Panchatantra Stories Tailored for Children of the Indian Diaspora
My friends in India were puzzled when I decided to publish a children’s book, Magical Tales of Clever Mice, while living in California. They told me there were already so many books in India based on the Panchatantra that there was no need for another one. Yet, I couldn’t find the right types of books to give to my bi-racial grandchild, who loves Indian stories but will probably never visit India. With a few exceptions, the needs of the Indian diaspora have not been addressed by the recent crop of books on the market.
In the past, my children, growing up in New York, had access to only Amar Chitra Katha books to learn Indian mythology. There was much to work around: the difficult vocabulary, the stilted language, and the unabashed scenes of violence. And then there was the undercurrent of colorism with dark-skinned evil characters and fair-complexioned good ones. Many of the books coming from India today are equally hard to understand for children raised here.
Out of frustration and sheer bravado, I finally decided to write a book that would attract my grandchild. It had to be stories from the Panchatantra as animals are magnets for children, especially cute mice.
In Magical Tales of Clever Mice, two stories are presented in a modern, fresh and fun way using simple language. There is much, however, that is missing: violence, unfamiliar Sanskrit words such as ashram, and cultural references. Historical and geographical accuracy are blithely ignored in the light-hearted and humorous illustrations that are unique and whimsical.
The focus is on strong role models, both male and female. The hope is that it will appeal to all children, regardless of race.
The first story is about a mouse who has been turned into a girl by a holy man and is named Anjali. As a child growing up in an ashram, she happily plays hopscotch with cheating bunnies and dances with the peacocks. When Anjali grows up, she rejects many powerful suitors, including the sun and the wind, finally choosing a mouse as her partner. Anjani is in reality a feminist role model as she boldly chooses her own path while discovering her identity.
The second story is a well-known story about elephants helping mice and vice versa. In this version, the focus is on two young siblings, Maya and Bala, a female and a male. The naughty animals are always disturbing the peace and getting into trouble with their father. Yet, when elephants come stampeding through, they save the village. The readers will find it easy to identify with these young heroes.
When I see my grandchild enjoying this book and sharing it with his friends of different races, I feel a sense of joy.
Aditi Krishnakumar, who illustrated the book, recently moved from Singapore to her current base in Hyderabad, India. She explains her perspective.
Aditi: When I started this project, I didn’t realize what a concentrated effort it would take to dissociate it from a childhood spent with Amar Chitra Katha and old Telugu movies while retaining the essential nature of the stories. I never realized how much imagery was internalized until I found it creeping into the art: in the rishi’s topknot, in the curve of a sword.
That some of that imagery stayed and some was removed is reflective of what we were trying to do in bringing Panchatantra stories to a new generation of children who might have some ties to India but haven’t grown up there.
And so, Anjali is dressed in a skirt and blouse that might, with a little imagination, be clothes made by a girl of any culture if she had never been exposed to popular fashion. The ashram has palm trees and conifers, which might be brought together by a magician capable of turning a mouse into a human.
“The Mouse Girl” was one of my favorites of the Panchatantra stories as a child; it was only later that I realized it owed some of its appeal to its most basic message: that nobody, not even the most powerful of sages, can force a person – or a mouse – to be somebody they’re not.
“The Mice and the Elephants” is a classic story of friendship and compassion – and my favorite illustration in the book is the one of the mice running around and playing amidst the ruins of the human village. Drawing it gave me a little hope for our planet: no matter what humans do; nature will find a way to thrive.
To buy the book on Amazon: Magical Tales of Clever Mice: Stories from Ancient India https://a.co/d/0as1gHLA
About the Author
Kala Ranganathan has been a lifelong freelance journalist who has published articles on a wide range of topics, including travel, current events, humor and software engineering. Her articles have appeared in The Hindu, Indian Express, and Firstpost in India; and in the Cincinnati Enquirer, the American Society for Quality, as well as local publications in the U.S. and Hong Kong. She lives in California and is currently a columnist for the Rossmoor News. This is her first foray into publishing a children’s book.
About the Illustrator
Aditi Krishnakumar has spent several years working in Finance in India and Singapore while also doubling as a writer of fantasy and historical fiction. She is a recipient of the Scholastic Asian Book Award. She currently lives in Hyderabad, where she works as a freelance consultant. This is her first time illustrating a book.
