Stephen Mitchell Books in Order

Fifteen verse portraits and forty-seven prose poems and parables revisit figures from history, myth, and literature. Combining Jewish and Zen perspectives with humor, Mitchell reimagines familiar characters and stories as encounters with spiritual questions and ordinary human contradictions.

Stephen Mitchell adapts the opening creation story from Genesis for children, following the emergence of light, living creatures, and an ordered world. Ori Sherman's paintings accompany a retelling that emphasizes the imagery and simplicity of the biblical narrative.

Stephen Mitchell translates and selects Gospel passages he considers closest to Jesus' original teaching, distinguishing them from later additions. An introductory meditation and detailed commentary connect this reconstructed account with insights from Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Taoist, and Sufi traditions.

A writer skeptical of angels receives a visit from Gabriel, beginning conversations and journeys that unsettle his understanding of spiritual life. Encounters with historical thinkers, religious figures, and demanding teachers explore enlightenment, love, truth, and the human response to evil.

A contemplative frog falls in love with a rebellious princess, beginning a relationship that transforms them both. Mitchell expands the familiar fairy tale into a story for adults, weaving meditations on love and identity through their difficult path toward understanding.

Drawing on his own spiritual journey and translations, Stephen Mitchell introduces teenagers to the life and teachings of Jesus. He distinguishes the historical Jewish teacher from later religious claims and invites readers to consider how those teachings might shape their own lives.

Playful poems introduce a wishing bone, unusual animals, strange places, and questions that invite children to imagine impossible possibilities. Tom Pohrt's illustrations accompany verse designed for reading aloud, combining verbal nonsense with unexpected turns of thought.

Using passages from the Tao Te Ching as starting points, Stephen Mitchell draws out Byron Katie's reflections on love, death, work, and fulfillment. Her accounts of questioning stressful beliefs illustrate the freedom she associates with accepting reality as it unfolds.

Stephen Mitchell retells three Arabian Nights stories, including Aladdin and Ali Baba, for young readers. Scheming thieves, powerful rulers, and magical encounters test honesty and ingenuity, while Tom Pohrt's illustrations accompany tales of greed, loyalty, justice, and unexpected fortune.

A prince befriends a cursed wild man guarding a golden spring, then betrays his trust and must survive alone without royal privilege. Mitchell's retelling follows the boy's encounter with humility, responsibility, and the possibility of receiving unexpected help.

Sold into slavery by his brothers, Joseph rises to power in Egypt and eventually confronts the family that betrayed him. Mitchell's retelling combines the biblical narrative with brief meditations exploring pride, suffering, and the possibility of releasing resentment.

Mitchell reimagines the Nativity through Mary, Joseph, shepherds, wise men, and the animals surrounding the birth. Placing the characters within their Jewish world, he explores the fear, trust, and courage involved in accepting an extraordinary new beginning.

Byron Katie explores her method of questioning stressful beliefs, with Stephen Mitchell. She argues that examining thoughts can loosen their hold and open a path toward generosity, self-understanding, and a different relationship with suffering.

Byron Katie introduces The Work, a process of self-inquiry built around four questions. Through examples and dialogues, she shows how readers can examine troubling beliefs and reconsider the interpretations that shape their emotional lives.

Stephen Mitchell adapts passages from Chuang-tzu and Tzu-ssu, pairing ancient Chinese wisdom with his own commentary. The selections explore spontaneity, perspective, and the freedom that comes from meeting everyday life without rigid expectations.