Rating: **** 4 stars

Margaret Simpson, illustrated by Steve Kyte,
Mahabharata.
Scholastic, 2000

My first encounter with this 5,000 year old Hindu epic poem was a long running Indian serialisation shown on late night television. After the first episode I was hooked; here was an adventure story as great as the Greek myths and legends, complicated but intriguing and the heroes were glorious. Simpson’s retelling makes this classic of Indian literature accessible to young readers bringing to life the feud between the five valorous Pandava brothers and their mortal enemies the Kauravas. The terrible final battle is recounted in lively style which contrasts with the more reflective, spiritual passages. The book has been well researched but on a matter of personal taste I found the boxes of information interspersed with the narrative intrusive. I would have preferred to have explanations presented in an appendix.

Nikki Gamble