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Rating: 
Summary: Excellent introduction to Ganesh and Indian mythology.
Review: A well written and highly readable book for children and adults alike, "The Broken Tusk" allows children to get to know Indian mythological figures as they really are - with godlike qualities and human frailties. Gods, demons and humans all take on a certain lovableness in this book. The author has presented popular versions of Ganesh stories, without sermonizing about good and evil, leaving the reader to draw the obvious conclusions. Children who are interested in different cultures are sure to enjoy this one, especially young Americans of Indian descent. My 8 year old, a real nature lover, who is fascinated with the multifaceted aspects of Indian mythological figures and their oneness with animals and nature, found it an eminently attractive book to read and to own. Clean, clear illustrations which take on a life of their own also add to the charm of this book. A handsome addition to any library, I recommend it highly.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent introduction to Ganesh and Indian mythology.
Review: A well written and highly readable book for children and adults alike, "The Broken Tusk" allows children to get to know Indian mythological figures as they really are - with godlike qualities and human frailties. Gods, demons and humans all take on a certain lovableness in this book. The author has presented popular versions of Ganesh stories, without sermonizing about good and evil, leaving the reader to draw the obvious conclusions. Children who are interested in different cultures are sure to enjoy this one, especially young Americans of Indian descent. My 8 year old, a real nature lover, who is fascinated with the multifaceted aspects of Indian mythological figures and their oneness with animals and nature, found it an eminently attractive book to read and to own. Clean, clear illustrations which take on a life of their own also add to the charm of this book. A handsome addition to any library, I recommend it highly.
Rating:
Summary: Fun and interesting for adults too
Review: I bought this book for my niece and nephew, but before I gave it to them I read it too. It brought back the stories of Ganesha I had been told in childhood, and made me smile at them again. It may not have the pictures of "How Ganesha got his elephant head", which I bought for another child, but the it has more stories of this altogether charming lovable god.
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Summary: Delightful book
Review: The Broken Tusk tells seventeen different stories of Ganesha in easy reader format for second grade and up. The stories also lend themselves well to the read-aloud format for younger children. Many of my old favorites are here including the ones about how Ganesha got his elephant head and about how he made a "pradakshina" around his parents, into a trip around the world. Some might find the versions of certain stories here to be different from what they know. That is understandable considering how many of these have been passed along strictly through oral tradition. There are also some rarer stories here including one borrowed from Buddhist folklore.Krishnaswami has done a thorough professional job with this one. She has prefaced the book with a brief introduction to Hindu mythology and to the god Ganesha himself. Also complementing the stories are a glossary of terms, a list of characters (kids would appreciate that!), a list of other names for Ganesha, and a pronunciation guide. Krishnaswami finishes every story she narrates with a line or two that ties the legend to modern day reality. For example, after the story about Ganesha's head, Krishnaswami explains that in Indian (especially South Indian) temples today, sometimes elephants are fed and maintained reverentially. These acts, Krishnaswami explains, probably acknowledge the sacrifice made by the elephant in the original story. Small explanations like these place the stories in context, a service that I think is especially useful. The last word belongs to the wonderful old-world illustrations by Maniam Selven that complement the stories wonderfully. With this book, Krishnaswami demonstrates that she is not only a gifted storyteller, she is also a thorough one. The Broken Tusk will get an enthusiastic nod not only from the young reading set but also from their grateful parents. This book is as charming as the elephant god himself!
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Summary: Awards!
Review: This book is a winner of the 1997 Scientific American Young Readers Book Award.
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Summary: How Ganesha helped shape this book
Review: This book started its life as an introduction to Hindu mythology for children - and spent a long time getting nowhere. It wasn't until I hit on the idea of using a central character to explain the mythology, that the project began to move forward. Ganesha is the gatekeeper in the Hindu tradition, the beginning of all things, so who better to introduce and explain? And he's a writer's friend to boot! I've taken the book, through readings and workshops, to schools and communities in different parts of the US. I'm always amazed at how instantly and naturally children respond to these stories.
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Summary: More Than Just a Children's Book
Review: This book was written to be a children's book, but in fact it is probably the best collection of storytelling about the mythology of Ganesha that that I have ever found. The Hindu parthenon's mythology has always been passed along from generation to generation by tales of the Deity in it's various forms. This exquisite book has all the well-known tales of Ganesh as well as some obscure stories and some tales from other lands and religions. I don't have kids but do delight in the simple stories that bring the attributes of Ganesha into light in simple, vivid parables of joy. If you love Ganesh like I love Ganesh, then this is a 'must have.' If you are a storyteller, this is the book that will be a Ganesh guide. If you just want a book that you can read story's in occasionally just to smile and search for meaning in, again, here'tis. This is a delightful exposing of this beloved Deity into Western civilization in our time. GAM.
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