The Monkey And The Fish

Our world is marked by unprecedented degrees of multiculturalism, ethnic diversity, social shifts, international collaboration, and technology-driven changes. The changes are profound, especially when you consider the unchecked decline in the influence, size, and social standing of the church. There is an undercurrent of anxiety in the evangelical world, and a hunger for something new. And we’re sensing the urgency of it. We need fresh, creative counterintuitive ways of doing ministry and church and leading it in the 21st century. We need to adapt. Fast. Both in our practices and our thinking. The aim of this book is simple: When we understand the powerful forces at work in the world today, we’ll learn how something called The Third Culture can yield perhaps the most critical missing ingredient in the church today—adaptability—and help the church remain on the best side of history. A Third Culture Church and a Third Culture Leader looks at our new global village and the church’s role in that village in a revolutionary way. It’s a way to reconnect with the historical roots of what Jesus envisioned the church could be—a people known for a brand of love, unity, goodness, and extravagant spirit that defies all conventions. This book is part of the successful Leadership Innovation Series.

The story Foolish Fish and Wise Monkey is folklore set in a wildlife environment depicting a community where people of different cultures live together. Within these cultures, a friendship develops between a young fish and a young monkey. The consequences of their friendship come at the expense of not following parental advice and guidance, which makes both Little Monkey and Little Fish suffer consequences. Little Monkey’s love for adventure and his imagined heroism on Little Fish’s back through the deep waters where his kin has never travelled, brings him to the brink of death. Similarly, Little Fish’s tactics to get her friend Monkey to the bottom of the water leads to losing the friendship that developed between them. The story shows how the fish’s foolishness was topped monkey’s wisdom in being able to think quickly and calmly enough to save his life. The tale exposes problems faced within societies regarding child rearing and upbringing. Children often turn deaf ears to parental advice and guidance while giving in to peer pressure. To this end, social ills and problems such as lies, dishonesty, substance abuse, and ignorance can breed into juvenile delinquency.

Welcome to Animal Square where all the animals live and play together. Kitty, Mouse, Monkey, Giraffe, Rabbit, and Dog are six very best friends. They each live in their own little home and do lots of things together. Animal Square is a place full of friendship, happiness, and caring. Come join in the fun Kitty's worried. Fish isn't swimming anymore. Dog and Kitty try to make fish swim, but nothing works. Giraffe knows what's going on: Fish has died. Together, the friends bury Fish. Kitty is so sad. She doesn't want to forget about Fish. What can she do to remember? A gentle first story about loss, grief and hope. For toddlers ages 30 months and up, with a focus on the child's emotions.

An entertaining investigation of the numerical abilities of animals and our own appetite for arithmetic The philosopher Bertrand Russell once observed that realizing that a pair of apples and the passage of two days could somehow both be represented by the concept we call “two” was one of the most astonishing discoveries anyone had ever made. So what do we make of the incredible fact that animals seem to have inherent mathematical abilities? As cognitive psychologist Brian Butterworth shows us in Can Fish Count?, many “simple” animals—such as bees, which count trees and fence posts, and guppies, which can size up groups—have a sense of numbers. And unlike humans, they don’t need to be taught. In telling animals’ stories, Butterworth shines new light on one of our most ancient questions: Just where, exactly, do numbers come from? He reveals how insights gleaned from studying animals can help us make better sense of our own abilities. Full of discovery and delight, Can Fish Count? is an astonishing journey through the animal kingdom and the human mind.

The Monkey Mountain story started in a Canadian community health centre. Over the past ten years, it has been successfully introduced to groups attending community health and recreational centres and in retirement and nursing homes, in diabetes and mental health programs. Presentations at community college activation programs and at the Toronto Island Sunshine Center have resulted in Monkey Mountain being taken to many settings. Tai Chi has real benefits for all ages. But especially as we get older, we can lose the ability or confidence to walk and move about easily. That loss can be the result of physical changes or simply because of life factors such as our constant use of chairs. Consider falls alone. A serious fall in later years is often the event that may begin the loss of independence. People who do Tai Chi and who do the Monkey Mountain story really do improve their balance and flexibility. They avoid or recover from near falls. They gain or regain their ability to walk or to enjoy exercise. Being able to move about with confidence encourages socialization and adds to the enjoyment of living. There is also a calming logic to the moves of Tai Chi and the Monkey Mountain story. The concentration required to learn and play the moves clears the mind and relieves stress. Tai Chi is sometimes called a moving meditation.

When this mischievous monkey casts off, he gets tangled up in misadventure. Don’t miss the boat when it comes to Curious George and fishing fun! Inspired by a vignette in the classic Curious George Flies a Kite, this amusing episode shows George at his curious best trying to catch a fish. Praise for the Curious George books “What distinguishes the George stories is where the trouble is—almost never in a person, never in humanity. George lives in a super benign world, even if it is often strange and unfamiliar to him. This is different than living in a world that is familiar but crowded with evil or indifference . . . George is at once an impossible monkey, a fantasy, and also, simply, one of us.” —The New Yorker “Curious George certainly deserves a spot on the shelf, and these engaging stories will provide a good exercise in imagination and creativity.” —The Horn Book