sacred in one another are delightful details of daily life in Nepal.

It has been snowing all day, and now it is Christmas Eve. But Jonathan James is sick in bed, with a most uncomfortable stuffed-up head. Just as he is closing his sleepy eyes, a little dwarf comes sliding down his bedroom curtain and invites him to the Inside Land, where he meets Father Christmas, who has a message for Jonathan. Father Christmas also makes a promise to Squirrel, Rabbit, Bird, and Mouse, who cannot find any food in the snowy woods. When Jonathan wakes up on Christmas morning he is all better, and he finds a shiny new sled at the foot of his bed. But he thinks there is something that he should do before he goes out to play in the snow. He thought and he thought. Was it back by the trees? Last night the stars sang. Or was it a breeze? Jonathan remembers the hungry animals out in the snow and fills his new sled with nuts, seeds, carrots, and all sorts of good things for them to eat. Even the chickens have grain to spare. This enchanting holiday story is a special bedtime tale to read to young children during the Christmas season.

After 30,000 years of torment, Prometheus has been released from his punishment for bringing fire to humankind. He now runs a small school outside of Athens where he tells his students his eyewitness account of humanity’s creation. Meanwhile, up on Mt. Olympus, Zeus casts his gaze upon one of Prometheus’s disciples, Chastia, who is engaged to Demetrios, a fellow student. However, Hera, the jealous spouse of Zeus, watches his every move. The Fire Bringer takes readers on a journey that gives life to the stories of the great Olympian gods and goddesses. Discover what it means to be entrusted with the gift of fire, and why Prometheus betrayed his own king to save a lowly race of mortals. Learn about our Western mythological roots and experience these all-too-human archetypes.

Richard Moore's collection of seasonal plays are suitable for classes 1 to 5 and feature original songs. They include two Christmas plays, an Easter play, a St John's festival play, and a Michaelmas play, as well as "Gilly of the Goatskin and the Churl of the Townland of Mischance." Throughout, Richard Moore's insights into the nature of the festivals shines through in the beautiful language of the plays, each of which has been finely tuned by numerous performances. Also included is an introduction and notes on performances. These five plays present a truly enjoyable challenge for students and their class teachers.

The hot South-African summer is getting to Emily. She escapes to her Uncle Tim’s farm where she meets green-eyed Joey and can relax. But Emily has an eating disorder, and each day she slips further away from those around her. Only Anna can help her—Anna the healer, the herbalist, who possesses the wisdom of ancient customs and traditions. Anna offers Emily knowledge of a world she could scarcely imagine. “Somewhere she could hear water dripping. There was a hollow echo after each splash and Emily followed the curve of the rock, walking on the small path that now appeared, worn and sandy beneath her feet. Anna kept some distance behind, Sipho’s small cry resounding off the rocks. Suddenly Emily rounded a bend and found herself facing a huge overhang. The rock formed a massive, flat ceiling that seemed to retreat right into the mountainside.”

In this coming-of-age tale, journey five thousand years back to the danger-filled jungles of ancient India and a time when gods and demons walked on the Earth. Meet Abhay, the hunter’s son, who must earn his manhood by facing a selfish bully, a man-eating leopard, and a fierce demon before he can earn his manhood. Meet Dayita who must marry according to the rigid laws of her society rather than her heart’s choice. Meet Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana, royalty banished to the wilderness far away from friends and family. Learn about Hindu mythology and village life in ancient India, as well as what it means to live a dharmic life, true to your word and respectful of your obligations and duties.

There are about 1,600,000 different species of plants and animals on Earth. Almost 900,000 of those are insects! In 2001, expenditures for pesticides worldwide for agriculture was almost $32 billion U.S. In his “Resources for Parents,” Chris Korrow, the author of The Organic Bug Book suggests:“Begin by considering that there is a reason for every creature and every process in an organic garden. More than just growing something, the gardener is managing an entire ecosystem. The gardener must have an awareness of what is happening in his or her garden. How to do this? It’s simple―spend time in the garden, watching and observing. If you notice insect damage, check under the leaves of the plants, poke around in the soil at the base of plants. You’ll be surprised at how much you can learn about insect pests.” In colorful pictures and simple text, Chris Korrow helps children (and adults) better understand the place of those small neighbors in our world. He identifies, illustrates, and describes dozens of insects, explaining what they do and how they are related to people and their gardens―and how bugs can help or frustrate organic gardeners! This book is based on Korrow's award-winning film, Garden Insects (as seen on PBS). After two decades of living off the grid, and homeschooling his two daughters on a biodynamic Kentucky farm, he was inspired to create this book with the hopes that it would inspire gown-ups to get outside and into their gardens with children. The Organic Bug Book is an intelligent and entertaining resource for encouraging children to become involved in a garden or simply to help them understand and appreciate common backyard insects. The book also includes a section of tips for organic “pest” control.

After 30,000 years of torment, Prometheus has been released from his punishment for bringing fire to humankind. He now runs a small school outside of Athens where he tells his students his eyewitness account of humanity’s creation. Meanwhile, up on Mt. Olympus, Zeus casts his gaze upon one of Prometheus’s disciples, Chastia, who is engaged to Demetrios, a fellow student. However, Hera, the jealous spouse of Zeus, watches his every move. The Fire Bringer takes readers on a journey that gives life to the stories of the great Olympian gods and goddesses. Discover what it means to be entrusted with the gift of fire, and why Prometheus betrayed his own king to save a lowly race of mortals. Learn about our Western mythological roots and experience these all-too-human archetypes. (Age 12 and up)

In 1794 Goethe and Schiller were engaged in a correspondence concerning the connection of the human soul with the world of the senses on one hand and with the supersensory on the other. While Schiller approached the question in a philosophical way, Goethe embodied his thoughts in a fantasy entitled The Fairytale of the Green Snake and the Beautiful Lily. In his fantasy, Lily represents the ideal world of the supersensory that is separated from the Green Snake, or the sensory, by a river. The goal is to build a bridge across the river that will connect the sensory and super sensory realms, and thereby establish a new, conscious spiritual awareness. The other characters in the fairytale–the Ferryman, the Old Woman, the Youth, the Will-o'-Wisps and the Old Man with the Lamp represent various aspects of the soul working together to accomplish this mighty task. A commentary on The Character of Goethe as shown in the Fairy Story is provided by Rudolf Steiner, the Austrian philosopher and thinker. An invaluable guide, it illuminates much of the deep symbology that is contained in this simple, universal fairytale.