Animal Tales From India: Ten Stories From The Panchatantra

As the title suggests, the book is a collection of Panchatantra tales from ancient India. These were written in Sanskrit and translated into several languages over the years. There are countless interpretations, retellings, and versions of each story. I knew I had to check this out the moment I saw the book. Just look at that cover! This book has ten stories retold for the little ones (3+ age group, according to the publisher). • The Blue Jackal • The Bird Who Angered the Sea • The Mice Who Freed the Elephants • The Monkey and the Crocodile • The Jackal Who Fooled a Lion • The Singing Donkey • The Very Talkative Tortoise • The Lion and the Talking Cave • The Four Friends and the Hunter • The Elephant and the Moon The stories are pretty much short, crisp, and cute. We have a small introduction note by the author, followed by the stories. I like how the author’s voice continues throughout the book. She begins and ends each story by addressing the readers. This approach works in taking the content closer to the kids, especially if they read the book on their own. The writing is simple and has a touch of humor and poetic style. A few words may be hard for three-year-olds. However, since adults will anyway have to read the tales aloud, they can explain the meanings. Another aspect I like is the little tweaks to the storyline to make the content kid-friendly. No deaths, beatings, or broken bones in this one. Each story ends with a couple of lines introspecting on the moral and how it would help us. This is done without sounding preachy. There’s just enough for kids to ponder upon and adults to continue a discussion on the theme if they want to. The main characters have cute names, too! How can I not mention the illustrations? Illustrations are the main reason I request children’s books. This one nails them. The color combinations are perfect! From earthy browns and oranges to waves in sapphire and jade and the violet streaks of a night inside a jungle, every shade seamlessly blends with the other. The animals and birds look just as lovely, with their expressions matching the story on the page. The font size is decent, but I read it on the computer and used zoom. The physical copy would be a much better choice due to the color scheme and the text placed on dark backgrounds on some pages. Also, these illustrations deserve to be enjoyed as a physical book. To summarize, Animal Tales from India is a beautiful and compact collection of ten Panchatantra tales for kids. Though the book ends with a good night note, it can be read at any time. (I wish the book included the illustrator’s note too.) Thank you, NetGalley and Nosy Crow, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

My daughter is mixed race and I got her this as a way to pay homage to her indian heritage and it is such a lovely way for younger children to get involved with their culture or even learn about different ones

I read this book for my little daughter and these stories are really good for little children. In the end of each story is a moral that teaches kids how to be good people!!!

This book deserves 10 stars, not just 5. There are two standout features. First, the illustrations are simply brilliant. As adults, me and my wife look forward to turning each page while reading to our kids. Second, the text smartly modernizes the text of the stories, while retaining their ancient charms and timeless wisdom. Should sell for twice the price listed.

Lovely stories

This book is a great introduction to the Panchatantra. The illustrations are beautiful. My only objection is that the author provided her own takeaway from the story at the end of each story. As a parent, I would rather have a discussion with my child about what they can learn from the story than have the story tell them what they should have learned. However, I still highly recommend the book, and I am very happy that I bought it.