Prince Siddhartha was a very special child, handsome, intelligent and, most of all, kind. He grew up inside the protective walls of his father's beautiful palace, shielded from ever seeing suffering. When he became old enough to travel outside the palace, despite his father's wishes, he accidentally saw for the first time aging, sickness, and death! This made the young prince very, very sad. He then realized what he was destined to do…

This is the story of Prince Siddhartha and how he became Buddha, the Awakened One, told in lyrical prose. Beautiful full-color illustrations depict each major life event in Siddhartha's development. His message of nonviolence, loving-kindness, and unselfishness is vitally necessary for today's-and tomorrow's-children.