Growing up in an Indian household, my mother often jokingly called my siblings and me Kumbhakarn when we overslept in the mornings. Therefore, I was immediately interested in reading the Kumbhakarna's Dreams storybook. The overall design of the storybook, specifically the titles of the other "chapters", are very attention-grabbing since they are vague enough to spark curiosity within the reader. The story is about Kumbhakarna's deep sleep (which he is most famously known for) and the events in his life that led to his curse of slumber. More specifically, the storybook focuses on the lives of brothers Vijaya and Jaya who become Kumbhakarna and Ravana. Ravana is often the villain or bad entity in much Indian folklore. Having very vague background knowledge about Ravana, I was keen on learning more about Kumbhakarn, especially because I did not know he was Ravana's brother. I think this storybook does a good job setting the plot for the story and giving just enough information to catch the reader's attention but not give too much away.
Next, I decided to read more about Draupadi, another famous woman from Indian folklore I had heard of. I already knew the story of Draupadi and how her sari was so long that when the men tried to defame her, it kept on getting longer and longer to save her honor. However, I love that the writer of The Stories of Draupadi does not make this story the focus of the introduction. Rather, they talk about Draupadi as the leading female protagonist who fought for her rights in a male-dominated community. The intro tells us that Draupadi is a relentless woman who is outspoken and independent, not fearing to challenge the patriarchy. I also like that the writer includes information about her twin brother Dhrstadyumna with whom she emerged from fire as a fully grown adult (!!). If that doesn't catch your attention to read the rest of the story, I don't know what would!
Finally, I decided to read a story of which I had no background knowledge, the storybook Looney Tunes Goes to India, a very creative title that makes you want to keep on reading. This storybook took classic Indian tales and converted them into Looney Tunes stories. Although there was not an introduction to this storybook, I did read some of the actual chapters. The author does a fabulous job of keeping the reader engaged throughout the story. Thinking of animals acting out the scenes being portrayed was quite funny to imagine and added light humor to the otherwise heavy tales. I liked that the author included a note at the end of each chapter to tell the actual Indian folklore that they had converted to Looney Tunes.
Next, I decided to read more about Draupadi, another famous woman from Indian folklore I had heard of. I already knew the story of Draupadi and how her sari was so long that when the men tried to defame her, it kept on getting longer and longer to save her honor. However, I love that the writer of The Stories of Draupadi does not make this story the focus of the introduction. Rather, they talk about Draupadi as the leading female protagonist who fought for her rights in a male-dominated community. The intro tells us that Draupadi is a relentless woman who is outspoken and independent, not fearing to challenge the patriarchy. I also like that the writer includes information about her twin brother Dhrstadyumna with whom she emerged from fire as a fully grown adult (!!). If that doesn't catch your attention to read the rest of the story, I don't know what would!
(Image of Krishna extending Draupadi's sari to save her from dishonor- Image provided by Wikimedia Commons)
Finally, I decided to read a story of which I had no background knowledge, the storybook Looney Tunes Goes to India, a very creative title that makes you want to keep on reading. This storybook took classic Indian tales and converted them into Looney Tunes stories. Although there was not an introduction to this storybook, I did read some of the actual chapters. The author does a fabulous job of keeping the reader engaged throughout the story. Thinking of animals acting out the scenes being portrayed was quite funny to imagine and added light humor to the otherwise heavy tales. I liked that the author included a note at the end of each chapter to tell the actual Indian folklore that they had converted to Looney Tunes.
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