Tales from India
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. Grades 4-8. --Erin Anderson