T Is for Taj Mahal : An Indian Alphabet

T is for Taj Mahal: An India alphabet by Varsha Bajaj, illustrated by Robert Crawford

The Text: This is the latest addition to Sleeping Bear’s Discover the World series. Framed by the alphabet, the reader is introduced to 26 people, places, events and general concepts in India. Each page has a somewhat forced poem presenting the subject, for example “A is for Aryans/Ancient history tells us/the Aryans came to stay./The Vedas tell us stories/about life in their day.” The concept is further explored in a few paragraphs. The book includes the following: Aryans, Bollywood, Cricket, Dress, Epics, Festivals, Gandhi, Himalayas, Independent India, Jewelry, Kathak, Languages, Music, Neighbors, Ocean, Prime Minister, Qutab Minar, Religion, show more Spices, Taj Mahal, Urban Centers, Villages, Wildlife, eXports, Yoga, and Zero.

The Illustrations: Crawford’s illustrations show a variety of historical and contemporary people, places, and concepts, from a richly decorated Kathak dancer, with stylized facial features and large eyes, to a simple set of flashcards showing various words that have been adopted into English. The landscapes are broadly painted with panoramas of oceans, skyscrapers and more. The pictures focusing on people are richly colored and decorated, showing the vibrant life and color of the various groups in India.

The Extras: A detailed map of India is placed at the beginning of the book.

Verdict: India has a wide variety of ethnic groups and it appeared to me that only the lighter-skinned groups were depicted. Some of the skin colors are indeterminate, being closer to gray, but most are uniformly light. One boy in the picture depicting “Independent India” has darker skin and appears to have slightly curly hair. I was disappointed that none of the people shown had the rich, dark skin I’ve seen in many of my own friends from India. The facial depictions vary wildly from unrealistically stylized,with large curved eyes, to more realistic expressions. The information about India is interesting, but the short poems are clunky and the alphabet device seems overworn to me – the lengthy information about the subjects is directed at children who are certainly beyond alphabet books. It’s an interesting concept, but one I don’t see a place for in my library.

ISBN: 978-1585365043; Published March 2011 by Sleeping Bear Press; Borrowed from the library show less

T is for Taj Mahal by Varsha Bajaj is an informational picture book about Indian culture. I absolutely loved this book for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the illustrations were spectacular and intricate. For example, on the letter D, there was a colorful and elaborate picture of a dress, which is called a Sari in Indian culture. The pictures really enhance the story because you can clearly see all the different aspects of their culture. I also liked that it’s an alphabet book, with textual features like an informational paragraph on the side of each page that goes into further detail about the topic. So, readers who would like more information about Sari’s could read about it’s history and importance on the side of the page. Also, show more this book has a singsong quality to each sentence. For example, “B is for Bollywood, movies for the mases, full of song and dance, handsome heroes and villains, pretty girls to romance.” This is great for young readers to follow along with the story. This book is great for introducing another culture to young children, so they can learn about different lifestyles around the world. show less

I love the way this book is set up. There is a main story with a different letter of the alphabet connecting to anything related to India. Then, on the side of every page is a longer and more thorough description of that specific thing related to India. The story can be great for almost any grade level. The main story is simple enough for younger grades and the longer description on the sides can apply to the older grades. Almost everyone can learn from the book. For example, the Himalaya Mountains are for H. Simple description at the top and a more in depth description on the side of the book.

Also, I love that the book talks about every aspect of India. The book discusses religion, locations, schooling, and many other aspects. For show more example, there is a section in the book to cover Gandhi and another for the actual Taj Mahal.

The message of the book is that there are many aspects of India and it is important to learn a good variety of information. There is a wide range of information included in the book that focus on all of the important topics related to India and the Middle East. show less

Alphabet books not only open the reader to learning about the alphabet but also words and phrases that begin with those letters. T is for Taj Mahal whent above and beyond. I enjoyed reading this book because in addition to learning about Indian Culture for each letter of the alphabet, each page also gave a more in depth description of what each letter was describing. For example, the letter "Y" stood for yoga. The page described how important yoga was in Indian culture but then it also gave directions for how to do the "tree pose" which I thought was really neat. The main idea for this book was to learn about Indian culture in a fun way while also learning about the alphabet.

I liked this book because of the stunning illustrations. They were done in a way that it made it look like each page was a beautiful painting. This made the book more interesting because although it was factual, it was also exciting because you wanted to see what the next picture would be! I also liked this book because it has differentiation in the text. Each letter of the alphabet represents a different word like “T is for Taj Mahal” and then has a short rhyme about that aspect in Indian culture. On the corresponding page there is a long paragraph that is harder to read and does not rhyme. This page is a much more factual definition. I like that students of different ages can read this book, and that they can select whether to show more read the hard text, or the easier text. The big idea of this book was to embrace Indian culture, as the entire book was about different ideas such as gods, architecture, and food. show less

T is for Taj Mahal is the latest in a series of country-themed books that includes A is for America, K is for Kabuki, and C is for Ciao, among others. Each page or double-spread contains a large font letter in both upper and lower case, a simple sentence,

"S is for Spices,"

a short rhyme,

"Cumin, turmeric, saffron -
all blended to appeal.
Lentils, beans, and veggies
make a fragrant meal,"

and a lengthy, small font sidebar explaining the word concept in greater detail.

Some of the rhymes are not as smooth as others, but a slow reading will help. The book's format allows for use by children of many ages. The youngest of listeners can simply enjoy the letter and the primary sentence. Older listeners can understand the rhymes; while independent show more readers can glean useful information for school country reports, etc. Each page contains at least three paragraphs of facts (although the book is without source notes or references).

Robert Crawford's painted illustrations are beautifully evocative of a country that is home to imposing mountains, chic urban centers, lush clothing, simple culture, impressive monuments, and rich and varied religious and cultural history. A movie star, a smiling child, a waving politician, a loving mother - these are all familiar to the reader, yet depicted in a distinctly Indian style.

There are more than one million people of Indian descent in the United States, and the U.S. welcomes many immigrants from the world's largest democratic state each year, so the addition of an Indian alphabet book is sure to be welcomed by many. Its richly colored paintings and fascinating facts will make it a favorite of Indian-Americans and non Indians alike.

This book is part of the Discover the World series.
I reviewed a softcover laser proof. I'm sure the pictures will be even more impressive in the finished product.

  Advance Copy supplied by the publisher.

www.shelf-employed.blogspot.com show less

I loved this book! very easy to reader for younger readers. I loved how the book went through the alphabet by using Indian culture and history. I thought it was very informative and the illustrations really helped connect me to the book. History and informative texts can be boring to read, but this book really captured my attention along with the information. I liked how it explained the Indian culture with not only history, but also explaining their religions and spices used in cooking.