Uma Krishnaswami,
The Broken Tusk: Stories of the Hindu God Ganesha.
Linnet Books, 1996.

For quite a while now I have been searching for a book like The Broken Tusk: Stories of the Hindu God Ganesha. If like me, you want to point your children to Hindu mythology, but don't know where to begin, this could be square one. The book is well-suited for children in second grade and up; it will also work well as a read-aloud book for younger children.

I devoured Amar Chitra Katha comic books as a kid. But, I have found that they sometimes don't work for the younger set. For one, they are in cartoon form and second, the pictures (and stories) might prove too graphic and violent for kids who are used to tamer fare. Also, and this is especially true for children living outside India, the array of characters can be quite bewildering and the names unpronounceable. Krishnaswami solves all of these problems in this delightful treasure trove of seventeen stories.

Many of my favorite tales are here, including the one about how Ganesha got his elephant head and the one about how he made a "pradakshina" around his parents into a trip around the world. There are also some rare stories such as the one borrowed from Buddhist folklore. Some might find the versions of certain stories to be different from what they know. That is understandable considering that many of these stories have been passed along through oral tradition.

The book has a brief introduction to Hindu mythology as well as to the god Ganesha. For the uninitiated there is a glossary of terms, a list of characters (kids will appreciate that!), a list of Ganesha's other names, and a pronunciation guide. All of these make the book a self-contained primer.

Krishnaswami finishes each story with a line or two that connects the legend to contemporary life. For example, the story about Ganesha's elephant head is followed by a reference to the fact that at some Indian (especially South Indian) temples, elephants are fed and maintained reverentially. These acts, Krishnaswami explains, are to acknowledge the sacrifice made by the elephant in the original story. Such explanations provide a context to the stories, making them more appealing.

The whimsical old-world illustrations by Maniam Selven complement the stories wonderfully.
With this book, Krishnaswami demonstrates that she is not only a gifted storyteller but also a thorough one. The Broken Tusk will get an enthusiastic nod from young readers as well as from their grateful parents. In short, the book is as captivating as the elephant god himself!

Poornima Apte
October 22, 2002

Poornima Apte lives in the greater Boston area with her husband and two daughters. Her passions include reading, gardening and often, writing. She reviews books for Desi Journal, curledup.com and mostlyfiction.com.

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