Rating: ****  4 stars

Shahrukh Husain, illustrated Bee Willey.
Indian Myths: Stories from ancient civilisations.
Evans, 2006.

Ages 5-8

The creators of this work face the ridiculous task of providing an outline of the world's vastest pantheon and its complex traditions within the confines of a 32-page picture book.  They make a good job of it.  Husain introduces the collection with an admirably crisp, one page overview of how the stories of the old nature gods of the Rg Veda evolved and expanded as their nomadic believers moved through the subcontinent exchanging mythic accounts of creation, death and rebirth with other communities.  The process, necessarily simplified, is depicted in a useful family tree linking the ancient Vedic gods to the major figures of the current Hindu pantheon.

The selection of stories, simply and briskly told, ranges from cosmic accounts of the birth and death of the universe to morality tales about individual struggles with desire and duty.  They include introductions to the great sagas of the Mahabarata and Ramayana, with background information in text boxes alongside the narratives.  Willey's paintings are suitably radiant and hectic; she depicts the multi-limbed, animal headed, angelic and demonic deities against lush and fiery environments taht continue to glow when the merely human figures begin to emerge.

Obviously, the collection omits a lot, but what it includes is both informative and fascinating for readers of all ages.  This is a good book for sharing, and an excellent primer for more detailed exploration.

George Hunt
March 2006, No. 157

Guide to the rating system:
***** 5 stars, unmissable
**** 4 stars, very good
*** 3 stars, good
** 2 stars, fair
* 1 star, poor