Grandfather Gandhi

by Arun Gandhi, Bethany Hegedus, Evan Turk (Illustrator)

Mahatma Gandhi's grandson tells the story of how his grandfather taught him to turn darkness into light in this uniquely personal and vibrantly illustrated tale that carries a message of peace.

How could he "a Gandhi" be so easy to anger?

One thick, hot day, Arun Gandhi travels with his family to Grandfather Gandhi's village.

Silence fills the air, but peace feels far away for young Arun. When an older boy pushes him on the soccer field, his anger fills him in a way that surely a true Gandhi could never imagine. Can Arun ever live up to the Mahatma? Will he ever make his grandfather proud?

In this remarkable personal story, Arun Gandhi, with Bethany Hegedus, weaves a stunning portrait of the extraordinary man who taught him to live his life as light. Evan Turk brings the text to breathtaking life with his unique three-dimensional collage paintings.

Genres: Picture Books, Biography, Nonfiction, Childrens, History, India, Memoir

48 pages, Hardcover

First published March 11, 2014

About the author

Arun Gandhi is the author of picture books and the adult memoir Legacy of Love: My Education in the Path of Nonviolence, all of which were inspired by his grandfather Mahatma Gandhi. Arun Gandhi lives in upstate New York.

Reviews

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been reading into non-violence again, lately, (re: among other things, March, by Senator John Lewis and Nate Powell), there’s a cool Peace exhibit at my library right now, and all those in my house are reading Peace books for kids, so this is a good one for getting into non-violence as an issue with kids. Who’s Gandhi? What’s his legacy? Who was influenced by him and how does he relate to current marches and movements? Will a famous guy with great, influential ideas have any effect on his family? What would it be like to be a grand-kid of Gandhi? Would he be a peacenik?

The book, which has sort of family information about Gandhi, is most notably about anger, I thought, and its place in Gandhi’s life and ideas. It is (maybe especially) beautifully illustrated including fiber art (spinning!). Includes a cool co-author epilogue, someone who was a 9/11 survivor who had heard Arun tell this story at a memorial service) adds some weight to the story. What to do with anger? Kids need to figure out how to deal with it; all of us do.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you familiar with the concept of booktalking? It’s a technique librarians developed to get people interested in books they might otherwise not pick up. The whole concept is to develop a kind of movie trailer style talk that gives a sense of the book’s allure without giving up the plot. Typically booktalking is done for middle grade and young adult works of fiction, but enterprising souls have had a lot of luck with nonfiction as well. Now with an increased interest in nonfiction in our schools it’s more important than ever to make the books we hawk sound particularly good. It doesn’t hurt matters any when the books actually ARE good, though. Now let’s say I’m standing in front of a room of second and third graders with a copy of Grandfather Gandhi in my hands. How do I sell this book to them? Easy peasy. Some books practically booktalk themselves. Here’s how you sell it:

“Have any of you ever heard of Einstein? Yes? He’s the guy that was a total genius. Now imagine you’re his grandkid and you’re not that smart. Okay now, have any of you heard of the Beatles. Yes? Well imagine you’re one of THEIR grandkids . . . and you’re bad at music. Now here’s the big one. Has anyone heard of Gandhi? He was a great guy. He managed to free his country and stop a lot of oppression and he did it without any violence at all. Martin Luther King Jr. got some of his ideas from Gandhi about nonviolence. All right, well, now let’s image you are Gandhi, the most peaceful man IN THE WORLD’s grandson. What if you get mad? Can you imagine what it would be like to have everyone whispering every time you got a little steamed about something?”

So there you go. Quick. Simple. To the point. I’ve met a fair number of picture book memoirs in my day, but Grandfather Gandhi may well be my favorite. Smartly written with an unusual hook and art that will just knock your socks off, this is one title you are going to have to see firsthand for yourself.

When young Arun and his family first arrive in his grandfather Mahatma Gandhi’s village, he’s mighty shy around his incredibly famous relative. Yet right away Grandfather is warm and welcoming to them, and when he praises Arun for walking the distance from the train station the boy swells with pride. Unfortunately, having Gandhi as your grandpa means having to share him with the 350 followers who also live in the village. Arun struggles with his lessons in Gujarati and the fact that there are no movie theaters around, but there are upsides to village life too. He’s pretty good at soccer with the other kids, and occasionally Grandfather will take him for a walk just mano a mano. But then, one fateful day, Arun gets into a skirmish on the soccer field and his anger is overwhelming. Shamed that the grandson of Gandhi himself would react in anger he confesses to his Grandfather immediately, only to find the man isn’t angry or disappointed in him in the least. Anger, Gandhi explains, is like lightning. You can use it to destroy or you can use it to light the world, like a lamp. Which will you choose?

I think it’s fair to say that there have been a fair number of children’s picture books from family and relatives of famous peacemakers. Most notable would be Martin Luther King Jr.’s clan, where it sometimes seems like every son, daughter, niece, and nephew has his or her own spin on their infinitely famous relative. Gandhi’s a bit different. One wouldn’t expect his own descendants to have much in the way of access to the American publishing industry, so biographies of his life in picture book form have concentrated occasionally on his life and occasionally on The Great Salt March. When I saw that this book was co-authored by his fifth grandson I expected the same sort of story. A kind of mix of “this guy was fantastic” with “and I knew him!”. Instead, Hegedus and Gandhi have formulated a much more accessible narrative. Few children can relate to having a famous relative. But what about controlling their anger in the face of injustice? What’s fascinating about this book is that the authors have taken a seemingly complex historical issue and put it into terms so child-friendly that a five-year-old could get the gist of it. That Gandhi’s anger went on to become what spurned him to make lasting, important changes for his people is the key point of the book, but it takes a child’s p.o.v. to drill the issue home.

Above and beyond all that, this is a book that advocates quite strongly for peace in all its myriad forms. Hardly surprising when you consider the subject matter but just the same I sometimes feel like “peace” is one of those difficult concepts without a proper picture book advocate. I went to a Quaker college where PAGS (Peace and Global Studies) was a popular major, and it was in making Quaker friends that I learned about picture books dedicated to the concepts embraced by that particular religion. Books like The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf, The Table Where Rich People Sit by Byrd Baylor, Thy Friend Obadiah by Brinton Turkle, and more. I’m sure that many is the Quaker household, or really any household that believes that peace is a practical and attainable solution, that will embrace Grandfather Gandhi as one of their own.

It’s been a long time since I ran across a picture book with as long and lengthy a list of materials used in the illustrations as I have here. On the publication page it reads, “The illustrations for this book are rendered in watercolor, paper collage, cotton fabric, cotton, yarn, gouache, pencil, tea, and tin foil. Cotton hand spun on an Indian book charkha by Eileen Hallman.” Phew! You might think that all that “stuff” might yield something clogged up or messy, but that would be doing Mr. Turk a disservice. Observing how well he gives his pictures depth and texture, life and vitality, you might be shocked to learn that Grandfather Gandhi is his first picture book. From the spinning wheel endpapers to montages of sheer explosive anger, Turk makes a point of not only adhering to some of the more metaphorical aspects of the text, but finding new and creative ways to bring them to visual life. To my mind, the materials an artist uses in his or her art must, in the case of mixed media, have a reason for their existence. If you’re going to use “cotton fabric, cotton” and “yarn” then there should be a reason. But Turk clearly did his homework prior to doing the art on this book. He doesn’t just slap the images together. He incorporates the fibers Gandhi knew so well and turns them into an essential aspect of the book’s art. The art doesn’t just support the text here. It weaves itself into the story, becoming impossible to separate from the story.

It’s Arun’s anger that proved to be the most visually interesting aspect, to me, in the book. Turk deftly contrasts the calm white thread produced by Gandhi’s spinning with the tangled black ones that surround and engulf his grandson whenever his feelings threaten to break free. The scene where he’s tempted to throw a rock at the boy who shoved him down is filled with thread, Arun’s magnificently clenched teeth, and black shadow figures that reach out across the field to the soccer net, dwarfing the three other little figures below. Later you can see the negative space found in cut paper turning from a representation of lightning into a thread of cotton in the hands of Gandhi illuminating a passage about making your anger useful. Yet Turk doesn’t just rely on clever techniques. He’s remarkably skilled at faces too. Arun’s expressions when he gets to see his grandfather alone or makes him proud are just filled with wide-eyed eager hope. And his frustrations and anger pulse off the page from his features alone.

Picture books for kids about dealing with their anger tend towards the fictional. There’s Molly Bang’s When Sophie Gets Angry . . . Really Really Angry and Robie H. Harris’s The Day Leo Said I Hate You. These are two of the good ones. Others veer towards the preachy and paternalistic. Imagine if you started using something like “Grandfather Gandhi” instead. More than just a memoir, the book offers a broad look at the benefits of channeling your anger. Better still, it’s a true story. Kids respect the true. They’ll also respect young Arun and his uncomfortable position. Fair play to author Bethany Hegedus for hearing him speak more than 13 years ago about this moment in his life, knowing that not only was there a picture book story to be had here, but a lesson kids today can grasp. As she says in her “Note from the Authors” at the end, “We world we live in needs to heal – to heal from the wars that are fought, to the bullying epidemic, to mass killings by lone gunmen, to poverty, to hunger, and to issues that contribute to internal anger being outwardly expressed in violent actions.” Gandhi’s message never grows old. Now we’ve a book that helps to continue his work for the youngest of readers. A necessary purchase then.

For ages 4-8.

[Karen Witzler · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a spate of reading so-so children's picture book biographies I was surprised and delighted to get to the bottom of my stack and find this. It is a book about anger but is also an introduction to the life and teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. Arun, Gandhi's grandson, narrates a story about anger, and his shame about being angry, with a family story that takes the reader (child or adult) into the essence of Gandhi's teachings about non-violence. The book has memorable illustrations that express a wide range of emotion and also incorporate fiber art (spinning is included in the story!). Very engaging and the author's epilogue ( a 9/11 survivor who first heard the now much older Arun relate this tale at a memorial service) adds a special jolt at the end. The lucky child who encounters this picture book will remember and understand historical and topical references to Gandhi - and possibly a new way of examining our universal human experience of anger.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This could make a good bibliotherapy book for children dealing with anger and other difficult feelings, children who have family members they feel they need to live up to, have challenges with sharing, It’s a fine story about the power of stories.

For me the autobiographical story proper was too slight for older kids and adults and maybe too mature for the youngest kids, though I do think all ages can enjoy it.

The illustrations were really interesting and I enjoyed their details but aesthetically not my favorite art. I did like them though and thought the pictures fit the story well.

My favorite page in the book was the last page that contained a “Note from the Authors” and touched on their stories. It’s for older (school aged) kids and adults. An extra half star for it. Very touching and meaningful and important.

I’m glad that I read this book. I have always had some interest in Gandhi but didn’t know or remember much about his family life.

3-1/2 stars

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Arun and his family come to stay with his grandfather, the famous activist and philosopher Gandhi, at his ashram in India, the young boy knows that he has an immense legacy to live up to. He finds himself wishing that he had more time alone with his grandfather, but the Mahatma always seems to be surrounded by his followers and assistants. When a shove during a soccer game reduces him to a state of rage, Arun feels that he has disgraced his grandfather and his name. Then he has a talk with the great man himself, and learns that everyone is prone to anger, even Gandhi. Like electricity though, the question is how one channels that anger, whether one chooses to destroy as lightning does, or to illuminate as a lamp does...

Based upon his experiences as a young boy with his famous grandfather, Arun Gandhi, together with co-author Bethany Hegedus, has crafted a tale that highlights one of Gandhi's central ideas: the harnessing of natural human anger to constructive purposes, rather than destructive ones. As someone prone to anger myself, I found the story here quite moving, and know that I will be pondering the idea of being a light for some time. This latter, the idea of living one's life as a light, also reminded me of the Quaker idea of the inner light, or the divine light of God, speaking to each of us through conscience. However that may be, this was a book that has appeal on multiple levels. As the story of a boy and his grandfather, it will speak to many young children who love their elders and long to win their approval. As an exploration of one of Gandhi's ideas, it will expose children to the philosophies of one of the 20th century's most influential figures. Finally, as a physical book, Grandfather Gandhi, illustrated by Evan Turk in variety of different media, from watercolor to collage, will have great visual appeal. The artwork really captures the emotional ups and downs of its protagonist, making excellent use of color, form, and light and shadow, to create a wholly engrossing visual narrative that mirrors and enhances the textual one. An excellent title, one I would recommend to anyone looking for teaching tales, stories that address emotions (especially anger) in the young, or books that deal with the figure of Gandhi and his legacy.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very unusual book. It is a perspective on someone who seems to be from history to me, never mind the 8-10 year olds who might read this book. However, this book removes the Mahatma from his pedestal to well, put him back on it. He was very approachable and open, even to a small boy. This boy, one of the authors of this book, was his grandson, Arun. Gandhi welcomed him and his sister with a big hug. Later, when the boy was feeling as though there was no way to live up to being a Gandhi, as angry as he felt, he went to his grandfather who did not scold him or be disappointed in him as the boy had expected. No, instead he dismissed his aide and gave all his attention to the unhappy kid's problem. He pointed out everyone gets angry, it is how you make use of the anger that matters. He tells the boy a simple little story that even a child could see had a message for him He accepted the message and has tried to live up to it his whole life.

The story is simple. The artwork isn't nearly as simple. When Arun is angry, you see him encircled by jagged thick black lines. At the end when he understands what his grandfather is trying to teach him, the lines go away and the thick black lines reform into trees and other positive shapes. In many ways, the art spoke to me first, which is highly unusual for me. I am a word person, Usually the pictures are an afterthought for me. In this book, however, the text cannot be separated easily from the artwork: one enhances the other. This would be a wonderful story to read on Martin Luther King Day. I know this would need to be book talked to convince kids to open it, but I think once opened, the kids will be immediately involved in the story. This is a valuable and unusual book in the library collection. I'm proud to have been the one to buy it and hope that it will help other children the way Arun was helped.This book is simple but profound.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful recollection of a period of time when Gandhi's grandson, Arun, lived with his grandfather in an ashram in India.

It has the warmth of a fond memory and a small bit of wisdom from the great leader. I love that the book shows how Gandhi lived, truly one of the people. The mixed media illustrations are fascinating in their layers and complex layering of drawings and other items.

Overall, I thought that this book offers a wonderful introduction to children about Gandhi and we really enjoyed reading it together.

interesting quotes:

"'Have I not told you how anger is like electricity?'
I shook my head.
'It is. Anger can strike, like lightening, and split a living tree in two,' he said.
...
'Or it can be channeled, transformed. A switch can be flipped, and it can shed light like a lamp.'
...
'Then anger can illuminate. It can turn the darkness into light,' Grandfather said.

'That's what you do,' I said quietly, sure I couldn't do the same.
'Arun, we can all work to use our anger, instead of letting it use us.'" (pp. 39-40)

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the opportunity to see Arun Gandhi several years ago and listen to him tell many wonderful intimate, personal stories about his grandfather that brought him vividly to life and made him very human. This remarkable book does the same. I particularly like the resentment the young Arun expresses at having to share his grandfather with so many people. It's emotionally honest and perfectly relatable. Beautiful mixed-media and collage illustrations by Evan Turk.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Arun went to stay at his grandfather Mahatma Gandhi’s village, he worried that he would not be able to live up to his famous name. Arun walked all the way from the station to the village and made his grandfather proud, but he continued to fret that he would not do the right thing the next time. The village was very different from where he lived before. Arun had to share his grandfather’s attention with 350 followers who lived there as well. Arun struggled with his studies and the other kids teased him as well. He found the meditation and prayers difficult too. His grandfather urged him to give it time, that peace would come. However, Arun just found it more and more frustrating. When Arun finally lost his temper with another boy, he had to tell his grandfather about it, worried that he would be told that he would never live up to his name. How will Mahatma Gandhi react to this angry young man?

Gandhi relates his own memories of his grandfather, offering his honest young reactions to this amazing yet also formidable man. The book resulted from Arun recounting childhood stories aloud. Hegedus emailed him afterwards and asked to work on a book with him, though she felt very unworthy of such a project. The book is beautifully written and speaks to everyone who has felt that electric anger surge through them too. Hegedus sets the stage very nicely for the lesson, allowing time for Arun’s anger to build even as she shows the lifestyle of the village and Mahatma Gandhi himself. It is a book that is crafted for the most impact, building to that moment of truth.

Turk’s illustrations add much to the book. Using mixed media, he offers oranges, purples, deep pinks and more that show the heat not only of the climate but of Arun’s anger. Throughout, he also uses fabrics for the clothing, creating three-dimensional depth to the paintings. When Arun’s emotions flare, the illustrations show that with tangles of black thread that all bring readers back to the image of Gandhi spinning neat white thread. The contrast is subtle and profound.

Personal and noteworthy, this is a picture book about Gandhi that is entirely unique and special. Appropriate for ages 5-8.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only a reminiscence of one of the most revered humans who ever lived, this fine book is also a meditation on anger and control. Arun's grandfather provides a hard-to-live-up-to example of patience and service, but when Arun loses his shit on the soccer field, he validates the child's feelings of frustration and helplessness while giving him some ideas of how to cope with those feelings.

The art is spectacular. Inky scrawls and jazzy, expressive figures are collaged with lovely papers and watercolor patterns, with the genius addition of scraps of white cotton floss and cloth. Shadows play a large part in the art - it is clear that Arun feels overwhelmed by the outsize shadow his diminutive grandfather casts, but by the end of the book, the shadows take on a different meaning, indicating the effect each individual's actions can have on the world.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Came for the illustrator, stayed for the theme. "We can all work to use our anger, instead of letting it use us." Unfortunately, judging by what I see on the news and on facebook & nextdoor, the people who need that message will never expose themselves to any of Gandhi's teachings. That doesn't actually make me angry, but it does make me feel very sad.

[Moonkiszt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Featured in a grandma reads session.

We found another book about Grandfather Gandhi by his grandson Arun. This one dealt with how hard it is to be part of a family that is famous, from which much is expected. Also what to do with all those out-of-expectations feelings a person can have, and what to do with them. In this story it was anger and acting out - and what his wise grandfather did with grandson, when Arun confessed his angry actions:

"Have I not told you how anger is like electricity?"

I shook my head.

"It is. Anger can strike, like lightning, and split a living tree in two," he said. . . . "Or it can be channeled, transformed. A switch can be flipped, and it can shed light like a lamp."

I saw Grandfather, speaking before thousands. When Grandfather was angry, he didn't lash out. He worked to make changes, lasting changes, for all -- not just for himself. "Then anger can illuminate. It can turn the darkness into light," Grandfather said.

"That's what you do, " I said quietly, sure I couldn't do the same.

"Arun, we can all work to use our anger, instead of letting it use us."

Grandfather slowly stood. He beckoned me to him and together we stood at the doorway of his hut looking out -- at everyone working as one. He hadn't told me I was foolish. He hadn't told me I was wrong and he was right. He hadn't even forced me to choose: Lightning or lamp.

But I did choose, and I would choose, over and over, from that moment on, like Grandfather. . . .

I did my best to live my life as light.

A lovely book, with stylized illustrations that well support the message and set an enchanting atmosphere over the pages. I was pleased to be able to present this book to my thirsty listeners - they are always eager to learn about other lands, cultures and heroes.

[Kifflie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arun, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi tells the story of how he came to live and learn with his grandfather. It's an overwhelming experience -- so much work to do, a language to learn, so many people surrounding the great teacher and demanding his time.

Arun confronts a situation one day on the playground that makes him very angry, and he talks with his grandfather, who teaches him that "anger is like electricity" -- it can split things in two, with catastrophic results -- or its energy can be channeled into illumination and positive change.

The lesson stays with young Arun thereafter.

Evan Turk's artwork is a wonder. Executed with watercolor, paper collage, fabric, yarn, gouache, pencil, tea, and tinfoil, it reflects Arun's varying emotions with striking accuracy.

A beautiful picture book with a powerful message.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stunning mixed media illustrations formed with watercolor, paper collage, cotton fabric, cotton, yarn, gouache, pencil, tea and tin foil highlight the very personal story of Mahatma Gandhi's fifth grandson, Arun. When Arun and his family spend time with his grandfather in his service village, Sevagram, Arun longs to have one-on-one time with his ancestor. But Bapu is a very busy man, and just about everyone needs his attention. As he goes about his days, Arun becomes increasingly aware of his own shortcomings and his inability to live up to his grandfather's name and reputation. After an incident while playing soccer, Arun seeks out his grandfather for advice. Gandhi responds by using electricity as a metaphor for anger. It can turn into lightning that can strike and cleave a tree in two or into a lamp that sheds light around it. Gandhi's words to his grandson are memorable: "Arun, we can all work to use our anger, instead of letting it use us" (unpaged). Thus, his message is clear: Anger can destroy us and those around us or it can be channeled so that others can see the error of their ways. I can think of no lesson more important to learn. Intriguing in its own right, the story of how the book came to be is described in the Authors' Notes.

[Amy Seto · Rating 5 out of 5]

When young Arun comes to live with his Grandfather Gandhi at Sevagram in India, he has a difficult time trying to live up to the Gandhi name, which leads to his anger and frustration. Through discussions with his grandfather, Arun comes to understand his anger and how he can use it in a positive, rather than a negative, way. The bright sun and intense heat of India are wonderfully depicted in the mixed medium illustrations, which use yarn, cotton fabric, pencil, tin foil, and even tea. Turk deftly manipulates shadows and proportions to convey Arun's emotions and perceptions. The text uses words deliberately, allowing this quiet story to speak volumes about anger, emotions, confidence, and peace. Although this book is not a biography of Mahatma Gandhi, it is a beautiful tribute to the man and his message for his grandson and the world. This book is an excellent choice for independent readers, as well as sharing with upper elementary classes.


Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2...

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The grandson of Gandhi tells of his feelings of insecurity in trying to live up to his name and the great and peaceful Grandfather that is so well resected. The 12 year old deals with feelings of anger and learns that this human emotion is natural and normal and it is what we choose to do with these strong feelings (use the anger as a lamp to illuminate and make world a better place or as lightning to hurt others.)

This book sends a peaceful message of self acceptance and empowerment as well as biographical information that humanizes Gandhi.

[decklededgess · Rating 2 out of 5]

trigger warnings: gandhi

Sooooo I'm not a big fan of Gandhi as a human. He was a racist and there is documented history that he sexually assaulted young girls as a test of his restraint. This book was co written with Gandhi's grandson and I don't expect him to have much perspective on his own grandfather's indescretions.

Whatever. Not something I'm going to push on children though until they're able to critically engage with a problematic public figure who made massive geopolitical changes in South Asia.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! Humbling and enlightening and evoking hope...if only we could all live our lives like this..."that we each look inside to see where our anger, shame, and fear hides. And when we do so, that we lovingly channel those feelings into positive action. Each time we choose to act rather than react, to sit instead of strike, to listen instead of shout, we work to create peace. We help our world heal. Let us all learn to live our lives as light." (Bethany Hegedus and Arun Gandhi).

[June · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful introduction to Mahatma Gandhi and to his grandson Arun. This covers a time when Arun goes to visit his Grandfather and is jealous of all the time other people take of his Grandfather. Arun doesn't feel like a Gandhi. How can he ever live up to the expectations for a grandson of Gandhi? When overcome with anger, he turns to his grandfather and learns a lesson about anger and electricity.

[Nancy Kotkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Text: 3 stars
Illustrations: 5 stars

Picture book memoir written by Gandhi's grandson, about a visit to his grandfather's compound. To understand the significance of this story, children need to already know who Mohandas Gandhi is before they read this book. Some cultural terms (ashram, Gujarati, Bapuji, etc.) are used but not defined, neither within the text nor in a glossary. The mixed-media illustrations, though unusual, suit the text and subject matter well.

[Becket · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bright, textured, extremely striking collage illustrations paired with an intimate view of a famous figure. Not to mention a lovely message about the universal experience of anger, and our individual choice of what to do with that anger.

Brilliant and sensitive. Just give it all the awards already.

[The Reading Countess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated, simply told, a tale that reminds us all that acceptance of all and self-control are values to be upheld despite how challenging it might be to live them day to day.
Highly recommended.

[Danielle]

The art is unusual and spectacular.
And what I further love about this book is that we get to see a totally different side of/story of this famous figure. Great book and so emotionally relatable to children.

[Mary Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mahatma Gandhi's grandson, Arun, worries that he will never live up to the Gandhi name. He angers easily and has trouble sitting quietly still. I love the moments they share when his grandfather explains that he sometimes feels angry too but has learned to channel it for good.

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely lovely. I'm sure many children, and adults, will see their own grandparents, as I did. That may be what I like best about this story-it is a story about a great man, but also about grandfathers and grandchildren everywhere.

[Emily Scheinman · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful!

[Brenda Kahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came to this through Be the Change, which I read earlier this month. Gorgeously illustrated and engaging, relatable story.

[Shiloah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good message

[Sara Tropp · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a long, but powerful picture book about Gandhi and his grandson, Arun. It is written by Arun but written in narrative form. I'd recommend giving some background info before jumping in, as readers won't necessarily know who Gandhi is before reading. Once they have that background, it's a beautiful tribute to the culture in the village. Arun runs into some trouble with his anger and his grandfather helps him through. This could double as a SEL book as well as a historical fiction selection. As a read aloud, kids as young as 3rd grade or so would understand and benefit from it. There are a lot of tricky vocab words that would need some scaffolding.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read their second book first and really liked it. Did not like this one as much. Illustrations and story were not as engaging. If I had read this book first I would not have sought out the illustrator for his other books.