Synopses & Reviews
"Readers familiar with a certain old lady who swallowed a fly will revel in this adaptation of a Rajasthani trickster tale. Beautifully illustrated . . . this handsome volume is an art object in itself."-
Kirkus Reviews"Punchy writing and bold images make this a promising readaloud prospect. Its a work of art, too" -Publishers Weekly
Meet the most wily jackal in the forest. Too lazy to hunt for food, he decides to trick his friend the crane, and soon gets carried away, gobbling up every animal he encounters. This lighthearted story, told in cumulative rhyme, is an adaptation of an oral trickster tale from Rajasthan, north India. It is illustrated with finger painting by the talented Sunita, a young woman artist who hails from the Meena tribe. In this handmade, silkscreen printed children's book, Sunita adapts a traditional Meena art form called Mandna, which is traditionally painted by women on the walls and floors of their village homes.
This is the first time that Mandna rarely seen outside the confines of Meena villages has been used in a childrens book. Each book is made completely by hand, and numbered out of a limited edition.
Review
"Readers familiar with a certain old lady who swallowed a fly will revel in this adaptation of a Rajasthani trickster tale. Beautifully illustrated . . . this handsome volume is an art object in itself." -
Kirkus Reviews"Punchy writing and bold images make this a promising readaloud prospect. Itand#8217;s a work of art, too" - Publishers Weekly
"The arresting black-and-white images and gorgeous design of this handmade book make it an unusual and prized gift." -Shelf Awareness
Synopsis
"Readers familiar with a certain old lady who swallowed a fly will revel in this adaptation of a Rajasthani trickster tale. Beautifully illustrated." - Kirkus Reviews
"It s a surefire tale made splendid by gorgeous illustrations and bookmaking. . . As creatures accumulate in the jackal s belly, the stylized forms are cleverly, and beautifully, re-formed and rearranged, to excellent effect. Meticulously, the art is silkscreened onto sturdy kraft paper by a dozen printers (credited by name), and hand bound (the binders are also named)... a true work of art." - starred review, Horn Book Magazine
"Punchy writing and bold images make this a promising read-aloud prospect." -Publishers Weekly
Meet the most wily jackal in the forest. Too lazy to hunt for food, he decides to trick his friend the crane, and soon gets carried away, gobbling up every animal he encounters. This lighthearted story, told in cumulative rhyme, is an adaptation of an oral trickster tale from Rajasthan, India. It is illustrated in finger paintings by the talented Sunita, a young woman artist from the Meena tribe. Sunita adapts her traditional art form, Mandna, traditionally painted by women on the walls and floors of their village homes.
Each copy is made completely by hand."
About the Author
Originally from Datasooti village in Rajasthan, India, Meena artist
Sunita was taught to paint by her mother and elder sister. She now lives in the city of Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan with her husband and two children. Meena Art is one of the most ancient tribal art forms in India. Passed on from mother to daughter through the generations, it is always the women of the Meena tribe who paint in white onto the brown mud walls and floors of the village.
A highly original and creative voice in contemporary Indian publishing, and the founder of Tara Books, Gita Wolf is known for her interest in exploring and experimenting with the form of the book. She has written over twenty books for children and adults, many of which have been translated into multiple languages and recognized internationally.