What do you think?
Rate this book
The Little Book of Hindu Deities: From the Goddess of Wealth to the Sacred Cow
Pixar animator and Academy Award–nominated director Sanjay Patel ( Sanjay’s Super Team ) brings to life Hinduism’s most important gods and goddesses—and one sacred stone—in fun, full-color illustrations, each accompanied by a short, lively profile.
The Little Book of Hindu Deities is chock-full of monsters, demons, noble warriors, and divine divas. Find out why Ganesha has an elephant’s head (his father cut his off!); why Kali, the goddess of time, is known as the “Black One” (she’s a bit goth); and what “Hare Krishna” really means.
“Throw another ingredient in the American spirituality blender. Pop culture is veering into Hinduism.”— USA Today
The Little Book of Hindu Deities is chock-full of monsters, demons, noble warriors, and divine divas. Find out why Ganesha has an elephant’s head (his father cut his off!); why Kali, the goddess of time, is known as the “Black One” (she’s a bit goth); and what “Hare Krishna” really means.
“Throw another ingredient in the American spirituality blender. Pop culture is veering into Hinduism.”— USA Today
144 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 2006
33 people are currently reading
889 people want to read
About the author
Sanjay Patel
50 books71 followersSanjay Patel is an animator and storyboard artist for Pixar Animation Studios, where he has worked on many features including A Bug's Life, Ratatouille, and the Cars series. Sanjay is also the creator of Ramayana: Divine Loophole, The Big Poster Book of Hindu Deities, and The Little Book of Hindu Deities. His modern interpretations of Hindu epics have been exhibited at the San Francisco Asian Art Museum.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
December 5, 2012
(More pictures at parkablogs.com)
Hindu gods have never looked so cute. Even wearing a belt of chopped arms doesn't look so intimidating.
The Little Book of Hindu Deities is a lighthearted guide to some of the more popular Hindu gods and goddesses.
The text and illustrations are clearly targeted at kids. Each god is dedicated two pages, one for the description, and the other the illustration. Because of the condensed nature of the material, there might not be enough religious context - as I've read in some comments from other reviewers.
The tone of the text is pretty conversational, nothing like text books. For example, in describing Kali the "Black One":
She then swallowed his whole body in one quick bite. What can you say? Some girls have big appetites.
or in Ramayana, one of the great Indian epics:
So work hard to do your duty, and if things get tough, it never hurts to ask a monkey for help.
I can see why some aren't too thrilled about language.
As a quick and informal guide, I think it's a pretty good and entertaining book.
February 2, 2008
This book is a playful & concise explanation of the pantheon of Hindu Gods.
The illustrations are the best part though: polytheism a la powerpuff girls.
The illustrations are the best part though: polytheism a la powerpuff girls.
January 10, 2013
While the illustrations are amazing and super cute, the books lacks in the information department. It gives only a brief synopsis of each god, and while it is funny, sometimes the humor takes up more of the page than the story. Secondly, I found the order of the book confusing. I think it would have been less confusing if simply Ganesha wasn't the first page. Most mythology books start with the oldest gods to the youngest, or most powerful to lesser gods. This book starts with Ganesha and explains he is the son of these other gods who we don't know anything about. So around the middle of the book I feel compelled to go back to the beginning and re-read it. I just thought it was poorly organized. But being that it is one of the few simplified books about Hinduism, and that the graphics are so WELL done... I can't fault the book too much. I think this is definitely a children's book. Growing up, I had D'aulaires Book of Greek Myths and The Children's Bible. Both were thick, dense books, that were well written, and had illustrations. I fully grasped those as a child. So, I would compare the reading level of this book to that of the Cat in the Hat. Anyone saying this book might not be for kids is really UNDER estimating the reading abilities of children (and possibly themselves). So, while I don't think the book is perfect, I do think it is by far and away the best "Intro to Hinduism" book on the market and a great starter for kids and those who enjoy beautiful cartoon artwork.
February 10, 2024
Great introduction to Hindu deities; for children or adults. This book gives you a basic description of the god/dess and how they are viewed by worshipers. Found many stories in this book that I have never heard before. The illustrations are very child friendly, some of the images of Hindu deities have been extremely graphic. A fun and informative book.
August 20, 2012
The girls and I loved this. The illustrator is a pixar artist and his drawings are really fun. The book tells the stories of the gods and goddesses and their various avatars, along with the stories of the major epics and the story of the four ages
January 11, 2016
After reading so many "deep" and long spiritual books, it was nice to read a book that was short and just plain fun. It was so nice to just read something enjoyable in a single day in the library.
Plus, this book about the Hindu pantheon for kids is illustrated by someone who has worked in the animation business for years and has even worked on some famous Pixar movies. Seriously, the illustrations from this book look like they came out of the PowerPuff Girls. Come on, you KNOW you want to see what fearsome Kali would like as a PowerPuff girl. You just KNOW you want to. And the cartoon versions of Ganesha and Hanuman are about as cute as you'd expect. He even managed to make austere Shiva look adorable, which is impressive and perhaps a little bit disturbing.
The goal of this book is to be an introduction to the Hindu pantheon for kids. The immediate problem there is that there isn't a clear-and-cut thing called the "Hindu Pantheon", because there are many different schools of thought in Hinduism. In Dualistic Vedanta, for example, all the various gods and goddesses (not just of the Hindu religion, but every other conceivable religion too) are just so many manifestations of Brahman that arise from our own karma (having better karma means you have a better conception of God that helps make you reverent, but having bad karma means you have a conception of God that scares you. Having REALLY bad karma means having no conception of God at all). And then in Non-Dualistic Vedanta all the various gods and goddesses don't really exist, only the Absolute does, and worshipping anything is a waste of time.
So it's a complex topic. But Sanjay, the author, tries his best to present Hinduism as polytheistic (the same way the pagan Greek religion is polytheistic) while at the same time acknowledging the complexities of Hinduism and the difficult of his task. He succeeds as much as he can.
An inquisitive kid reading this would probably ask something like, "How can Shiva manifest as Nataraja, Mahayogi, and Rudra when these are all really contradicting things? How can one God be a God of Ascetics, Dancing, and Hunting?". Or they might ask, "So are Saraswati, Lakshmi, Parvati, etc all actually just one goddess? Then how come they each have their own husband?". If a kid asked these questions, this book would no longer serve them.
But Sanjay doesn't want to explain the philosophical depth of Hinduism to children. He just wants to present the Hindu mythological stories in an appealing way, and to offer explanations of the colourful and exotic Hindu deities. At this, he succeeds.
However, I still have to give this book only four out of five stars because I think that kids are smarter than we think they are. Sanjay could easily have launched into trying to answer those questions whilst still using his ultra kid-friendly illustrations and his simple prose. He doesn't have to be a spiritually enlightened guru to try and answer them. Why not just illustrate the answers of someone like Ramanuja, or someone else who is considered to have answered those above questions? Basically, Sanjay underestimates the intelligence of children. For that I cannot give the book a perfect five out of five.
That being said it is impossible to read this book without getting a big smile and learning something about the ancient and beautiful conception of the world known as Hinduism.
The format of the book is this: We begin with the Hindu Trimurti (Brahman, Vishnu, and Shiva). Then he explains in the next chapter how Shiva can appear to people in many, seemingly self-contradictory, ways. The illustrations for all the various manifestations of Shiva are all really entertaining. Then in the next chapter he explains the various manifestations of the Hindu goddess. Then in the next chapter he explains Vishnu and all his various avatars (like the familiar Rama, Krishna, and Buddha). Then in the next chapter we get all the gods and goddesses of Nature, like Agni the God of Fire. Then we get the planetary gods and goddesses like Guru the God of Jupiter, and then we're done. All along we get adorable illustrations of each deity and a story that explains their personality.
Recommended to anyone who is interested in Hinduism! Even someone who is well-versed in Hinduism will want to read the renditions of the myths and see those illustrations that are straight out of a saturday morning cartoon. Seriously: PowerPuff girl Kali.
Plus, this book about the Hindu pantheon for kids is illustrated by someone who has worked in the animation business for years and has even worked on some famous Pixar movies. Seriously, the illustrations from this book look like they came out of the PowerPuff Girls. Come on, you KNOW you want to see what fearsome Kali would like as a PowerPuff girl. You just KNOW you want to. And the cartoon versions of Ganesha and Hanuman are about as cute as you'd expect. He even managed to make austere Shiva look adorable, which is impressive and perhaps a little bit disturbing.
The goal of this book is to be an introduction to the Hindu pantheon for kids. The immediate problem there is that there isn't a clear-and-cut thing called the "Hindu Pantheon", because there are many different schools of thought in Hinduism. In Dualistic Vedanta, for example, all the various gods and goddesses (not just of the Hindu religion, but every other conceivable religion too) are just so many manifestations of Brahman that arise from our own karma (having better karma means you have a better conception of God that helps make you reverent, but having bad karma means you have a conception of God that scares you. Having REALLY bad karma means having no conception of God at all). And then in Non-Dualistic Vedanta all the various gods and goddesses don't really exist, only the Absolute does, and worshipping anything is a waste of time.
So it's a complex topic. But Sanjay, the author, tries his best to present Hinduism as polytheistic (the same way the pagan Greek religion is polytheistic) while at the same time acknowledging the complexities of Hinduism and the difficult of his task. He succeeds as much as he can.
An inquisitive kid reading this would probably ask something like, "How can Shiva manifest as Nataraja, Mahayogi, and Rudra when these are all really contradicting things? How can one God be a God of Ascetics, Dancing, and Hunting?". Or they might ask, "So are Saraswati, Lakshmi, Parvati, etc all actually just one goddess? Then how come they each have their own husband?". If a kid asked these questions, this book would no longer serve them.
But Sanjay doesn't want to explain the philosophical depth of Hinduism to children. He just wants to present the Hindu mythological stories in an appealing way, and to offer explanations of the colourful and exotic Hindu deities. At this, he succeeds.
However, I still have to give this book only four out of five stars because I think that kids are smarter than we think they are. Sanjay could easily have launched into trying to answer those questions whilst still using his ultra kid-friendly illustrations and his simple prose. He doesn't have to be a spiritually enlightened guru to try and answer them. Why not just illustrate the answers of someone like Ramanuja, or someone else who is considered to have answered those above questions? Basically, Sanjay underestimates the intelligence of children. For that I cannot give the book a perfect five out of five.
That being said it is impossible to read this book without getting a big smile and learning something about the ancient and beautiful conception of the world known as Hinduism.
The format of the book is this: We begin with the Hindu Trimurti (Brahman, Vishnu, and Shiva). Then he explains in the next chapter how Shiva can appear to people in many, seemingly self-contradictory, ways. The illustrations for all the various manifestations of Shiva are all really entertaining. Then in the next chapter he explains the various manifestations of the Hindu goddess. Then in the next chapter he explains Vishnu and all his various avatars (like the familiar Rama, Krishna, and Buddha). Then in the next chapter we get all the gods and goddesses of Nature, like Agni the God of Fire. Then we get the planetary gods and goddesses like Guru the God of Jupiter, and then we're done. All along we get adorable illustrations of each deity and a story that explains their personality.
Recommended to anyone who is interested in Hinduism! Even someone who is well-versed in Hinduism will want to read the renditions of the myths and see those illustrations that are straight out of a saturday morning cartoon. Seriously: PowerPuff girl Kali.
September 3, 2008
My 5-year-old cousin saw this book while I was reading it, and could not stop staring at the pictures! He couldn't read the stories, the pictures aren't familiar Disney characters, but it's hard to tear yourself away. These illustrations are CUTE! Like, really really cute. The author says his litmus stick for cuteness was: when his wife looked at each pic, did she say, "Oh, that's cute."? Well, it paid off. Here are the Hindu gods and goddesses, each incarnation of of Vishnu, the demi-gods, the animal gods, the Hindu epics, the ruling planets - each illustrated with saturated colors and a sort of Sanrio-style. I'm not even exaggerating - dude claims Hello Kitty was an inspiration for the designs. Each page has another dumbed-down version of some Hindu mythology accompanied by an adorable picture. It was some major saccharine cuteoverload! I l-o-v-e-d every page, and I plan to buy this in the future at some point -- I think this is the only book I've said this about in 2008. One of my friends expressed some reservations about the over-cuteification of one of the world's major religions - for the record, the author is UK-born Desi, if that helps to inform your feelings about the book.
September 1, 2011
I bought this for my niece/nephew but decided I liked it so much, I wanted to keep it for myself (sorry kids).
Each deity is devoted 2 pages - one is a cartoonish drawing (doe eyed and similar to the one on the cover) and the other a description. While I'm familiar with the main gods, I constantly get the demigods confused, so this was a nice, and cute, reference. Besides the deities, there is a small part devoted to the Hindu epics: Mahabharata, Ramayana, and Bhagavad Gita.
All the information provided is, of course, readily available on Wikipedia or about.com, but it is so nice to have it all contained in a booklet -- not to mention, amusing with little cartoon pictures.
Each deity is devoted 2 pages - one is a cartoonish drawing (doe eyed and similar to the one on the cover) and the other a description. While I'm familiar with the main gods, I constantly get the demigods confused, so this was a nice, and cute, reference. Besides the deities, there is a small part devoted to the Hindu epics: Mahabharata, Ramayana, and Bhagavad Gita.
All the information provided is, of course, readily available on Wikipedia or about.com, but it is so nice to have it all contained in a booklet -- not to mention, amusing with little cartoon pictures.
March 6, 2015
What a delightful way to get to know and to better understand Hindu deities and, thus, Hindu religion, mythologies, and worldviews! Sanjay Patel's illustrations are fantastic, whimsical, informative, beautiful, and, let's be honest, adorable. The book itself reads like a really conversational and open introduction to and retelling of old stories. Can't help but make comparisons to how humans have been explaining the world through stories as in other world mythologies (god(s) in forms of three or multiple forms, planetary and stellar bodies as beings or deities, etc.). Lots of fun and highly recommended for those wanting to understand more of our diverse world. (Thanks for the recommendation, Katie!)
April 29, 2013
Light, brief, colorful, and fun - a good book for those who enjoyed Nina Paley's "Sita Sings the Blues" (unless you just enjoyed the film for the Annette Hanshaw vocals... not that there's anything wrong with that.) I'm in no position to evaluate this as theology, but I feel as if it gave me a broad appreciation for the variety and creativity found in the Hindu cosmos.
Besides, how can you go wrong with a book that comes with a "bookplate" printed in the front that threatens the wrath of Kali on anyone who fails to return it to you?
Besides, how can you go wrong with a book that comes with a "bookplate" printed in the front that threatens the wrath of Kali on anyone who fails to return it to you?
June 6, 2015
A lighthearted book which illustrates some of the major Hindu gods in super cute and amazing depictions. The author is a Pixar Artist and this shows in the beautiful way in which each deity is illustrated. This is a great book for both kids and adults who love adorable illustrations. My only gripe with the title is the paper used; a hardbound edition with glossy art paper may have done more justice to these cute illustrations.
June 21, 2016
I picked up the book for the illustrations and absolutely loved them. How cute can little Ganesha be and adorable Kali with a cheeky grin. The book provides brief introduction with a touch of humor to few of the deities of the Hindu pantheons
November 12, 2012
This is a very cute book which introduces many of the Hindu deities. The illustrations are adorable.
August 28, 2011
Hindu imagery is a feast of storytelling, design, and philosophy." - Sanjay Patel
The humorous and cartoon stylings of Sanjay Patel are used to teach about the Hindu deities with a fun and lighthearted approach that makes the deities harmless and joyful while respecting the sacredness of the gods and goddesses for the millions that believe in them. 144 pages in length, the book is a quick and fascinating read chock-full of strange and wonderful stories and it even includes a glossary at the back. This is sure to get readers talking about what they read and can be used as a basic reference tool for adults seeking a brief introduction to the deities.
"It's my sincere hope that these designs and explanations pique people's curiosity and help them make a connection to the ancient mythologies of Hinduism." - Sanjay Patel
The Goddess that has always been of the greatest fascination to me is Kali. Although she is known as the "Black One", she is the fiercest of the Gods and is often mistaken as being completely dark, but like all good characters, she is multi-faceted. Patel does an excellent job of explaining this dichotomy clearly without dumbing it down.
"Her role is profound, as she is responsible for making sure that all things die in order to continue the cycle of life. It is important to note that Kali vanquished the demon (Raktabija) in order to protect her devotees, who regard her as a loving mother goddess, not a killer."
Kali- four arms, a third red eye, and a belt made of human hands. In one hand she carries the head of a demon, in two others, her weapons of destruction- a sickle and a sword. She wears a necklace of skulls and little else.
The humorous and cartoon stylings of Sanjay Patel are used to teach about the Hindu deities with a fun and lighthearted approach that makes the deities harmless and joyful while respecting the sacredness of the gods and goddesses for the millions that believe in them. 144 pages in length, the book is a quick and fascinating read chock-full of strange and wonderful stories and it even includes a glossary at the back. This is sure to get readers talking about what they read and can be used as a basic reference tool for adults seeking a brief introduction to the deities.
"It's my sincere hope that these designs and explanations pique people's curiosity and help them make a connection to the ancient mythologies of Hinduism." - Sanjay Patel
The Goddess that has always been of the greatest fascination to me is Kali. Although she is known as the "Black One", she is the fiercest of the Gods and is often mistaken as being completely dark, but like all good characters, she is multi-faceted. Patel does an excellent job of explaining this dichotomy clearly without dumbing it down.
"Her role is profound, as she is responsible for making sure that all things die in order to continue the cycle of life. It is important to note that Kali vanquished the demon (Raktabija) in order to protect her devotees, who regard her as a loving mother goddess, not a killer."
Kali- four arms, a third red eye, and a belt made of human hands. In one hand she carries the head of a demon, in two others, her weapons of destruction- a sickle and a sword. She wears a necklace of skulls and little else.
October 16, 2012
i loved this book. first spotted it with my 6 month old neice. borrowed it and loved it from beginning to end. i haven't been able to properly find a Hindu book than can explain in terms i can understand beginning from the basics. it helped me understand it so much better now. i love how sanjay patel drew the characters. they are so cute. he had a bit of humor related to each god and what they symbolize and how it correlates to our own life. this is a great book for people that want to start from the very beginning of learning about Hinduism. loved it. I'm gonna buy my own copy cause i doubt my neice will let me constantly borrow it.
June 4, 2009
This book is amazing. An American of Indian descent who grew up Hindu - he went on to become an animator at Pixar. He put together this great book with illustrations of the gods and goddesses and short stories about each of them. Ancient Indian religion meet Sanrio cuteness - while still managing to be respectful and highly informative.
I love learning the stories behind some of the yoga poses... It is wonderful for weaving these stories into my classes to give the poses more history and meaning.
I love learning the stories behind some of the yoga poses... It is wonderful for weaving these stories into my classes to give the poses more history and meaning.
March 29, 2014
A delightful reference books on the Hindu deities. The left-hand page features an almost Sanrio-style illustration of the appropriate god or avatar. The right-hand page features a paragraph of light-hearted text outlining history, abilities, and iconic features. A perfect book to pick up, read an entry, put down, and pick up again. And a fun way to learn something about a rich faith that most Westerners don't really think about. I can't wait until my son is old enough to pick it up, as I fully expect to find him doing crayon drawings of multi-limbed gods and goddesses.
May 6, 2014
I bought this book at the De Young Museum when they held an exhibit on Treasures of the Raja. The sweet, cartoony illustrations, combined with the one page summaries of each deity make this a really fun, friendly read. The uber-contemporary, brilliantly colored images are set against black, pink, lime green pages. Oh, Lord Ganesha, you of wisdom, bringer of good luck, and remover of obstacles, I invoke your blessings! This would make a great gift.
April 1, 2015
Thoroughly charming guide to many of the gods comprising the colorful Hindu pantheon, and a few of the epics in which they appear. While the breadth and depth isn't there for any one particular deity, I found myself surprised that in the aggregate, the book lays a substantial foundation for understanding the idiosyncrasies of Hindu mythology. The Pixar- trained author/illustrator does a first rate job of communicating the essence in only a few brushstrokes of language and design.
April 26, 2015
This book is a cute little introduction to the Hindu gods and goddesses. I found it very enjoyable, and there is just enough information contained in the book not to overwhelm an individual, but to give them a brief synopsis of Hinduism. The illustrations are adorable as well. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in Hinduism or looking to introduce the religion to a young member of the family. An enjoyable book.
November 25, 2007
It's bright, colorful, entertaining and educational! Each illustration is accompanied with a succinct tale of the god or goddess introduced that is appropriate for any-aged curious reader. Though Patel does not refrain from dark subjects like rape, incest and murder, the whole of the book is light and sparkly as a bindhi.
Currently reading
July 11, 2008got this from dustin and aijun, thank you!
Seriously the cutest book. Pixar animator wants to explain all the Hindu deities. Franz will have to let you know about the accuracy, but the descriptions are pretty detailed and I can paraphrase for Giovanni, who just eats it up like a comic book. Both myself and Giovanni are enjoying immensely, and Amy I think I owe you a copy now.
Seriously the cutest book. Pixar animator wants to explain all the Hindu deities. Franz will have to let you know about the accuracy, but the descriptions are pretty detailed and I can paraphrase for Giovanni, who just eats it up like a comic book. Both myself and Giovanni are enjoying immensely, and Amy I think I owe you a copy now.
July 21, 2016
Respectfully done, and with informative sidebars. Very vibrant and amazing illustrations. Recognizable style to anyone who has seen powerpuff girls or dexter's lab, although the illustrator is a Pixar animator unrelated to those projects. Great way to introduce anyone, particularly children to Hindu deities and mythological characters.
December 25, 2011
Perfect for Hindus and non-Hindus that just want to get a better understanding of the religion! Growing up I had heard many of these stories and knew about many of these Gods and Goddesses but didn't understand their importance until I read the book. Cute illustrations too!
February 2, 2012
This book is all about Gods. An interesting read. Its to the point. Author made sure that it doesn't get boring so the one liners at the end of every description (of gods) was hilarious. Must read if you want to know about Hindu Gods and you would be surprised to find objects we consider as god.
January 13, 2015
Sanjay Patel is by far my favorite vector artist ever. Such whimsical illustrations that are full of color, imagination ... and stay with you long after you turn the page. Just wonderfully spirited and uber-cool. Bravo!
July 2, 2017
Fun Read! Beautifully illustrated.
May 27, 2019
A great introduction to the Hindu gods & goddesses with fun illustrations
July 5, 2021
It was interesting. I learned about some things I had no clue about.
December 2, 2019
The Little Book of Hind Deities is such a wonderful, adorable introduction to the gods and goddesses of Hinduism. The descriptions are easy to understand and the illustrations are so delightful, I would definitely recommend this as an introductory book for anyone!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews