At Shining Lamp Press, we create meaningful children’s books inspired by the Baha’i Faith.
Our Mission
Shining Lamp Press was created by Celeste Finn to create and publish high-quality, meaningful, and beautiful books that inspire children to grow emotionally and spiritually.
“The Kind Servant” and “Make of Me a Shining Lamp” were both published in 2021 to share the life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to young children.
Want to help? We need volunteers to edit, translate, and design.
Our Published Work
Make Me a Shining Lamp:
Helping Children Explore Virtues through the Life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
This 72-page book is comprised of nine short stories that share the life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in an inspirational way for children four to nine. Each story teaches a virtue and includes a quote from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, a reflection question, and a prayer.
Forming a relationship with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is an exciting journey for children. Learning to love 'Abdu’l-Bahá inspires children to connect with their best selves and nurture the seeds of virtue within their hearts. Virtues serve as compass points to guide a child’s choices and actions, helping them become shining lamps and brilliant stars.
Prayers and reflections at the end of each story help young hearts think about their lives and values while nurturing a meaningful relationship with their Creator. Dispersed throughout the book are photos of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. His tender eyes and magnetic countenance serve to both engage and open hearts.
“...human reality may be compared to a seed. If we sow the seed, a mighty tree appears from it... All these virtues were hidden and potential in the seed.” -‘Abdu’l-Bahá
The Kind Servant:
A Joyful Poem about 'Abdu'l-Bahá'
'Abdu'l-Bahá' led the Baha'i' Faith after His Father, Bahá'u'lláh, passed away. He lived a life of service to humanity and was loving to all who met Him. This book was written to share 'Abdu'l-Bahá's spirit of kindness, joy, and prayerfulness. Babies, toddlers, and preschoolers will delight in the playful rhyme and beautiful images.
I am Bahá'í!:
A Children's Book about the Baháí Faith
I am Baháʼí! was written to share some of the core Baháʼís principles in a language simple enough for most three-year-olds to understand. Messages to spark a young child's spiritual development include God's love for them, their belonging to one human family, and their ability to ask God for help.
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Lend a Helping Hand
Children’s books are created out of love for children. Books are expensive to produce and profit margins are slim. Shining Lamp Press puts 100% of it's profits back into creating new titles or translating existing books into different languages.
Donate to help us give the gift of Bahai-inspired literature to children around the globe. Every dollar donated helps us to translate books and get them into children’s hands around the globe.
These children are even as young plants, and teaching them the prayers is as letting the rain pour down upon them, that they may wax tender and fresh, and the soft breezes of the love of God may blow over them, making them to tremble with joy.
-‘Abdu’l-Bahá
