Mangoes, Mischief, and Tales of Friendship: Stories from India

by Chitra Soundar, Uma Krishnaswamy (Illustrator)

Overview

Can Prince Veera and his best friend outsmart the king’s trickiest subjects? Inspired by traditional Indian folktales, these stories are sure to delight.

Being a wise and just ruler is no easy task. That’s what Prince Veera discovers when he and his best friend, Suku, are given the opportunity to preside over the court of his father, King Bheema. Some of the subjects’ complaints are easily addressed, but others are much more challenging. How should they handle the case of the greedy merchant who wishes to charge people for enjoying the smells of his sweets? And can they prove that an innocent man cannot possibly spread bad luck? Will Prince Veera and Suku be able to settle the dispute between a man and his neighbor to whom he sells a well — but not the water in it? Or solve the mystery of the jewels that have turned into pickles? Illustrated throughout by Uma Krishnaswamy, these eight original tales by Chitra Soundar task Veera and Suku with outwitting the kingdom’s greediest, wiliest subjects. Are the two clever boys up to the challenge?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781536200676
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	12/31/2018
Series:	Chitra Soundar's Stories from India
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.70(h) x 0.90(d)
Lexile:	600L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Chitra Soundar is originally from India, where as a child she feasted on folktales and stories from Hindu mythology. She is the author of the picture book Pattan’s Pumpkin: A Traditional Flood Story from Southern India, illustrated by Frané Lessac. Chitra Soundar lives in London.

Uma Krishnaswamy has always loved folk traditions of her native India and other cultures for their richness and vibrancy of color, form, and perspective. She teaches visual studies and lives in Chennai, India.

Editorial Reviews

03/01/2019

Gr 2–6—In this beginning chapter book, eight short stories inspired by Indian folktales chronicle the adventures of 10-year-old Prince Veera as he gets to know the subjects of his father's small kingdom and has his first lessons in becoming a ruler. The collection, originally published in the U.K. as two books, is augmented by the bold, folk-style art of Krishnaswamy, whose inserts of key characters dappled throughout each short story are emotive and enhance the text. Farmer's son and scholarship student Suku, who is Veera's equal in mischievous tendencies, athletic ability, and surveillance skills, although not in prestige and wealth, is the prince's faithful companion in each escapade. Veera and Suku eavesdrop on the court, listening to the king weigh-in on problems large and small presented by his subjects. When the king becomes too sick to hold court, and again when he travels, he gives the young prince permission to hold a modified version of court in which he only makes decisions on simpler cases. But some cases are far from straightforward. In these tales, Veera settles disputes between neighbors, recovers Suku from servitude to a greedy moneylender, discovers the thief of the king's favorite treat, assists a fugitive from another kingdom, and establishes rules of business between purveyors and customers. Each short story can be read independently, however the first and fifth provide needed background information and character development. VERDICT This collection of short adventures in dispensing justice will make an excellent family and classroom read aloud and is recommended for folktale collections.—Lauren Younger, Nicholson Memorial Library, Garland, TX

School Library Journal

2018-12-22

Eight traditional Indian folktales are retold in new, original settings.

Prince Veera and his good friend Suku, the farmer's son, enjoy "play[ing] court," following the example of wise King Bheema. When the king is unwell one day, the two 10-year-olds get permission to hear and judge some simple cases. Does the greedy merchant who makes delicious sweets deserve to be paid by the people who smell their intense fragrance? Did the pot that one neighbor gave to another for safekeeping contain jewels or mango pickles? How do you find out how many crows live in the city? The stories stand alone, as Prince Veera and Suku discuss and ponder, ask questions, and roam about while they contemplate their decisions. The text is simple and has some cultural details, giving a peek into traditional Indian life, but offers very little context or background. A notable omission is that no women or girls are included in any of the stories except one. No backmatter is included, no sources are mentioned, and there is no indication of the time period when these stories take place, detracting from the full enjoyment of these retellings. Krishnaswamy's energetic black-and-white spot art offers authentic glimpses of Indian life, with illustrations of people, birds and animals, the marketplace, the countryside, and more.

Readers who are familiar with traditional Indian folktales will recognize these well-known stories; readers new to them may enjoy their quiet simplicity and the wisdom of the two young protagonists. (Fiction. 7-10)

Kirkus Reviews

Soundar's energetic prose and wisecracking dialogue sparkle and Krishnaswamy's acrylic folk-based illustrations of characters and nature dance across almost every page. Like any folktale, Mangoes, Mischief, and Tales of Friendship is best when shared. Read aloud, the adventures of Prince Veera and Suku will surely captivate first- through fifth-grade classrooms, the dilemmas providing excellent opportunities for critical thinking. Independent readers age 8 to 12 are likely to delight in the boys' clever solutions, not to mention their ability to confound and outwit adults.
—Shelf Awareness for Readers (starred review)

These original tales are folkloric in style and content, but refreshingly contemporary in tone and form. The messages are of kindness and compassion, and for speaking up when things are unfair...the illustrations balance traditional Indian art forms with cartoonlike gestures that will make readers smile.
—Booklist

Krishnaswamy's energetic black-and-white spot art offers authentic glimpses of Indian life, with illustrations of people, birds and animals, the marketplace, the countryside, and more. Readers who are familiar with traditional Indian folktales will recognize these well-known stories; readers new to them may enjoy their quiet simplicity and the wisdom of the two young protagonists.
—Kirkus Reviews Online

It’s a little risky—even benevolent kings do not like being proved wrong—but in these stories for 6- to 10-year-olds ingenuity and good sense help the boys prevail. Veera and Suku are a great team: In between gorging themselves on buttery sweets such as laddus and jalebis, and wolfing down mango pickles with fried fish and rice, the two boys solve mysteries, expose swindlers and humble the arrogant...Originally published in the U.K. in two volumes six years apart, these lively tales benefit from Uma Krishnaswamy’s playful monochrome illustrations.
—The Wall Street Journal

From the Publisher

Vibrant music plays as narrator Vikas Adam begins to tell this collection of tales from India. Adam smoothly transitions from the strong and consistent voice of the narrator to the impactful dialogue of the characters, including the young Prince Veera. When the story opens, the prince is just starting to understand how to be a fair and just ruler with the grace and wit of a powerful sovereign. Important lessons are learned throughout as he uses his problem-solving skills to approach each issue that arises in his kingdom, such as disagreements among neighbors, missing sweets, and the telling of falsehoods. Listeners will be transported by these coming-of-age stories. M.D. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

FEBRUARY 2019 - AudioFile