The Foolish Men of Agra

by Rina Singh, Farida Zaman (Illustrator)

It's tough being Akbar, emperor of Agra. What would you do if one of your servants brought you bad luck simply by showing his face first thing in the morning? What if none of your courtiers knew a bed-time story good enough to make you fall asleep? What if you wanted someone to compile a list of all the fools in your kingdom? Well, without help, things would be difficult indeed.

Luckily, Akbar has Birbal, his wisest minister and dearest friend. Birbal always helps the emperor make the right decisions, and together they are an unbeatable pair, foiling their enemies and answering life's more perturbing questions.

Drawn from the traditional tales of Mogul India and skillfully retold by Rina Singh, "The Foolish Men Of Agra" is a collection of ten delightfully funny and poignant stories. The stunning illustrations by Farida Zaman draw inspiration from the mosaic style of the grand mogul palaces, and perfectly capture the spirit and charm of these enchanting tales.

48 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1998

About the author

RINA SINGH was born in India and immigrated to Canada in 1980. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Concordia University and a teaching degree from McGill University. Before moving from Montreal to Toronto, she taught creative writing to gifted children. She has since written several critically acclaimed books for children. Her book A Forest of Stories has been translated into several languages, her poems and short stories have appeared in several Canadian literary journals, and she has exhibited photography in many Toronto galleries. Rina Singh teaches art and drama in Toronto, where she lives with her restaurateur husband and their two children.

Reviews

[Yasmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have loved this even more if the story on page 16 was left in this copy of the book. I didn't mind a few of the stories repeating themselves. But I missed the end of one and the entire of another. A pity because this is a delightful book.

[Jbondandrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed reading the book, I was disappointed the one tale mentioned on the front flap wasn't featured and my copy had the last third of the book reprinted.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun and also quite funny collection of Indian folk tales featuring the Indian Moghul Emperor Akbar and his faithful companion Birbal. Each short chapter encompasses a single tale and is accompanied by fanciful illustrations.

CIP Summary:
None. From the book jacket: Drawn from the traditional tales of Mogul India and skillfully retold by Rina Singh.

From Publisher's Weekly:
These 10 traditional tales center around the alliance of two historic characters Akbar, Mogul emperor of India in the late 16th century, and Birbal, his trusted Hindu minister. The shrewd humor will be most appreciated by readers at the older end of the target audience. Ages 5-9.

From School Library Journal:
Grade 2-5. Legends from the Mogul Empire of India, which flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries, are retold here in simple language.

[Josette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever stories from India's past

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Different type of "fool's tales" b/c the "fool" in these stories is smarter than everyone else.