Review by Booklist Review
Rooted in Hindu written and oral tradition, this collection of fine stories taken together creates an intriguing cultural monograph but are also intriguing told individually on their own. Tales about the creation of the world from a lotus flower; a great flood that impelled the first man, Manu, to build his ark; and the birth of Lord Krishna from a clash of good and evil are all included. Gavin's narratives are deliberate yet spellbinding, and Hall's artwork is visual storytelling at its best, with illustrations that literally glow with the mystique and beauty of India. To students with a more Western perspective, some of the stories will seem strange or even scary, though most any reader will notice some marked similarities between the stories presented in this book and many common epics from the Judeo-Christian tradition. This handsome book of Hindu mythology is a fine choice for most any library collection.--Anderson, Erin Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Whitbread Book Award-winner Gavin, who grew up in India, presents 10 classic Hindu stories, accompanied by Hall's lush and elegant gouache illustrations. The first story describes the origins of the world and the ongoing battle between good and evil. Others relate Lord Vishnu's creation of the goddess Lakshmi; Lord Shiva's battle with the gods of darkness, the Asuras; an ark legend centering on Manu, the first man; and the dark story of how Ganesh acquired his elephant's head. Readers should be drawn toward the valor, action, and dramatic transformations in these powerful tales. Ages 9-up. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 5 Up-Ten well-crafted stories with elegant illustrations introduce a fine array of gods and events of the Hindu pantheon. Gavin opens with a creation tale, introducing the tripartite godhead-Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva-as well as the forces of good and evil that forever do battle in the three areas of the cosmos-heaven, earth, and the underworld. The tales feature the large personalities of the gods and their love interests, trickery, and interactions with humans, offering intriguing parallels with other belief systems as well as unique elements. A serpent figures prominently in early times, the great flood endures for 12 years, and Brahma is born of a human mother as Krishna. Both Vishnu, the Preserver, and Shiva, the Destroyer, are colorful and complicated figures. Hall's richly rendered gouache paintings, prepared in the style of Indian miniatures and framed in gold, vary in size and placement, and each story is introduced by a sumptuous, colorful title page patterned in gold. The details and dialogue serve the stories and competent readers well, but will be a bit challenging for reading aloud and storytelling. Beautifully presented, the book will be much enjoyed by mythology fans and likely lead to a search for further reading for some.-Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Ten stories retold from Hindu myth, free of any broad cultural context but handsomely packaged and illustrated.Each tale offers a full slate of gods, heroes, monsters and (often) princesses, as well as plenty of action and, less often, a clever trick or dilemma. They incorporate such memorable images as the sea of milk in which Brahma floats before the Earth's creation, the decapitated demon head that still chases the sun and moon ("But they would always slip out of Rahu's neck, and light would return") and the swayamvara ceremony of Princess Damayantiin which all her suitors, human and immortal, must line up so that she can choose one. Though 10 tales is hardly enough to brush the surface of one of the world's oldest religious traditions, Gavin does include a creation story, a flood story and also severely condensed versions of the central events of both the Ramayana and the Mahabarata epics. Pale borders decorating broad page marginsharmonize with finely detailed scenes from Hall done in Indian-miniature style to give the volume an elegant look. The lack of source notes or explanations of such significant concepts as "incarnation" and Lord Brahma's "three in one and one in three" identity make this an inadequate alternative to Madhur Jaffrey's still unexcelled Seasons of Splendour (1985), though.Fresh versions of some very old stories, well suited to reading aloud (but practice the names first!). (Mythology. 10-12)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
