So this is Diwali week, and while shopping for Indian mythology books online for my kids, I stumbled upon a really cool range of books by Sanjay Patel, who is an animator for Pixar Animation Studios. He has worked on Monsters inc and The Incredibles, and Toy Story 3, and I reeeally wish his books were around when I was a kid.
Often books on Indian mythology are either too difficult for younger kids to read alone, or not quite age appropriate for them. Not these, Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth was a perfect bedtime read for my five year old, and The Little Book of Deities had a humorous, spunky writing style that my Percy Jackson obsessed nine year old really liked.
A big bonus for me: the books are bee-eautiful. I’m afraid to say that most Indian children’s books that I encountered as a child and young adult didn’t really have much in the way of good design. These books definitely have some pizzazz; I love the little thumbnail sketches included in the Big Poster Book of Deities (which I splurged on for myself). Thank you Sanjay Patel – (the man also makes stationary: hello, Indian Goddess writing set!). Not really surprising that these are published by Chronicle Books, who put out the most lovely books each year.
I should also say that the books are more than pretty jackets, they are full of interesting stories (as books should be). I thought I knew my Indian mythology, but apparently there is a lot more for me to learn.
If you are looking for cool Diwali reads for the kids, peel your eyes away from the Amar Chitra Kathas for a moment, and take a look at these.
Happy reading, and Happy Diwali!
