Shobha Viswanath

Indian author Shobha Viswanath and artist Dileep Joshi join forces in this rhyming picture-book retelling of a tale from The Panchatantra, an ancient Sanskrit collection of animal fables dating back to the second century BCE. The narrative follows the much-bullied Jumo the jackal as his fortunes rise and fall. Bullied by the other jackals, and constantly hungry, Jumo finds himself approaching a human village one night, and is chased by the dogs until he seeks refuge in a dyer's hut. Here he falls into a pot of indigo dye, and emerges a bright blue shade. Made king of the animals in the nearby forest, he banishes all of the jackals who tormented him, only to find himself joining in their howling one night. His true identity revealed, Jumo himself is chased from the jungle, but revels in the fact that he once was king...

Although I am familiar with The Panchantantra, also known in the English-speaking world as The Fables of Bidpai, as well as with its Arabic/Persian adaptation, Kalīla wa-Dimna, I have never actually read any translation of the collection, and this despite my interest in folklore and fable. Clearly, this will need to be remedied! I found Viswanath's retelling here engaging, and think that her rhyming text would make for an excellent read-aloud, whether at story-time, or during a bedtime reading session. The accompanying artwork from Joshi, done in the style of the Warli people, with white painting on a maroon or purple background, was very striking, and is sure to hold the reader's attention. I myself found it lovely, and really appreciated the folk-art aesthetic of it, and the sense, almost of pictograms, that it was a language of its own kind. Recommended to picture-book readers looking for animal fables and/or stories with an Indian cultural setting.… (more)

A coven of witches attempts to summon the wicked Brungle when one of their number declares him to be the king of her heart in this rhyming picture-book romp from India. As they add various ingredients to their brew - a quiver of cobras, a lounge of lizards - the witches are observed by various creatures, from a parliament of owls to a murder of crows. When a bevy of swans and a banner of knights appear from their brew instead of the desired Brungle, the oldest witch must step in to correct the error. But will Brungle have anything to do with the witches, once he does appear...?

An entertaining take on collective nouns, which feature throughout, A Tangle of Brungles is a fun little witchy confection, pairing a rhyming text from author Shobha Viswanath with delightfully creepy artwork from illustrator Culpeo S. Fox. There is humor in this story - the awful witches think they can summon Brungle and make him do as they wish, but that gentleman, mangled by their spell, will have nothing to do with them - and I would imagine that it would make a good read-aloud. The witches here are definitely not benign, and Fox captures that in her artwork, which features lots of toothy grins and disturbingly bulging eyes. Recommended to picture-book readers looking for witchy stories on the spookier, rather than the sweet side.… (more)

This is a retelling of a folk tale from India. While the story is told in simple, clear language appropriate for any age (the story is about identity, sense of self and self-worth), the artwork is what makes this special. The darker palette reinforces the night setting of the story, and the drawings are suggestive of cave drawings. They seem to float, crawl, and fly across the page. Based on Indian Warli artwork of white rice flour painting on a mud background, according to the inside blurb, the drawings are reduced to complex patterns of lines that come alive in swirls and repetitive motions and counter-motions. As an adult, I must admit I was far more interested in the artwork, but the story and art are well integrated.
Highly recommended for children, and any adults interested in modern re-use of ancient art-forms. This title expands the current folk lit area to include India, which I rarely find in an illustrated format for children.… (more)