Gandhi

October 10, 2011
Younger readers in particular will enjoy this lucid survey of Gandhi’s life and teachings. Beginning with the awkward boy who recognized the unfairness of India’s caste system but was too shy to speak against it in public, the book shows him seeking ways to correct injustice without resorting to violence. There’s plenty of conflict in the world around the young man as different social classes abuse each other; Muslims and Hindus use religion as an excuse to hate their neighbors; and the colonial authorities unscrupulously exploit these divisions. Rather than taking sides, Gandhi tries to teach universal principles of fairness, turning to civil disobedience only to remind adversaries of their common humanity—tactics later borrowed by the American civil rights movement. Ebine’s treatment of this story respects Gandhi’s consistent, stubborn belief that people could learn to live together peacefully. The resulting comic is sometimes bland, with stiff art and infelicitous wording, but the message survives.

November 15, 2011
Grades 7-10 How did a shy boy become Mahatma Gandhi, the founder and leader of the nonviolent resistance movement in India's struggle against British rule? Despite a few typos, Ebine's nicely drawn manga biography is a clear and concise introduction to Gandhi's life. The biography not only touches upon Gandhi's major accomplishments, such as fighting against Indian apartheid in South Africa and promoting India's independence, but also humanizes Gandhi by showing his struggles with insecurity as a young man. His self-realization and development as a leader, coupled with references to some of his best-known sayings, help to provide a complete picture of this humble and revered man's life. With its detailed dates of events, author's note, and bibliography, this title is a great addition to social studies curricula, and it will have special appeal to budding young activists and idealists.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)