Gloria Skurzynski

Author Gloria Skurzynski and illustrator Rocco Negri retell a traditional Indian folktale in this picture book from 1971. Mother Parvati, an elderly village woman of the Bhilla tribe, travels safely through the jungle to visit her married daughter in her magic pumpkin, convincing both Vagha the tiger and Kolha the wolf to allow her to pass, promising they can eat her on her return trip. That clever old woman however, manages to escape this fate by provoking the two predators into fighting show more one another, allowing her to return safely home...

Having recently read and enjoyed Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni and Susy Pilgrim Waters' Grandma and the Great Gourd: A Bengali Folktale, which retells a very similar tale to this one, I picked up The Magic Pumpkin with some interest. Given the use of the words vagha and kolha, which are from the Marathi language (although kolha apparently means fox), I would assume that this variant of the story is from Maharashtra or a nearby state. Unfortunately, no information is given as to the tale's source, something which is always unfortunate, in a folkloric retelling. In any case, I found the story here engaging, and thought Skurzynski's retelling was entertaining. It's clearly told from an outsider's perspective—would an Indian storyteller have felt the need to mention that Mother Parvati was brown, or would that be understood, within the culture's own context?—but I didn't sense any disrespect, as mentioned in another online review. It was interesting to see how similar this was to the variant retold by Divakaruni—an old woman travels through the jungle to visit her daughter, outwitting various predators who want to eat her with the help of a pumpkin/gourd—but also how it was different. In that other version, the gourd itself allows the heroine to escape the tiger, fox and bear, whereas here the tiger and wolf fight each other, allowing Mother Parvati to proceed on her way. Rocco Negri's artwork here was not as colorful as that of Susy Pilgrim Waters, but had some vintage charm. My favorite part were the depictions of the animals—the human figures were less appealing.

All in all, I enjoyed this one. I like to read and compare different retellings of the same folk and fairy-tales, so I'm glad to have discovered its existence during a recent search for pumpkin-related picture books for the autumn season. On the whole I think I prefer the Divakaruni/Waters retelling, which feels more authentic and more vibrant, and would recommend seeking that one out, if you only have time for one. But if, like me, you enjoy these kind of comparative reads, or if you enjoy vintage picture book art, I would recommend reading this one as well. show less

Nice overview of gravity especially as it relates to orbiting spacecraft. This is a work for children with plenty of pictures. I still learned something: in orbit zero-gravity is the centrifugal cancellation of earth's still very present gravity, dishes are held by velcro while eating, and in these conditions mattresses are superfluous.

Jack (Age 14) and his younger sister Ashley (almost 12) are enjoying the sights of Gatlinburg, TN while their mother, a wildlife veterinarian, studies elk at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Soon however, Dr. Olivia Landon's expertise is needed on a more urgent situation: several recent black bear attacks that occurred in and near GSMNP is cause for dire concern. Jack takes it upon himself to investigate: Are two new friends, Yonah Firekiller (Age 16) who still holds a childhood grudge show more against aspiring country singer Merle Chapman (age 15) somehow to blame? A quick and easy read for younger teens and tweens. Having been to the Smokies several times, I was able to picture all the sights and sounds. This is 13th in a series of mysteries taking place in America's national parks. show less

Fun story about a clever old woman who outwits a tiger and a wolf who want to eat her. The some of the language used to describe the woman and her home are subtly disrespectful--she lives in a "hut", not a "home", for example--and there's not much sign of awareness about Indian culture. The story is supposedly from Indian folklore; it could be a fun one to see retold and illustrated by people who know what they're talking about.