Seasons of Splendour: Tales, Myths & Legends of India

by Madhur Jaffrey

Collection of traditional tales about gods and heroes in Hindu mythology, arranged in sequence as they might be told at religious festivals during the course of a Hindu calendar year.

Genres: India, Mythology, Childrens, Fiction, Fantasy, Asian Literature

128 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1987

About the author

Madhur Jaffrey CBE is an Indian-born actress, food and travel writer, and television personality. She is recognized for bringing Indian cuisine to the western hemisphere with her debut cookbook, An Invitation to Indian Cooking, which was inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s Cookbook Hall of Fame in 2006.

Reviews

[Rosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: A beautiful storybook that took me down memory lane. This is for those interested in genuine Indian folklore, mythological as well as cultural.

Madhur Jaffrey is known in India mainly for being a cookbook writer so this collection came as a wonderful surprise to me. I devoured every story with glee.

The collection begins with a wonderful author’s note that details her childhood and how storytelling played a part in it. I relished it because it made me all nostalgic about my childhood years, though I didn’t grow up with a huge extended family, unlike the author.

The tales are arranged in the order of the lunar calendar, which generally begins around April. This is significant as Hindu festivals are celebrated as per the lunar cycle. The structure of the book is thus simple. The author gives a brief intro of the upcoming segment, mostly through a memory of her childhood connected with that event/deity. Then there are tales related to that particular event/deity. This mix of personal anecdotes and mythological tales makes the book charming and creates a nice balance between lore and reality.

The tales come not just from Indian mythological works such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata but also from the stories that the author heard from her elders in her childhood. All of them are strong in Indian cultural essence and medium-to-quick paced. The mythological tales are more like snippets than the entire epic, but they provide enough information as well as intrigue the reader into looking for more detailed narrations. The illustrations (both B&W as well as in colour) by Michael Foreman are striking, though the appeal of that vibrant cover isn’t replicated in any of them.

I loved rereading quite a few stories that I had read in my childhood. At the same time, there were a couple of festivals I have never heard of, such as a festival in March that celebrates brothers! It just goes to reaffirm what a vast and diverse culture we have in India.

One of the highlights of the book is the special pronunciation guide to all the proper names. This is at the end of the book and is extensive. Each entry includes not just the pronunciation but also a brief introduction of the character whenever he/she is taken from mythology.

As this is technically a children’s book, let me clarify that the book aims at kids aged 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7. That said, the stories would work well for even adult readers who love learning about other countries and cultures. As the latest edition is being published by the NYR Children's Collection, this book will now be accessible to a reading crowd that hasn’t seen India beyond the stereotypical portrayal in movies. I hope it gives them a nice glimpse into Indian mythology and folklore.

4.25 stars

My thanks to NYR Children's Collection and Edelweiss+ for the DRC of “Seasons of Splendour: Tales, Myths and Legends of India”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.



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[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went to go see Dev Patel's Monkey Man (absolutely recommend) and spoke after with my friend about its use of Indian folklore. I realised this is a large gap in my own knowledge and this inspired me to learn more. She said she had a well loved copy of this book from her childhood that would give me the introduction I may want. I agree this is a wonderful little collection of stories even adults can enjoy and find meaning in. Great as a first little taste

[Rosie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seasons of Splendour offers the reader the chance to explore some of the traditional Indian tales. All the stories are quite short which allows all readers to access the various stories. The author encourages readers to be immersed in stories that make up various parts of Indian culture, every story is interesting and offers new perspectives. It would be good in supporting history and RE lessons within the classroom to help broaden children's knowledge of other cultures.

[Sara Darr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this book as I felt that the collection of stories really reflect the title 'Seasons of Splendour' well. The author really encourages the reader to explore India within these myths and tales and she is successful in doing so. She brings them to life and makes you feel a part of them. The stories vary in length but are quite simplisitic and I found them all to be engaging! The book could be used to provide examples or support topics in re, literacy, and history. e.g. the story of how Ganesh got his heard. Or you could just dip into it as a short home-time read for younger pupils whilst encouraging older pupils to read independently. I think this book is most suited for Y3 - Y6.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

We used this text to introduce stories from another culture. This book has good examples of figurative and descriptive language. Many of the stories are quite short so can be used as an introduction to a literacy lesson or in guided reading. These stories are spiritual and mainly based in India. We used this book alongside Footprints in the forest by Action Aid, with year 4 to introduce stories from another culture. They offer a good contrast to genres of writing, as the class I read this with were previously writing fantasy stories.

[Sahir D'souza. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like 'Seasons of Splendour'. Although I haven't read all of the tales, my favourite is 'Savitri and Satyavan'. This story I also read in RC Dutt's version of 'The Mahabharata'. I attempted to adapt both versions into a play, but that I haven't finished yet (I hope to, soon, though). Please read this book.

[The Library Mouse Tales · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am always interested to read stories about India. I have previously read a book by Madhur Jaffrey called Robi Dobi. I enjoyed it so thought that this would probably be a good read too.

Instead of one long story, this book contains a collection of shorter stories based on mythological tales from the Hindu epic Sanskrit poems The Ramayana and the Mahabarata.

The author has chosen parts from the original poems and retold then in a simpler, more child-friendly way. She also describes how she was told the stories in her own childhood.

One of the interesting things about Hindu mythological stories are the characters. There are all kinds of unusual things to imagine. These characters can be like you or me or have many limbs, terrifying faces, special weapons or non-human forms. The illustrator, Michael Foreman, has drawn many black and white images to help you imagine these strange and amazing characters from thousands of years ago. It would be nice if they had all been as colourful as the cover.

I enjoyed the separate short stories because it is good to be able to quickly finish a complete tale before moving on to a new one. You don’t need to worry about forgetting any important parts. The book is arranged so that you can find stories which link to special Hindu festivals throughout the year but you could read them separately and in any order. As you read you will learn about the reasons that the festivals are celebrated but you can also just enjoy them as entertaining stories.

[Julie Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. Madhur Jaffrey takes us through the holidays of the Indian year as she experienced them when she was a child. She describes a holiday and then tells a few of the stories that her elders would tell to the children as they celebrated. Some are from celebrated epics like the Ramayana while others are more of a folktale style. All are delightful and wonderfully illustrated.

I highly recommend both the book and this review which captures the feel of the book much better than I can.

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

⚜️REVIEW⚜️

Book:Seasons of Splendour
Author:Madhur Jaffrey
Stars:⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

A magnificently illustrated volume that contains almost twenty stories about the beautiful, rich, colourful and extraordinary tales of India.With heroic legends of fearless warriors and mythical hindu gods with tradition hindu folktales.

This books isn’t exactly my cup of tea, but it was an interesting read.Knowing about all of those myths is really enlightening and engrossing.And those illustrations in the book were just out of this world.

[Sarah Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my projected gifts to my nephew for his 5th birthday, possibly a little old even though read aloud. He is a most sanguine child, and will just inform whichever adult he is informing that the book is still a little too old for him. Since his mother's father read her "The Lord of the Rings" when she was five I can't think that she will object. He is a brilliant child, of course. Madhur Jaffrey is perhaps better known as a cookbook writer, but these stories are fascinating and the pictures are great.

[Maia Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has helped me learn about the Hindu gods and why they do their jobs. I have learnt that Parvati is a very good god and will bless and help people when they need it. The people always give thanks to her for what she has done ,because she is kind and forgiving.

[Bookwanderer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was filled with stories it tells alot about Indian myths and legends the stories in this book were really something I've never heard or read some of the stories in this book . It was a beautiful read loved it

[Indika de Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

A highly enjoyable collection of Indian tales that were told to entertain children by grownups. There are also the author's personal recollections from her childhood that is very entertaining to read.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Silas and I really enjoyed reading this book of tales. I also loved the personal stories by the author.

[Megan Kelosiwang · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very sweet way to end the year of reading. I liked the personal stories mixed with the myths and legends. Sweet and lucious.

[Jbondandrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely collection of stories.

[Yasmin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations and wonderful stories to accompany them. Madhur Jaffrey is a great story-teller.

[Carole888 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful book of traditional Indian tales, with colourful illustrations that will delight readers of any age.

[Ståhlemannen · Rating 4 out of 5]

En trevlig och underhållande bok som ger mersmak att utforska mer inom de indiska legenderna.

[Veronica Löwenbok · Rating 2 out of 5]

This purchase was a gamble.
I wanted to learn more about the rich myths that exist, but this felt more like elaborate Grimm stories and I've read more interesting versions of the stories and myths.

Detta köp var en chansning, ville lära mig mer om de rika myterna som finns. Men det här känns som uddlösa Grimm-sagor och har läst mycket mer intressanta versioner av gudasagorna.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.

[hhhhhhhhh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the most fun, least boring collection of folktales I've read! Sometimes folktales can be so wooden and stale as if plucked from an academic work of anthropology rather than from the lips of an enthusiastic storyteller with an enthusiastic audience. These ones are personalized and lively, with vivid details, exactly like the voice of Jaffrey (who is also an author of excellent Indian cookbooks). She tells us they are not necessarily "authentic" but they are as her own family told them. Some are ancient and some are perhaps unique to her family; all are worth reading aloud. The stories come with brief introductions to indicate the context in which they are told in her family and are organized by the lunar calendar.

[Bahman Bahman · Rating 3 out of 5]

India is particularly rich in colourful follore. These stories, told by parents to their children for many generations, make a rich and dazzling collection of mythological tales drawn from a great heritage of Hindu epics - from the life of the great god Krishna to how the monkey god Hanuman helped defeat the Demon King Ravan and a host of other magical and spectacular creatures. The stories are arranged according to the sequence of the Hindu year and each is prefaced with a short personal anecdote from the author's childhood.

[Children's Literature Project · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lexile Measure 790L.
Illustrated by Michael Foreman

This books is all about tales, myths and legends from India. Hindu gods are a common theme throughout the book. The book also gives information about Indian festivals.

This book is great for 6th grade.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My brother and I used to have storied from this book read to us at bedtime. Indian mythology full of gods, warriors, princesses and evil in-laws.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A vibrant collection of tales which taught me a lot about culture.

[Cynthia · Rating 2 out of 5]

The subject matter is fascinating. Unfortunately the tales are told by someone who is skilled at writing cookbooks.

[Malabaricus · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books for children about Indian myths and legends. The illustrations are marvellous!

[Marcas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Timeless stories brought to life by Jaffrey through personal reflection and lovely descriptive narratives.