What do you think?
Rate this book
Classic Tales from India: How Ganesh Got His Elephant Head and Other Stories
Eight beautifully illustrated traditional stories that immerse the reader in the ancient culture of India as well as impart important life lessons
• Shares classic tales from India, including stories drawn from the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, and the Puranas, translated by the authors
• Illustrated throughout with glowing full-color paintings in traditional Indian style prepared according to the traditional Hindu canon
With this full-color illustrated collection of classic tales from India, you will learn about the playful, loyal, strong, loving, and wise gods, goddesses, and heroes of India. You will discover how the deity Ganesh, the remover of obstacles, got his elephant head, how the goddess Parvati won the heart of the great god Shiva, and how the goddess Ganga came to Earth from Heaven in the form of the holy Ganges River. You will discover how Krishna’s childhood as superhero and mischievous boy prepared him to fulfill his destiny as an avatar of the god Vishnu. In two tales drawn from the Ramayana, you will learn about prince Ram and his victory over the ten-headed demon king Ravana and how the monkey-god Hanuman moved a medicine mountain to save Ram’s brother. In two stories from the famous epic the Mahabharata, you will discover how Karna became the greatest archer in the world to help good triumph over evil and how Arjuna compassionately fought his own cousins to bring peace to the kingdom of Hastinapur.
The glowing illustrations, executed in transparent watercolors and tempera paints, are done in a centuries-old method traditional to India. Richly detailed, they bring to life the colorful cast of characters--humans, gods, and demons alike--and allow the reader to become immersed in the mystical world of ancient India.
• Shares classic tales from India, including stories drawn from the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, and the Puranas, translated by the authors
• Illustrated throughout with glowing full-color paintings in traditional Indian style prepared according to the traditional Hindu canon
With this full-color illustrated collection of classic tales from India, you will learn about the playful, loyal, strong, loving, and wise gods, goddesses, and heroes of India. You will discover how the deity Ganesh, the remover of obstacles, got his elephant head, how the goddess Parvati won the heart of the great god Shiva, and how the goddess Ganga came to Earth from Heaven in the form of the holy Ganges River. You will discover how Krishna’s childhood as superhero and mischievous boy prepared him to fulfill his destiny as an avatar of the god Vishnu. In two tales drawn from the Ramayana, you will learn about prince Ram and his victory over the ten-headed demon king Ravana and how the monkey-god Hanuman moved a medicine mountain to save Ram’s brother. In two stories from the famous epic the Mahabharata, you will discover how Karna became the greatest archer in the world to help good triumph over evil and how Arjuna compassionately fought his own cousins to bring peace to the kingdom of Hastinapur.
The glowing illustrations, executed in transparent watercolors and tempera paints, are done in a centuries-old method traditional to India. Richly detailed, they bring to life the colorful cast of characters--humans, gods, and demons alike--and allow the reader to become immersed in the mystical world of ancient India.
240 pages, Paperback
Published July 7, 2020
12 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
Read
September 8, 2023w końcu moja droga przez mękę dobiegła końca
April 16, 2024
Classic Tales from India is a selection of tales from the sacred epics such as thee Mahabharata, thee Ramayana and from shorter texts including the Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, Shiva Purana and Vishnu Purana.
These stories, carried from parents to children throughout generations, maintain their freshness through the hand of Vatsala Sperling and Harish Johari.
The illustrations, by the hands of Pieter Weltevrede, Nona Weltevrede and Sandeep Johari are the perfect match for the texts, with rich and detailed drawings that bring about the magic of the words in colors and forms.
The book has a summary of cast of characters, that makes it easier for the reader to follow, as there are many characters involved in each story.
The book includes these seven stories:
- How Ganesh got his elephant head
- How Parvati won the heart of Shiva
- Ganga: the river that flows from Heaven to Earth
- Ram the demon slayer
- Hanuman's journey to the Medicine Mountain
- The magical adventures of Krishna
- Who is the greatest archer in the World: Karna or Arjuna?
In the epilogue of the book one can read a brief biography of the autors and illustrators, and most interestingly, a brief guide of the nine-step traditional Indian technique used for the watercolors and tempera paints used in each single illustration.
Reading this book has been a blessing for me and my Nada Yoga family in Rishikesh, where I discovered the book. We spent some nights reading the stories, animating them with the sounds of the harmonium and our songs and voices. Finalising the reading several thousand of kilometers away from the Himalayas, the magic and freshness of the stories come alive again.
This book is a great discovery and I wish that you can enjoy it at least as much as I do.
Thank you Vatasala, Harish, Pieter, Nona and Sandeep for your common work. Namasté
These stories, carried from parents to children throughout generations, maintain their freshness through the hand of Vatsala Sperling and Harish Johari.
The illustrations, by the hands of Pieter Weltevrede, Nona Weltevrede and Sandeep Johari are the perfect match for the texts, with rich and detailed drawings that bring about the magic of the words in colors and forms.
The book has a summary of cast of characters, that makes it easier for the reader to follow, as there are many characters involved in each story.
The book includes these seven stories:
- How Ganesh got his elephant head
- How Parvati won the heart of Shiva
- Ganga: the river that flows from Heaven to Earth
- Ram the demon slayer
- Hanuman's journey to the Medicine Mountain
- The magical adventures of Krishna
- Who is the greatest archer in the World: Karna or Arjuna?
In the epilogue of the book one can read a brief biography of the autors and illustrators, and most interestingly, a brief guide of the nine-step traditional Indian technique used for the watercolors and tempera paints used in each single illustration.
Reading this book has been a blessing for me and my Nada Yoga family in Rishikesh, where I discovered the book. We spent some nights reading the stories, animating them with the sounds of the harmonium and our songs and voices. Finalising the reading several thousand of kilometers away from the Himalayas, the magic and freshness of the stories come alive again.
This book is a great discovery and I wish that you can enjoy it at least as much as I do.
Thank you Vatasala, Harish, Pieter, Nona and Sandeep for your common work. Namasté
October 3, 2020
Gorgeous illustrations with fine detail and engaging colors.
The stories are retold well; my only quibble was the repetitiveness of the Ramayana portion, but getting two perspectives of it is fine.
The stories are retold well; my only quibble was the repetitiveness of the Ramayana portion, but getting two perspectives of it is fine.
December 19, 2024
The artwork is gorgeous. The writing is lovely. The censorship has been handled well. However, there is a clear religious bias in some of the stories, particularly the Mahabharata section.
Several clues lead me to conclude that the writer used the Bhagavat Purana as the source material. This includes a VERY rushed summary of the Mahabharata, heavily altered to fit with the stated mission of that Purana - to 'correct' all prior versions of these tales.
For example, this retelling for children repeatedly says the Pandavas are the goodies and the Kauravas are 'evil' and in the end, good prevailed. In fact, the original Mahabharata presents a very different picture. For goodness' sake, Yudhishthira gambles away his own wife and brothers in a game of dice! I wouldn't trust such a man to be my king. And that's just the start of it.
At the end of the full Mahabharata, Balaram accuses Krishna of ending chivalry - of lying, cheating, and using other dishonourable tactics to force the 'wrong' side to win the war. Krishna says he was sent down to kill off basically everyone, so the weak humans now being born stand a chance of survival as the Kali Yuga begins. The story is, at its heart, about the end of a bigger and brighter era and the beginning of a new one, where heroes and honour are a thing of the past. It isn't really about good versus evil.
Still, this collection was a good starter book to read with my son.
Several clues lead me to conclude that the writer used the Bhagavat Purana as the source material. This includes a VERY rushed summary of the Mahabharata, heavily altered to fit with the stated mission of that Purana - to 'correct' all prior versions of these tales.
For example, this retelling for children repeatedly says the Pandavas are the goodies and the Kauravas are 'evil' and in the end, good prevailed. In fact, the original Mahabharata presents a very different picture. For goodness' sake, Yudhishthira gambles away his own wife and brothers in a game of dice! I wouldn't trust such a man to be my king. And that's just the start of it.
At the end of the full Mahabharata, Balaram accuses Krishna of ending chivalry - of lying, cheating, and using other dishonourable tactics to force the 'wrong' side to win the war. Krishna says he was sent down to kill off basically everyone, so the weak humans now being born stand a chance of survival as the Kali Yuga begins. The story is, at its heart, about the end of a bigger and brighter era and the beginning of a new one, where heroes and honour are a thing of the past. It isn't really about good versus evil.
Still, this collection was a good starter book to read with my son.
January 18, 2024
Narrated by Erica B. Robinson, the audiobook rendition of "Classic Tales from India: How Ganesh Got His Elephant Head and Other Stories" takes listeners on a captivating exploration of Indian folklore. With seven timeless tales, the retelling is not only enchanting but also deeply engaging. Robinson's narration expertly breathes life into the intricate details of the stories, vividly portraying the diverse array of characters, be they humans, gods, or demons. The two tales from the Ramayana particularly shine, providing a compelling peek into the vibrant and mystical realm of ancient India. As a whole, the audiobook provides a delightful mix of storytelling and cultural submersion.
March 10, 2021
I got this for my kids, but ended up reading it myself. I wanted to learn more about Indian mythology and this book was great. The illustrations are gorgeous! I appreciated the story simplifications as well as the summary at the end of each story to share what principles are to be learned from each tale.
October 12, 2024
Really fun book for kids or adults to introduce some Indian classic tales from religion and mythology. I read it before reading the long translated version of the Ramayana and Mahabharata, and this book gave me some good context and introduced me to characters so that reading the longer tales was more enriching.
January 13, 2022
The pictures are absolutely beautiful and makes the book worth buying. Loved reading some old stories I already knew and reading different versions of stories that I had heard before. A little too much of the Ramayan and Ram for my liking which kept it at 4 stars instead of 5.
June 6, 2023
I especially loved the notes to parents and teachers sections! A few stories maybe could have been written better with more clarification or less details. Perfect introduction to the actual stories of many important Indian gods.
July 3, 2023
Sperling creates a beautiful retelling of ancient tales that have delighted millions for generations. Blending her innovative voice with delightful drawings that leap off the pages makes the reading delightfully delicious. I highly recommend it.
June 26, 2021
Approachable, enjoyable, informative telling of Indian mythology. Beautiful illustrations! Good for all ages
November 20, 2022
It is too difficult to understand
April 14, 2024
Amazing collection of myths accompanied by gorgeous illustrations. Cannot wait to share with my 6th graders!
May 16, 2024
very trippy book and the illustrations are sick
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews