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| Publisher's Hardcover ©2023 | -- |
Starred Review This is a lavishly illustrated celebration of India. The narrative flows as a grandmother selects souvenirs from her carved trunk and shares stories with her young granddaughter about landmarks, foods, cities, religions, cultural practices, writers and artists, gods and goddesses, and other historic and contemporary aspects that represent the incredible diversity of the world's most-populated country. Busy pages feature paragraphs of text, sidebars, maps, and diagrams gracefully placed within swirling, vibrant, mixed-media drawings that often sprawl across double-page spreads. Topics appear randomly, with a toy rocket ship prompting a discussion of the Indian space program and the Chandrayaan-2 moon orbiter followed by tinkling, belled ankle bracelets that evoke memories of centuries-old traditional dance movements. Words from non-English languages cluding Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, and Tamil e sprinkled liberally throughout, either defined in context or translated through labeled images. The back matter includes an extensive time line, brief essays on Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian flag, a helpful index for both text and picture captions, and resources for additional information. Both browsers and researchers will be hooked by this irresistible, joyous survey.
School Library Journal Starred Review (Wed Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2023)Gr 2–5— Young Thara's nanijee (grandmother) has collected special objects from throughout India and kept them in a wooden trunk to cherish. Every Friday night, Nanijee pulls an object from the trunk and tells its special origin and tale. Opening with a gorgeous full-color spread that shows a map of India in mixed media, Bilan and Chakrabarti work brings India alive in an original narrative nonfiction format. Readers will feel as if they are also pulling each item out as they learn all about different regions, cultures, and stories throughout the vast expanse covering thousands of years of India. Unique illustrations and interesting side notes bring familiar sites, such as the Taj Mahal to life, while showcasing lesser-known facets, like gemstones, archways, and gardens. Those unfamiliar with India will undoubtedly find much to discover, such as the ancient cave paintings in the Bhimbetka caves, while those more familiar will expand their knowledge further. The oral method of having Nanijee and Thara look at and explore subjects, including the foods, religious festivals, and wildlife of India, is an appealing and approachable format. VERDICT This gem of a book is perfect for anyone wishing to learn more about India; it should find a place on the shelves of most libraries and classrooms.— Michele Shaw
Starred Review ALA Booklist (Mon Nov 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)
School Library Journal Starred Review (Wed Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
INDIA IS JAM-PACKED WITH DIFFERENT LANDSCAPES. There are twenty-eight states and eight union territories, and each region is unique. There are scorching deserts, sacred rivers, and precious forests inhabited by endangered animals such as lions and tigers. To the north lie the snow-shrouded Himalayas, which run for around 1,500 miles (2,500 kilometers), and in the clear blue seas beyond India's shores, there are amazing islands with pristine beaches. It's a huge country, with a huge, welcoming heart.
The history of India stretches five thousand years into the past. It had some of the very first sophisticated cities in the world. If you go to India today, there are still ancient temples filled with sculptures and paintings, as well as wonderful historic palaces sitting like jewels in beautiful lakes.
There are also vibrant cities with modern skylines, such as New Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata. Like many cities around the world, India's cities are full of opposites: there are people who drive expensive cars and can spend all the money they like, and there are people who are forced to live on the streets. The buildings are home to both world-famous high-tech businesses and indoor bazaars and markets laden with handmade objects created using techniques that have been used for thousands of years.
One of the very special things about India is that it is a country of strong belief and faith. Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism were all born in India, and religions like Islam, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, the Baha'i Faith, and Judaism were brought to the country from elsewhere.
India now has the biggest population of Hindus in the entire world: over 900 million. Hinduism is one of the world's most ancient religions. Hindus believe in the circle of life and reincarnation, which means that after a person's death, their spirit does not disappear but passes into the body of another being and continues to live. This means that caring for wildlife is a big part of life for Hindus, because they never know who may have reincarnated in the creatures around them.
The most important texts in Hinduism are written in Sanskrit, India's ancient classical language. Sanskrit can be traced back to 1700-1200 BCE. Scholars think that all the European languages come from it; look how similar these words are: matr (Sanskrit), mater (Latin), and mother (English).
To make sure that everyone understands each other, Hindi and English are the languages used all over India in newspapers and on the main TV stations. Here's how you say hello in a few of India's different languages:
Urdu: As-Salaam alaikum
Hindi: Namaste
Punjabi: Sat sri akal
Tamil: Vanakkam
English: Hi there!
About This Book
ALL THROUGH HER LIFE, Thara's nanijee has collected special objects from around India and kept them in a beautiful wooden trunk. Each object reminds her of a wonderful place she has visited.
This book will take you on a journey around India--you can read it all at once or dip into it when you feel like visiting a particular place. Every time you choose a page, it will be as though you are choosing an object from Nanijee's trunk yourself.
India is a land full of amazing things to discover. Things that will shake you up, take your breath away, and make you as curious as a monkey!
A Journey Around India
Right at the top of my nanijee's house, I have my own cozy room for sleepovers. My bed is layered high with a soft patterned rajai quilt, and Nanijee has hung an orange sari over it to make a canopy. In a corner of the room sits an old trunk made from sheesham wood, with beautiful carvings of elephants and tigers all over it.
Nanijee lived in India most of her life and has traveled all around the country. Wherever she went, she collected special objects as a reminder of each place--and all those objects are inside this wonderful trunk.
Friday nights are exciting nights: that's when I sleep over at Nanijee's. She makes me spiced milky chai sprinkled with cinnamon. I take a small sip and snuggle into the folds of her chunni. She smiles and creaks open the trunk. It smells sweet, like the heart of a tree.
She takes out one object and tells me all about it--which state it's from, why she loves it so much, and what makes it unique.
Each Friday night, I hurry up the stairs to my room, butterflies zipping through my stomach. I run my fingers along the carvings of the trunk and imagine all the things lying inside. All the things I'm going to see.
I wonder what Nanijee will show me tonight . . .
Excerpted from My Incredible India by Jasbinder Bilan
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
Tour the diverse regions of an incredible country in a vivid, joyful, and visually stunning introduction to the people, places, flora, and fauna of India.
Watch elephants bathing from a houseboat in Kerala, marvel at ancient cave paintings in Bhimbetka, wander Delhi’s bustling streets, and ride a train through the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas. In spread after colorful spread, India’s breathtaking landscapes, rich history, and cultural splendor leap to life on the page, framed by the story of a little girl named Thara and her grandmother. In a carved wooden trunk, Nanijee keeps mementos collected from all over India, each with a story to tell. Readers can follow along page by page with Thara or dip in at any point to discover something new about India’s many and varied regions—from vibrant religious festivals, food, and crafts to sports and wildlife to Bollywood and a hidden sculpture garden filled with life-size figures. A warm, welcoming tone and exquisitely patterned endpapers help make this an intimate keepsake to pore over and treasure. A companion book to the award-winning Africa, Amazing Africa by Atinuke and Mouni Feddag, this is narrative nonfiction at its finest.