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Two-Epics-in-One (The Girl Who Chose and The Boys Who Fought): Flip Book
What were Sita's choices?What was the outcome of the fight of the five brothers against a hundred princes?A tale told two thousand years ago, of Ram and Ravan-the sun-prince of Ayodhya who follows the family rules and the king of Lanka who had little respect for others' choices-is one that has been reinterpreted in myriads of ways, exalting the virtues of the princes. Few notice, however, that the story is actually lead by the girl who chose, Sita.The other is the tale of the five Pandavas and their cousins, the hundred Kauravas, who threw out the family morals. Instead of taking care of their five orphaned cousins, the princes burnt their house, abused their wife and stole their kingdom. This is the saga of the boys who fought not for revenge but for dharma.The country's favourite mythologist, Devdutt Pattanaik, empowers and entertains with a double bill of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata for a whole new generation of readers, in his easy, distinctive style. Flip the book and look at the epics in a brand new light.
124 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 30, 2019
1 person is currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Devdutt Pattanaik
287 books3,335 followersDr. Devdutt Pattanaik (born December 11, 1970) is an Indian physician turned leadership consultant, mythologist and author whose works focus largely on the areas of myth, mythology, and also management. He has written a number of books related to Hindu mythology, including Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology, a novel, The Pregnant King, and Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata (2010).
He is the Chief Belief Officer of Future Group, one of India’s largest retailers, bringing the wisdom of Indian mythology into Indian business, especifically in human resource management. He also writes a column for the newspaper MID DAY.
He has also written a novel based on a tale from the Mahabharata titled 'The Pregnant King' published by Penguin Books India
He is the Chief Belief Officer of Future Group, one of India’s largest retailers, bringing the wisdom of Indian mythology into Indian business, especifically in human resource management. He also writes a column for the newspaper MID DAY.
He has also written a novel based on a tale from the Mahabharata titled 'The Pregnant King' published by Penguin Books India
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 24, 2019
When we talk about India and the Indian culture, mythology holds a strong position. A very strong position. We have grown listening to stories from grandparents and watching many interpretations of our mythological books on television series. Also, reading the Amar Chitra Katha series. All fuel up our imagination about the legends.
An emerging genre in books is Mythological fiction. Newauthors coming up with fresh perceptions of the same characters. While we have heard or watched about the gods, avatars, demons, sages, prince, and princess, wars; these books bring out the story of characters in amplified form. Encouragingreaders to view another dimension of epics.
The Ramayana and Mahabharata have been fertile ground for many stories, mainly for its layers of characters. Devdutt Pattanaik is a popular storyteller who enjoys retelling Indian mythological stories for children and adults. As he has the ability to connect with the modern mind of readers who are ready to examine the theories again.
In “The Girl who Chose” is the story of Sita. In this version, she is not the damsel in distress. The story progress with an introduction to Ramayana and the unique choices made by Sita that brings twists and turns in the story. While young readers would enjoy the amazing stories with illustrations and peppered with tidbits on the epic. Others would appreciate freshness and brand-new perceptions.
“The Boys who Fought” is Mahabharat simplified for young readers. The author points out the issues of dharma with short texts and illustrations. He retains the principal characters and the tales which shaped the epic to its finality.
If you have a child who loves going through mythologicalstories add this book in your bookshelves.
An emerging genre in books is Mythological fiction. Newauthors coming up with fresh perceptions of the same characters. While we have heard or watched about the gods, avatars, demons, sages, prince, and princess, wars; these books bring out the story of characters in amplified form. Encouragingreaders to view another dimension of epics.
The Ramayana and Mahabharata have been fertile ground for many stories, mainly for its layers of characters. Devdutt Pattanaik is a popular storyteller who enjoys retelling Indian mythological stories for children and adults. As he has the ability to connect with the modern mind of readers who are ready to examine the theories again.
In “The Girl who Chose” is the story of Sita. In this version, she is not the damsel in distress. The story progress with an introduction to Ramayana and the unique choices made by Sita that brings twists and turns in the story. While young readers would enjoy the amazing stories with illustrations and peppered with tidbits on the epic. Others would appreciate freshness and brand-new perceptions.
“The Boys who Fought” is Mahabharat simplified for young readers. The author points out the issues of dharma with short texts and illustrations. He retains the principal characters and the tales which shaped the epic to its finality.
If you have a child who loves going through mythologicalstories add this book in your bookshelves.
October 31, 2019
I had a gala time reading Devdutt Pattanaik's two-in-one retelling of epics: 1) The Girl Who Chose - The Ramayana for Children, and 2) The Boys Who Fought - The Mahabharata for Children.
Before I delve into specifics of each story, let me share what I liked overall.
1) The epics were broken down into smaller, easy-to-understand portions,
2) The stories were simplified and in a language children will understand easily,
3) This is an illustrated retelling, so the artwork will definitely score points with children,
4) There are little nuggets of information about the history of certain places mentioned in the story, the variations in different re-tellings of the the story based on local history and culture, and other interesting tid-bits; and
5) (my favourite) These are NOT told as stories about God, religion, worship, or heaven or hell. These are stories with life lessons and morals, and more about learning the ways of life than anything else. I especially loved the conclusions at the end of both stories, and for that reason, you will find these stories worth reading about and learning from even if you're from a different faith
THE GIRL WHO CHOSE
The Ramayana was told from Sita's perspective and broken down to show how five choices made by Sita, shaped the whole story and changed/affected her life. When I finished reading the story, for me it was a story about choices and consequences, right and wrong.
THE BOYS WHO FOUGHT
The Mahabharata, in this case, was broken down into six fights that the Pandavas fought and raised a lot of questions about Dharma and sacrifice. Since it is a story about fights and an epic war, it is pretty hard to eliminate bloodshed and death from the story completely. And though the descriptions are definitely child-friendly, a child must know and understand the concept of death, killing, and war, to understand and appreciate the story in its entirety.
All in all, I, personally extremely enjoyed reading this book. There's so much to learn about how to live life and how our actions matter and have consequences. For me, that’s the biggest takeaway from this book.
Before I delve into specifics of each story, let me share what I liked overall.
1) The epics were broken down into smaller, easy-to-understand portions,
2) The stories were simplified and in a language children will understand easily,
3) This is an illustrated retelling, so the artwork will definitely score points with children,
4) There are little nuggets of information about the history of certain places mentioned in the story, the variations in different re-tellings of the the story based on local history and culture, and other interesting tid-bits; and
5) (my favourite) These are NOT told as stories about God, religion, worship, or heaven or hell. These are stories with life lessons and morals, and more about learning the ways of life than anything else. I especially loved the conclusions at the end of both stories, and for that reason, you will find these stories worth reading about and learning from even if you're from a different faith
THE GIRL WHO CHOSE
The Ramayana was told from Sita's perspective and broken down to show how five choices made by Sita, shaped the whole story and changed/affected her life. When I finished reading the story, for me it was a story about choices and consequences, right and wrong.
THE BOYS WHO FOUGHT
The Mahabharata, in this case, was broken down into six fights that the Pandavas fought and raised a lot of questions about Dharma and sacrifice. Since it is a story about fights and an epic war, it is pretty hard to eliminate bloodshed and death from the story completely. And though the descriptions are definitely child-friendly, a child must know and understand the concept of death, killing, and war, to understand and appreciate the story in its entirety.
All in all, I, personally extremely enjoyed reading this book. There's so much to learn about how to live life and how our actions matter and have consequences. For me, that’s the biggest takeaway from this book.
October 24, 2019
The book two-epics-in-one comprises of
1. The boys who fought - Mahabharata
2. The Girl who chose - Ramayana
The book is written by Devdutt Pattanaik, aiming at children. The writing style is very crisp and short as each of the stories take not more than 100+ pages all filled with big fonts and illustrations.
Pros:
1. It is a simple, easy read for kids who can finish reading both the stories in one go.
2. The illustrations are catchy with few monologues.
3. The dialog Boxes give additional factual informations about the epics.
4. These kind of books encourage an interest in Indian mythology and epics.
5. The flip format makes it interesting for kids
6. I personally liked reading the Mahabharata story. Ramayana could have been implored more!
Cons:
1. Epics or mythologies when written in a crisp format loose the essence of it and as a reader I could feel it in Ramayana.
2. Although the crisp reads gives you the gist of the epics as a whole, there are many small stories that have important message to mankind.
3. As an adult, having read and seen Ramayana and Mahabharata, this book scores less for me.
Nevertheless, I think the book caters to children who prefer to read things in a jiffy while conveying the messages in these epics. One can buy this book if you like mythology and add it to their Devdutt Collections.
1. The boys who fought - Mahabharata
2. The Girl who chose - Ramayana
The book is written by Devdutt Pattanaik, aiming at children. The writing style is very crisp and short as each of the stories take not more than 100+ pages all filled with big fonts and illustrations.
Pros:
1. It is a simple, easy read for kids who can finish reading both the stories in one go.
2. The illustrations are catchy with few monologues.
3. The dialog Boxes give additional factual informations about the epics.
4. These kind of books encourage an interest in Indian mythology and epics.
5. The flip format makes it interesting for kids
6. I personally liked reading the Mahabharata story. Ramayana could have been implored more!
Cons:
1. Epics or mythologies when written in a crisp format loose the essence of it and as a reader I could feel it in Ramayana.
2. Although the crisp reads gives you the gist of the epics as a whole, there are many small stories that have important message to mankind.
3. As an adult, having read and seen Ramayana and Mahabharata, this book scores less for me.
Nevertheless, I think the book caters to children who prefer to read things in a jiffy while conveying the messages in these epics. One can buy this book if you like mythology and add it to their Devdutt Collections.
October 31, 2019
When this book was sent to me, i was supremely excited about it as i had recently discovered a newfound love for devdutt Patnaik's work. It took me just a day to complete both books and here's why i will highly recommend it as a great buy/ gift for young children. ( Well in my case, adults as well, as I was blown over by the conclusion part of both the books)
.
1) it's a flip book. One of its kind, it has two books in one and in a fun format
2) its not just about Ramayan or Mahabharata. It's about the introspection and lessons to be learnt that are practical in real life.
3) the illustrations are par excellence
4) the little bits and pieces of information written in boxes add greater insight to the story.
5) in this day and age, there cannot be a better way of introducing our children to our roots, thereby teaching them it's relevance in our lives.
Highly highly recommended for everyone. Adult or kid. Reader or non reader. Boy or girl. Hindu or Muslim. Because this book is not about religion. It is about the moral code of conduct in life.
.
1) it's a flip book. One of its kind, it has two books in one and in a fun format
2) its not just about Ramayan or Mahabharata. It's about the introspection and lessons to be learnt that are practical in real life.
3) the illustrations are par excellence
4) the little bits and pieces of information written in boxes add greater insight to the story.
5) in this day and age, there cannot be a better way of introducing our children to our roots, thereby teaching them it's relevance in our lives.
Highly highly recommended for everyone. Adult or kid. Reader or non reader. Boy or girl. Hindu or Muslim. Because this book is not about religion. It is about the moral code of conduct in life.
November 18, 2019
The Boys Who Fought
The Girl Who Chose
Author: @devduttmyth
Publisher: @penguinindia
Genre: Mythology
This is a Two in One book retelling the famous stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata in simplified language for young minds. "The Girl Who Chose" tells us about Ramayana and the choices made by Sita while "The Boys Who Fought" tells us about Mahabharata and the fights of Pandavas. While Aayera is still small to understand war and bloodshed, I simplified the language in my own way to convey the right story to her.
Illustrations make the book more interesting to read and the two stories don't only talk about mythology but also have a moral and a lesson to give away to the yound readers. There are also small snippets of history shared in between.
All in all, I think this is a great book covering two very interesting mythological stories and perfect for the young and curious minds. .
The Girl Who Chose
Author: @devduttmyth
Publisher: @penguinindia
Genre: Mythology
This is a Two in One book retelling the famous stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata in simplified language for young minds. "The Girl Who Chose" tells us about Ramayana and the choices made by Sita while "The Boys Who Fought" tells us about Mahabharata and the fights of Pandavas. While Aayera is still small to understand war and bloodshed, I simplified the language in my own way to convey the right story to her.
Illustrations make the book more interesting to read and the two stories don't only talk about mythology but also have a moral and a lesson to give away to the yound readers. There are also small snippets of history shared in between.
All in all, I think this is a great book covering two very interesting mythological stories and perfect for the young and curious minds. .
October 24, 2019
Filled with his characteristic sketches and written in a fluid, story manner, the books capture the essence of the epics without neither overwhelming amount of information nor really dumbing it down.
The 2 books are told chapterwise- the 5 choices that Sita makes, and the 5 fights that the Pandavas fought.
I love how matter-of-factly and gently the content is presented and the tiny tidbits strewn here and there that draw our attention to symbolism.
But most of all, I love the endings of both books, and how Pattanaik has made the lessons from the stories relevant to modern life. We all have choices to make and face the consequences with grace. What matters at the end is love, especially for enemies.
Highly recommend this for 5+ children who show interest in the epics. And if you haven't picked up his books for yourself yet, highly recommend you do so asap.
The 2 books are told chapterwise- the 5 choices that Sita makes, and the 5 fights that the Pandavas fought.
I love how matter-of-factly and gently the content is presented and the tiny tidbits strewn here and there that draw our attention to symbolism.
But most of all, I love the endings of both books, and how Pattanaik has made the lessons from the stories relevant to modern life. We all have choices to make and face the consequences with grace. What matters at the end is love, especially for enemies.
Highly recommend this for 5+ children who show interest in the epics. And if you haven't picked up his books for yourself yet, highly recommend you do so asap.
October 23, 2019
Two epics in one
Yes that's the speciality of the books here.
Written by @devduttmyth
Published by @penguinindia
THE BOYS WHO FOUGHT which is actually THE MAHABHARATA.
THE GIRL WHO CHOSE which is actually the Ramayana.
A lovely tale that is made simpler for kids with cute illustrations to compliment the prose.
Can be read by kids independently or assisted by a parent reading to them.
Even this helped brush the story in my mind.
The narration is simple and easy to comprehend.
This is my first book from this Author and I enjoyed reading it.
Loved how the story was weaved, though we know how the epic went, it was interesting in the way the author narrated to keep the kids engaged.
I loved the way how Author portrayed the story of Ramayana by the choices Sita made.
Yes that's the speciality of the books here.
Written by @devduttmyth
Published by @penguinindia
THE BOYS WHO FOUGHT which is actually THE MAHABHARATA.
THE GIRL WHO CHOSE which is actually the Ramayana.
A lovely tale that is made simpler for kids with cute illustrations to compliment the prose.
Can be read by kids independently or assisted by a parent reading to them.
Even this helped brush the story in my mind.
The narration is simple and easy to comprehend.
This is my first book from this Author and I enjoyed reading it.
Loved how the story was weaved, though we know how the epic went, it was interesting in the way the author narrated to keep the kids engaged.
I loved the way how Author portrayed the story of Ramayana by the choices Sita made.
October 31, 2019
*Book Review*
" Two epics in one " As the name suggests, it comprises of two perspectives. One from the aspect of girls and another from the vision of boys.
..
.
I love to explore mythology and a huge believer hence same I wanted to give my kids from an early age, to have that knowledge of our cultural roots.
This book of Devdutt is the perfect blend of both the Grand era of Ramayan and Mahabharata. Their summarization is very illustrative with a lot of many pictures and simple easy language because the complexity of these is too much to be digested by our readers that are kids.
..
.succeeded in giving knowledge to our little readers but somewhere in achieving the simplicity of reading the essence of the sagas has been diluted.
" Two epics in one " As the name suggests, it comprises of two perspectives. One from the aspect of girls and another from the vision of boys.
..
.
I love to explore mythology and a huge believer hence same I wanted to give my kids from an early age, to have that knowledge of our cultural roots.
This book of Devdutt is the perfect blend of both the Grand era of Ramayan and Mahabharata. Their summarization is very illustrative with a lot of many pictures and simple easy language because the complexity of these is too much to be digested by our readers that are kids.
..
.succeeded in giving knowledge to our little readers but somewhere in achieving the simplicity of reading the essence of the sagas has been diluted.
October 22, 2019
This is not the first book I read of devdutt pattnaik. I am a huge fan of his different perspective of mythology and how he presents it. This book is no different to that. The language is simple. Both the stories are told in a way that is easy to understand by the younger audience which are kids. There are very clearly mentioned take away points from the individual stories. Both the epics are too complex to narrate in a go to a kid. Devdutt has done a tremendous job with both. There are short notes mentioned here and there for add on information.
Also making one book of the two books adds the quirky touch.
Always recommend reading Devdutt's writing for a different angle to mythology.
Also making one book of the two books adds the quirky touch.
Always recommend reading Devdutt's writing for a different angle to mythology.
October 29, 2019
Renowned author Devdutt Pattanaik has utilised his immense knowledge of Hindu scriptures, to pen this lovely flip book for children. One side explains the Ramayana from Sita’s point of view and the other is the story of Mahabharata.
The great epics are simplified and made thoroughly interesting to read, with facts and added information peppered throughout. Illustrations on every page enhance the book further.
I must confess, I didn’t know the complete stories of both these Hindu epics and Devdutt’s simplification really appealed to me. This book is a must-read for young children, in my opinion!
The great epics are simplified and made thoroughly interesting to read, with facts and added information peppered throughout. Illustrations on every page enhance the book further.
I must confess, I didn’t know the complete stories of both these Hindu epics and Devdutt’s simplification really appealed to me. This book is a must-read for young children, in my opinion!
October 25, 2019
I simply love stories and books written by Devdutt Pattanaik a lot. They have an amazing blend of mythology and modern way of storytelling.
Recently we got this double-sided storybook for Ira as she has keen interest in knowing the mythological stories ( in simplified form). It was great to read and know about Ramayana from a different perspective and still be able to enjoy it..The main learning from the book for kids and us adults as well is the fact that decisions and taken right ones is important in life.
I would highly recommend this book for people to read.
Recently we got this double-sided storybook for Ira as she has keen interest in knowing the mythological stories ( in simplified form). It was great to read and know about Ramayana from a different perspective and still be able to enjoy it..The main learning from the book for kids and us adults as well is the fact that decisions and taken right ones is important in life.
I would highly recommend this book for people to read.
December 18, 2022
Devdutt Pattanik's books on mythology are based on his research, and are thus reliable sources of information. He conveys Indian mythology with his own drawn illustrations that make his books so fun to read, and fascinating to pick. He includes a broader perspective of mythology, with lessons to learn from in the present times. This book is apt for children to be introduced to the great epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata.
October 31, 2019
Perfect book for introducing young readers to the great Indian Epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. This book is a unique concept of a flip book. Half and Half - Ramayana and Mahabharata.
The Girl who choose, is Ramayana from Sita's point of view and The Boys who fought is Mahabharata for young kids. The language is easy and the illustrations are perfect.
A light read!
The Girl who choose, is Ramayana from Sita's point of view and The Boys who fought is Mahabharata for young kids. The language is easy and the illustrations are perfect.
A light read!
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November 2, 2019A unique retelling of the two great Indian epics- Ramayana and Mahabharata. This flip book takes up a fresh approach to the same narrative with a shift in its paradigm and perspective . On the one hand there is Ramayana from sultan's point of view- how her choices shaped the story , and on the other hand there is story of Mahabharata centered on the issue of dharma.
October 24, 2019
This book is a nice read for kids. If you wish to introduce your kids to the great Indian epics then this is the best book to do so. The language is simple and easy to understand. The illustrations by the author make it a fun read.
More about the book on ofbookbabiesandmore.wordpress.com
More about the book on ofbookbabiesandmore.wordpress.com
November 6, 2019
This is perfect book for my kids.! Ramayan and Mahabharat together, with a simple language and illustrations. If you want to introduce to you kids Ramayan and Mahabharat but this one .
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews