Iliana is a full-color, hard-cover storybook. Quotes from readers, young and not-so-young. "Now I know the true meaning of Children's Day." -Gorden E. Shotwell, Age 8 (1992) "Thank you for Iliana. . .my favorite part was when she found the sun in her heart." -Isabel Chender, first grade (1995) I can't wait for Children's Day so I can hear Iliana again," -Lea Zimmerman, Age 7 (1995) "A timeless tale which, though full of exotic adventure, exposes the ordinary brilliance of the human heart. -Bill Gaston "A book for all Shambhala warriors." -Acharya Jeremy Hayward

Iliana

The Story of Children's Day

by Walter Fordham
with illustrations by Tatjana Krizmanic

I started telling the story of ILIANA to my children in the late 1980s--usually on the evening of the solstice; it became a holiday tradition in our household. The story is an attempt to present the warrior's path in the context of a little girl's quest to find the sun. She sets off on an impossible journey, and encounters the tiger, lion, garuda, and dragon. In the end, we all find out how there came to be a holiday called Children's Day.

The book came out in 1995. Four thousand copies were sold over the next few years, mostly within the Shambhala community, but it had an audience outside of the sangha as well. Tatjana's beautiful illustrations brought the story to life on the page. The book also includes musical notation for the five songs that are part of the story. Over the years, there have been many versions of Iliana performed at Shambhala Centers and schools, and I hear from a number of people that reading ILIANA on the solstice has become a holiday tradition in other households as well. By the way, the songs have been rearranged by Ellen Kearney since the book was published. You can find the sheet music for her arrangements here. Thank you Ellen!

I hope you enjoy ILIANA. Maybe someday there will be a second printing. In any case, wishing you and yours a most cheerful Children's Day!

-Walter Fordham