Grandma and the Great Gourd

February 11, 2013
Little Red Riding Hood has only a wolf to contend with, but Grandma lives in India, where the forest hides a fox, a bear, and a tiger. Grandma talks the three predators out of eating her during her first trip (“I’ll be a lot fatter on my way back from my daughter’s house because she’s such a good cook”), but she has to innovate on her way back. Grandma rolls herself home in a giant gourd, singing cheerfully, until she meets the attentive fox: “One hundred and one times I’ve sneaked into villages to steal chickens, but I’ve never seen a singing gourd!” he exclaims. Although Divakaruni’s (The Conch Bearer) retelling starts slow, it soon gathers momentum. Like ’50s textile patterns, debut illustrator Waters’s silkscreenlike spreads render Grandma and the jungle creatures as two-dimensional cutouts; bold, stylized silhouettes of plant and tree motifs play off one another like dense jungle shadows. Grandma’s witty resourcefulness and the opportunity to compare cross-cultural story traditions make this a useful resource and a good readaloud. Ages 5–8. Author’s agent: Sandra Dijkstra, Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Lilla Rogers Studio.

February 1, 2013
Retelling a story from her childhood, well-known Bengali-American writer Divakaruni uses lively language, nonsense syllables and traditional rhythms. When Grandma sets out to visit her daughter and grandchildren, she must cross the jungle in between their villages. She leaves her faithful dogs home to tend her garden. Along the way, she meets a fox, a bear and a tiger that all want to eat her, but she persuades the predators that she will be fatter, plumper and juicier on her way back. She approaches her return journey with trepidation, but the inventive mother and daughter create a plan for a safe trip. The old woman is soon ensconced inside a giant, hollowed-out gourd. When the daughter has sealed her in with stitches and rice glue, she starts the gourd rolling toward her mother's village. First the tiger and then the bear approach the gourd in hopes of finding something to eat. They are each fooled by the grandma singing out and asking for a push. At last, the crafty fox realizes the trick, but by then, Grandma is so close to home the dogs are able to rescue her. The storyteller's voice is augmented by frequent repetition and onomatopoeia, making this story a pleasure to read aloud. Intensely colored and patterned collages on glossy paper boldly advance the plot. This fresh new version will soon have young listeners and readers telling the story themselves. (Picture book/folktale. 6-8)

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January 1, 2013

PreS-Gr 2-Once there was as little old woman who lived in India, contentedly keeping her vegetable patch. Everyone referred to her as Grandma. When her daughter sends her a letter asking her to visit, the woman decides to go but must cross a dangerous jungle. She leaves her trustworthy dogs to tend her garden and sets off on her journey. On the way she encounters a fox, a bear, and a tiger, each of whom wants to eat her. Using a bit of cunning, she convinces each animal to wait for her return trip when she will be much plumper after eating her daughter's food. They all agree. After a visit with her family, she and her daughter work together to devise a plan for her return trip home. Will Grandma's disguise as a plump gourd fool the hungry animals? Waters's expertise as a muralist shines through on the multilayered images. Contrasting textures and vibrant colors depict simple shapes with rhythmic patterns that appear stamped on the page. Clever and crafty, this well-told tale will be a fun addition to most collections.-Carol Connor, Cincinnati Public Schools

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2013
Grades K-3 With its references to Indian design, architecture, and delicious food dishes, this retelling of a Bengali folktale will appeal to families of Indian descent. More than that, it should appeal to all children enamored of fairy tales and folktales centering on a hero's peril-riddled journey through a forest. Here, it's a jungle that must be navigated and a thin, dark-skinned, white-haired grandma who sets out on a journey to visit her daughter. Grandma meets a fox, a bear, and a Bengal tiger on her way, all of whom declare that they want to eat her. She outfoxes them all, telling them she'll be much fatter and tastier after her daughter has fed her. The problem is the return visit: How to trick the animals who are expecting her? The solution lies in a huge gourd to hide grandma, not to mention resourcefulness, courage, and friendship. Muralist Waters' vivid paintings have a textured, mural-like quality that makes the characters, jungle foliage, and action pop. Colorful in more than one sense of the word.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)