In these tales inspired by traditional Indian folktales, Prince Veera and his best friend Suku are given the opportunity to preside over the court of his father, King Bheema. Some of the subjects’ complaints are easy to address, but others are much more challenging. How should they handle the case of the merchant who wants to charge people for enjoying the smells of his sweets? Or settle the dispute between a man who sells a well to a neighbor, but not the water inside? Or solve the mystery of the jewels that have turned into pickles? These eight tales show how Veera and Suku outwit the kingdom’s greediest, wiliest subjects.
India
Materials from India
When I Found Grandma
When Maya’s grandma makes a surprise visit from thousands of miles away, Maya is delighted. But her excitement doesn’t last long. When Grandma picks her up from school, she wears fancy clothes and talks too loudly. Grandma’s morning prayer bells wake Maya up, and she cooks with ingredients Maya doesn’t usually eat. Plus, Maya thinks cupcakes taste better than Grandma’s homemade sweets.
Thread of Love
Three siblings enjoy the Indian festival of Raksha Bandhan, a celebration of the special relationship between brothers and sisters, in this reinterpretation of the song Frere Jacques.
From Twinkle with Love
Told through letters, aspiring filmmaker and wallflower Twinkle Mehra learns a lesson about love while directing a movie for the Midsummer Night arts festival, in which her longtime crush and his twin brother are also participating.
The Beauty Of The Moment
Sixteen-year-old Susan is the new girl in her Canadian high school, striving to meet her parents’ academic expectations, missing the friends she left behind in Saudi Arabia, dreaming of pursuing her passion for art, and secretly meeting with troublemaker Malcolm.
Diwali
Each autumn we gather with our friends and family and light our brightest lanterns. It’s time for Diwali, the festival of lights! In this lovely board book with illustrations from Archana Sreenivasan, readers learn that the five days of Diwali are a time to pray for a bountiful season, celebrate the special bonds between siblings, and rejoice in the victory of light over darkness and good over evil.
The Night Diary
Shy twelve-year-old Nisha, forced to flee her home with her Hindu family during the 1947 partition of India, tries to find her voice and make sense of the world falling apart around her by writing to her deceased Muslim mother in the pages of her diary.
Featured in WOW Review Volume XII, Issue 2 and Volume XI, Issue 3.
Farmer Falgu Goes to the Market
Farmer Falgu is off to the market to sell his produce, but has some unexpected bumps along the way. But then, Farmer Falgu can usually find his way out of any mess!
A Tangle Of Brungles
To conjure up the charming Mr. Brungle, a coven of witches stirs up the Great Brungle Brew. For this, they toss in a lounge of lizards, a mischief of mice, and a quiver of cobras, among many others. Do they succeed? The book is a hilarious twist on collective nouns.
The Night Monster
Every night, when the owl hoots and the shadows of the trees dance on the walls, the Night Monster creeps into Avi’s room and frightens him. One day, his sister suggests he write a letter to the monster, and Avi’s nights are not the same any more.