Mangoes, Mischief, and Tales of Friendship: Stories from India by Chitra Soundar, illustrated by Uma Krishnaswamy

Mangoes, Mischief, and Tales of Friendship:

Stories from India

by Chitra Soundar, illustrated by Uma Krishnaswamy

Candlewick Press, 2018, 192 pages

I love reading folktales from other countries and so when this one came my way, I was very excited. And what a pleasure it is to read. Originally published as two separate books with four stores each under the titles A Dollop of Ghee and a Pot of Wisdom and A Jar of Pickles and a Pinch of Justice, they have been combined in this volume of eight stories altogether.

The stories center on Prince Veera, the son of King Breema, who ruled over his small Indian kingdom with fairness, kindness, and wisdom, and Suku, the son of a farmer who had won a scholarship to study with Prince Veera. Naturally, the two 10-year-old boys have become the best of friends.

As a kind and just king, the people in his kingdom knew they could come to King Breema with their problems and disputes and he would always find a way to help them. One day, when the King falls ill, Prince Veera and Suku ask if they may hold court that day instead of sending the people away. The first few cases they hear are simple and easy for the two boys to resolve, but as the day goes by they become more difficult. Once case involves a maker of sweet treats who wants to charge the man who stands outside his shop smelling the delicious scent of his sugary, buttery treats but who never buys anything. Another case involved a man who sold his well to another man, but now wants to charge the buyer for the water in the well.

Prince Veera and Suku both enjoy running the court whenever King Breema allows it, and the King is quite impressed with their collective wisdom. But when the Prince Veera's strict, elderly granduncle Raja Apoorva comes to visit, he is not impressed and thinks it is wrong from his young grandnephew to hold court, and especially with Suku, the lowly son of a farmer. When granduncle, who doesn't like crows one bit, puts their talent to the test challenging them to count the number of crows in the kingdom, have Prince Veera and Suku been outsmarted or can they outsmart the old uncle?

The eight stories included in Mangoes, Mischief, and Tales of Friendship are basically light and easy, told in a very straightforward way and each has a simple moral that never feels preachy. The relationship between Prince Veera and Suku is one of affectionate companionship and respect, and although Suku is the son of a farmer, class isn't an issue here. Prince Veera loves to visit Suku's welcoming home as much as Suku loves going to the palace. This is a lesson we could all use.

Although there are not any notes about these stories and where they came from, they still have an authentically Indian quality to them culturally, and that is supported by the wonderful black and white spot illustrations by Uma Krishnaswamy.

Young readers will certainly enjoy these trickster tales and seeing how the two young friends deal with the often cunning disputes brought to them. Additionally, all the stories stand alone, making this a useful book for some great read alouds.

Mangoes, Mischief, and Tales of Friendship is a solid collection of folktales that are sure to please young readers who are already enjoying chapter books. 

This book is recommended for readers age 7+
This book was gratefully received by me from the publisher, Candlewick Press

Feather by Cao Wenxuan, illustrated by Roger Mello, translated by Chloe Garcia Roberts

In this simple story about identity, longing and belonging, a single feather, blown about by the wind, begins to wonder what kind of bird she belongs to after two children find her and ask the same question. As the wind carries the feather off again, she longingly thinks that perhaps if she belonged to a bird, she could soar high into the sky. As she is carried along, the feather runs into all kinds of birds, including a kingfisher, a heron, a cuckoo, a peacock, and even a magpie, asking each in turn if she belongs to them. Some dismiss her question, others ignore it, and the peacock is just insulted that a plain feather would be so bold as to think it belonged in his beautiful plumage.

Finally, a skylark offers to fly the feather high up in the air, but then the skylark meets a tragic end when a hawk attacks. Floating back down to the ground, the feather lands on a tuft of grass. Demoralized and traumatized by the hawk, the feather decides that walking the earth can be just as wonderful as flying. No sooner does the feather thinks this, but the sun comes out and a mother hen and her chicks come along. And yes, the hen is missing a feather.

Feather, originally written in Chinese, has a lovely nuanced folktale quality to it that luckily does not get lost in the translation. It is a poignant story about our desire to belong and to know our place in the world, however humble that place may be. There is definitely a philosophical bent to the story which is meant for readers as young as four years old, bit it isn't so deep that they can't handle the questions feather's story asks.

The design of the book is as simple as the tale being told. Each bird that feather encounters is given a two page spread on different colored pages, and illustrated not necessarily in a natural setting, but in various stylized ways and always highlighting the feather along with each different bird.

Most of us know Cao Wenxuan from his novel Bronze and Sunflower, so beautifully translated into English by Helen Wang. Cao, a professor at Peking University in Beijing, is China's best known children's author, and a very prolific one at that. Most of what Cao writes is taken from his own childhood in the 1950s and 1960s, including China's Cultural Revolution. In 2016, Cao won the Hans Christian Anderson Award given by the International Board of Books for Young People (IBBY). Hopefully, as his popularity grows beyond China, more of his books will be translated into English.

This book is recommended for readers age 4+
This book was an EARC received from Edelweiss Plus

Sea Girl: Feminist Folktales from Around the World, edited by Ethel Johnston Phelps, illustrated by Suki Boynton

In his introduction to Sea Girl, author Daniel José Older writes that we need a new mythology, a new mythology that catches all the myths, folktales, and other narratives of women’s empowerment that have fallen through the cracks of history or just weren’t “marketable” enough for Disney. Older should know what he’s talking about. After all, he’s given us Sierra Santiago, hero of Older’s books Shadowshaper and Shadowhouse Fall. And now, the Feminist Press has reissued its series of feminist folktales from around the world in four volumes.

Edited by the late Ethel Johnston Phelps, who held a master’s degree in Medieval literature, Sea Girl is volume III in the series and it includes 10 fairy and folktales based on stories that have been handed down for generations. 

For instance, there is a changeling tale from Ireland about a single mother whose healthy child is taken by the fairy folk and replaced with a sickly child of theirs. Determined to get her own child back, she cares for the sickly child and brings it back to health and on May Eve, she confronts the Queen of the fairy folk, who had taken her son. The single mother is resourceful and brave in this tale, and confronting the fairy Queen takes a certain kind of courage, even the Queen admits that. But now that her own son is a healthy, robust little boy, will the fairy Queen be willing to exchange babies, so each goes with its own mother, or will be decide to keep both?

I’m a medievalist at heart, so naturally I found the English tale about Sir Gawain and the Lady Ragnell very appealing. Older that even Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales (published in1476). In this story, Sir Gawain is given one year to answer a question posed by Sir Gromer, who is looking to avenge the loss of his lands to Arthur. The question: What is it that women most desire, above all else? The answer and end of the tale will really surprise you. 

In the Norwegian tale, “East of the Sun, West of the Moon,” a large white bear falls in love with a woodcutter’s daughter. Though the woodcutter refuses to let his daughter go live with the bear in his castle, the daughter isn’t afraid and agrees to go with him. She notices that night after night, someone comes into her room and lays down next to her. Curious, she discovers a handsome young man, who it turns out has been cursed by trolls. By day, he is a large bear, by night, a handsome man. The man and castle immediately disappear, and the lass finds herself sitting in the forest. Determined to break the enchantment, she decides to travel to the Land of the Trolls and find the young man. But first she must get to the castle that lay East of the Sun and West of the Moon with the help of the North Wind. But will she arrive in time to save him from his fate in the Land of the Trolls?

There are also tales from China (“Wild Goose Lake” - a wonderful tale about the titular Sea Girl), Finland (“The Maid of the North”), and a Punjabi tale (“he Tiger and the Jackal”), as well as an ancient Swahili fairy tale (“The Monkey’s Heart”), and one from Germany (“The Twelve Huntsmen”).  And though the tales vary greatly, they have one thing in common - here are women who, through their own wits and common sense, determine their own fate, one way or the other.

The beauty of folktales is that they root us not just in our own culture, but in the world at large, providing examples of women's courage and resourcefulness in the face of great odds. And they can be enjoyed again and again.

If Sea Girl sounds like a book you would like to read, you might want to check out the other three companion volumes of Feminist Folktales from Around the World:

Tatterhood - introduced by Gayle Forman

Kamala - introduced by Kate Schatz

The Hunter Maiden - introduced by Renée Watson

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was sent to me by the publisher, Feminist Press of the City University of New York

Pattan's Pumplin: A Traditional Flood Story from Southern India by Chitra Soundar, illustrated by Frané Lessac

Since fall is traditionally pumpkin season, I thought I would share a lovely folktale from India about an truly amazing pumpkin and a truly amazing flood.

A farmer named Pattan has some animals, rides about on elephants, and grows lots of vegetables and fruit on land that lay by a mighty river. When Pattan finds an ailing plant with beautiful yellow flowers, he decides replant it so he can care for it. One day, in among the yellow flowers, Pattan notices that a pumpkin has started to grow.

And grow and grow and grow. Soon, it was even larger than his elephant, and still it grew and grew and grew. 

Then one day, it begins to rain, and rain, and rain. Afraid the rain would wash away everything Pattan and his wife Kanni had, he makes a big decision. With the help of his wife and animals, he collects every seed and sapling from his plants. Then, Pattan harvests his enormous pumpkin, and along with help from his animals, they hollow it out. Meanwhile, his wife is busy filling sacks with grain, seeds, and herbs, that the animals then bring to the hollowed out pumpkin.

As the rain continues to pour down, and night falls, Patten, Kanni, and all the animals climb into the hollowed out pumpkin, the last stem holding the pumpkin in place is cut, and they are on their way. The rain pours down, the pumpkin bobbs along, and Kanni sings lullabies to the baby animals and birds. Until one day, the rain stopped and the sun comes out. The mighty pumpkin had saved them!

When I read Pattan’s Pumpkin to my kids, they loved it. In fact, we read it a lot. Chitra Sounder has written a timely, straightforward and fully accessible retelling of a traditional flood story that was handed down by the Irular tribe in Southern India. And as with all flood stories, there is a definite theme of harmony disrupted by nature, and harmony restored by nature with a definite message of hope, thanks to Pattan. And despite the threat to their lives and home, it was nice to see how Pattan, Kanni, the animals and birds all worked together to save themselves. 

My young readers also loved the folk art style illustrations, which both reflected and added to the storyline so well. They are done in a pleasing gouache palette of bold greens, blues, and of course oranges. 

Do read the Author’s Note at the front of the book giving more information about the origin of the Pattan story and its cultural roots.

Chitra has some wonderful Teaching Resources for Pattan's Pumpkin HERE as well as some fun facts about pumpkins HERE

Artist Frané Lessac has a fun pumpkin coloring sheet like the one below. An enlarged version can be downloaded HERE. 

This book is recommended for readers age 4+

This book was sent to me by the author, Chitra Soundar

The Spotted Pony: A Collection of Hanukkah Stories edited by Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by Leonard Everett Fisher

The last candle in the Menorah was lit last night and today is the last day of Hanukkah.  Eight days sure do go by quickly.  The Spotted Pony is my last #Readukkah for this year and I saved it for last on purpose.  

In his introduction to the book, Eric Kimmel tells us what a wonderful storyteller his grandmother was and how much he wanted to be just like her.  Especially welcomed were his grandmother's Hanukkah stories, one told on each night after lighting the candles, and Kimmel wanted to follow in her storytelling footsteps.  If you look at Kimmel's resumé, you will see that he, too, is a very accomplished storyteller, certainly one his grandmother would be proud of.

The Spotted Pony is a collection of eight tales, one for each night of Hanukkah, edited and retold by Kimmel, and each story begins with a Shammes, a brief introduction to what the story is about.  There are tales about wise men,  heroes, fools and tricksters, like Hershel of Ostropol in When Hershel Eats (the Seventh Night tale).  In it, Hershel figures out how to trick the Reb Shimon out of his dinner.  Reb Shimon would invited one person to his house for Friday night dinner, but he would pester them with so many questions, they never got to eat any of the food at the far end of the table before the servants took it away.  When Reb Shimon sees Hershel of Ostropol one Friday, he invites Hershel to dinner.  Did Hershel become a victim of the Reb Shimon's mean trick?  Well, it takes a trickster to know a trickster, doesn't it?  

In The Wonderful Shamir, wise King Solomon must find a solution to building the Holy Temple in Jerusalem without using anything made of iron as per the Lord's command.  He hears about a creature called a shamir, no bigger than a barleycorn, that has the power to slip massive stones.  Benayahu, a brave man in Israel, volunteers to seek out the demon Ashmodai to find out where the shamir can be found and then flying on the back of an albatross to find it, carrying only a piece of cut glass.  What is the glass for?  Benayahu was not only brave, but wise and he did bring the shamir back to Jerusalem, but just how exactly did he manage to do it?  Read on...

Those are just two of the wonderful tales in this book, but I have to admit my favorite was the tale told for the Eight Night of Hanukkah, The Spotted Pony.  This is a tale about kindness, loyalty, and letting go and should be read to be appreciated.

I loved the black and white realistic illustrations throughout each story, mostly because artist Leonard Fisher has really captured the true sense of these old folktales.  And even though the tales in The Spotted Pony aren't strictly about Hanukkah, they are folktales that will entertain and help readers celebrate the Festival of Lights each night.  And while the stories are from Jewish tradition, they can be read and appreciated by anyone. 

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL

I hope everyone had a very Happy Hanukkah!

This is book 4 of my #Readukkah Reading Challenge for celebrating Chanukah hosted by the Association of Jewish Libraries

West of the Moon by Margi Preus

After having read Shadow on the Mountain by Margi Preus, I knew I had to read West of the Moon as well, because even though the two novels are very different from each other, they both deal with strong young protagonists who refuse to simply accept their harsh circumstances at the hand of a cruel master.  In Shadow, it is Hitler, in West of the Moon it is a simple goatman.

West of the Moon is introduced with the beginning of the Norwegian folktale East of the Sun, West of the Moon, in which a poor father with many children gives his youngest daughter to a great White Bear so that the family can now be as rich as they had once been poor.

For 13 year old Astri, this folktale has parallels to her life, but the circumstances are very different, as she tells us throughout her story.

Asti's mother has died and her father has left Norway and gone to America to seek his fortune, leaving her and younger sister Greta, 8, to live with their greedy aunt and uncle and their daughters. Needless to say, they are not treated well.  One night, a great big goat farmer with a hunchback, Mr. Svaalberd, comes to the house, gives the aunt two gold coins and takes Astri back to his isolated mountain hut.

In the folktale, the bear treats the daughter well, they live in a castle, eat well and have fine things.  Astri's new home is filthy, she is expected to do great amounts of hard, dirty work and the food is wonderful either.  The bear treated his daughter like a princess; the goatman treats his like a servant he is entitled to hit and even beat when he is angry at her for something, which is often.

After she is locked in a storehouse shed, Astri discovers a young girl upstairs sitting at a spinning wheel and spinning beautiful yarn.  The girl doesn't speak, but over time she cares for Astri's wounds each time the goatman hits her.

Astri is smart and quick-witted, so when the goatman decides they are to be married, she knows she has to do something drastic and quickly, then go get her sister Greta and try to find their father.  Taking the goatman's treasure and his book of spells, Astri and Spinning Girl run away, pursued by the goatman.

Eventually, Astri and Greta find their way to the ship that is taking all the people afflicted with "America Fever" to find their dreams and, for the sisters, maybe their father.

Nothing is ever as easy as a synopsis makes it sound and that is very true of West of the Moon.  Astri faces all kinds of hardships and dangers throughout her adventure.  And she meets all kinds of people - some kind, some not. And while Astri is a strong, brave survivor, she also isn't above a little lying, cheating or stealing of her own in order to save herself, Greta and even Spinning Girl.  On the other hand, she is aware of this side of her survival personality and totally owns it.  I think this makes her the best kind of hero.

Preus is such an excellent storyteller that she can even manage to convey hope even at the darkest moments.  She has written a wonderfully magical novel, despite its episodes of violence.  I did think that the parallel of the original folktale and the harsh reality of Astri's story might help to temper some of the more difficult aspects of the story, particularly those surrounding Astri's getaway from the goatman, making it more digestible for sensitive readers.

In her Author's Note, Margi Preus writes that the roots of this novel lie in the diary of her great great grandmother Linka, who came to this country from Norway with her minister husband around the same time Astri and Greta would have.  In fact, some of the shipboard incidents are lifted right out of the diary - you can read the notes to find out exactly which ones.

You do not need to be familiar with the folktale East of the Sun, West of the Moon, but you might want to give it a read anyway at some point.  There are references to other Nordic tales as well, that are listed in the back matter that young readers might also be interested in reading in conjunction with West of the Moon. 

This is a wonderful novel and I highly recommend this magical book.  I couldn't put it down when I read it.

This book is recommended for readers age 11+
This book was an ARC from the publisher.

Mysterious Traveler by Mal Peet and Elspeth Graham, illustrated by P.J. Lynch

No one knows, understands or respects the African desert like Issa, who has been guiding travelers through it for many, many years.  A desert storm can begin suddenly and before long, travelers are buried in the sweeping sand.  One morning, as he was watching the sun come up, Issa realized there had been a storm, then he noticed a red ribbon with black and green embroidery on it in the desert.  Hearing a cry and looking further, Issa finds a camel guarding a small baby.

Issa took the baby and camel home.  He named the baby Mariama and raised her.  As she grew, Issa taught her everything there was to know about the desert.  Issa and Mariama were inseparable.  One day, however, Issa told Mariama that he was going blind.  She became his eyes, describing the things around them exactly as he had taught her to do: "Now we are passing the line of thorn trees that look like old women lifting their shawls over their heads."

One day, three travelers come seeking Issa's services as a guide.  They do not want to take the long way through the desert, but the shortcut through the dangerous Bitter Mountains.  They offer Issa a pouch of pearls as substantial payment for his guidance, enough to help secure Mariama's future.  As the travelers are leaving, they discover Issa is now blind and guides with the help of a young girl, they get angry and leave.

In the morning, Mariama tells Issa that the travelers are gone, crossing the mountains without a guide.  Issa decides they will go find the travelers.  They follow their tracks but by the end of the day, they have lost them.  The next day, Issa figures out where the travelers are based on Mariama's description, but soon, he realizes that a dust storm is coming and so are the three travelers.  Issa directs them all to a gap in the mountains, where they wait out the sandstorm in safety.

The next day, the three travelers visit Issa to say goodbye, when the leaders notices a gold necklace Mariama is wearing.  After she tells him that she was found as a baby wearing it, he invites them to sit so he can tell them a story that will change the lives of Issa and Mariama forever.

Yes, to those of you who have already read this lovely story, I know the ending is predictable.  But the point of Mysterious Traveler isn't the ending.  At the heart of it is the concept of family and how we define it.  Mariama calls Issa grandfather even though they are not related (she also called him Baba which I took in its ancient Persian meanings of a term of endearment, but could also mean father).  Is family only those that we are biologically related to or does it include those who loved us as if we are family?

Mysterious Traveler is an enchanting story that will certainly bring the tales of the Arabian Nights to mind, in both words and illustration.  The language is picturesque and lyrical, evoking the the sights and sounds of a long ago way of life.  Not only does it convey the gentle love between Issa and Mariama, but the language also shows the desert in all moods from calm and beautiful at sunrise, to angry and dark in a sandstorm.  

This is the kind of story that is best read aloud, just as the Arabian Nights were told.  It is perfect for classroom or bedtime reading, with its calm, gentle tone.  The story is complimented by P.J. Lynch's beautiful, soft-focus watercolor and gouache illustrations, all done in earthy, desert tones.  These are at once realistic and dreamlike.  In fact, it was Lynch's cover illustration that first drew me to Mysterious Traveler.

Then I was delighted to see it was written by Mal Peet, a favorite of mine, and his wife Elspeth Graham.  They have worked as a team before and once again, they have given us a story that we can all appreciate.

This book is recommended for readers age 6+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL

Nasreddine retold by Odile Weulersse, illustrated by Rebecca Daubremer

Here is another wonderful folktale from the Middle Ages, believed to have originated in Turkey, which has a moral that so appropriate for today's world.  But isn't timelessness the beauty of folktales.

Every week, young Nasreddine and his father, Mustafa, take their donkey and bring their wares to the market to sell.

When they bring their dates to market, a vizier tells Mustafa he is lazy for riding on the donkey and making his son walk.  His words cause Nasreddine to return home in shame.

When they bring the sheep's wool to the market, Nasreddine devises a plan so that he can ride the donkey.  Once again, they face criticism from a group of women who call Nasreddine disrespectful to his father by making him walk.  Again, Nasreddine returns home in shame.

It is time to sell the chickens at the next market day, and this time Nasreddine insists both he and his father ride the donkey along with the caged birds.  Yet again, there is criticism, this time for being so cruel to the donkey by making it carry so much.  Nasreddine returns home again in shame.

A few days later, when it is time to sell the watermelons at the market, Nasreddine suggests that he and his father walk and the donkey would only have to carry the fruit.  But, soon they are being followed by a group of laughing kids.  One finally asked why they are walking and not riding.  Another answers it is because they are stupid,  Once more, shame visits Nasreddine.

Finally, on the next market day, Nasreddine suggests to his father the they carry the donkey so that no one can make fun of them.  But has Mustafa had enough of Nasreddine's ideas?  Is it finally time to impart some fatherly wisdom to Nasreddine?   Yes, it is and that is just what he does.

Here is a wonderful folktale that not only speaks to its young readers, but also to any adult readers reading to children.  Mustafa has the patience to watch as Nasreddine's attempts to solve the problem of weekly criticism, waiting until the moment is right for his son to hear what he says.  And Nasreddine's attempts to deal with the weekly comments and laughter he and his father are the brunt of add some humor to this tale, so it is an easier one for children to take in.

There is a note at the end of the book that although the story has been retold and probably changed over time, Nasreddine still offers its reader wisdom and delight, and that is so true in this version of the story.

I loved the mix of bold and soft watercolor used in the different illustrations and the way Daubremer used a white background and vivid bright colors to highlight Nasreddine and Mustafa at home, then switched to full page illustrations in more muted colors when they were heading to the market.  The palette of colors used give the story a definite Middle Eastern atmosphere.

A new edition of Nasreddine has come out this year (2012), but the one I read was from 2005, but they seem to be identical.

This book is recommended for readers age 4+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL

Grandma and the Great Gourd retold by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, illustrated by Susy Pilgrim Waters

Grandma and her daughter are separated by a jungle.  One day, Grandma receives a letter from her daughter saying she misses her mother and could she come for a visit.  Grandma decides to go even though walking through the jungle scares her.  She leaves her two dogs Kalu and Bhulu in charge of things at home, but they tell her if she needs help to just call for them.

So Grandma sets off through the jungle to visit her daughter.  On the way, she meets a fox who wants to eat her.  Quick thinking Grandma tells the fox that she is so skinny, but if he waits for her to return from her daughter's house, she will be nice and plump since her daughter is such a good cook.  The fox considers this a good idea and agrees to wait.

Next, Grandma meets a bear who wants to eat her.  Grandma tells the tiger the same thing she told the fox and the tiger also agree to wait until her plumper return.

The whole thing is repeated when Grandma meets a tiger who wants to eat her and, just like the fox and the bear, the tiger agrees to wait.

Finally, Grandma arrives at her daughter's house and the two have a wonderful time visiting and talking, cooking and eating and yes, Grandma does get plumper just as she said she would.  But all too soon, it is time for Grandma to return home through the jungle and the waiting animals who want to eat her.

Can she and her daughter come up with a plan to fool the fox, the bear and the tiger so they won't eat Grandma?  Yes, they do and it involves using a giant gourd.  But how?

This is a wonderfully colorful retelling of an old Bengali folktale that has lost none of the flavor of the original.  Perhaps because it was so familiar and beloved by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, whose grandfather introduced her to a version of it when she was young.

Divakaruni uses repetition, a somewhat limited vocabulary and onomatopoeia, all devices that kids love and that make this a great read aloud book.  The sounds are strictly Bengali, which may be something new to kids, but not something difficult to grasp.  The context of the story makes the meaning of the sounds clear: Grandma's dogs don't go woof-woof, they go Gheu-gheu, her footsteps through the jungle aren't thump, thump, thump but rather khut-khut-khut.

The rich, vibrant illustrations by Susy Pilgrim Waters.  She has given the words in the story added texture by using collage and a palette of color ranging from deep earth tones to lively pinks and reds and it all works wonderfully together.

Grandma and the Great Gourd is definitely one of my new favorite folktales and a welcomed addition to any multicultural bookshelf.

This book is recommended for readers age 5+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL