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The London Jungle Book

by Bhajju Shyam, Raja Mohanty, Sirish Rao

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622419,563 (5)None
This new and fully re-designed edition of the now-classic book marks the tenth anniversary of Bhajju Shyam's momentous journey to London, U.K. Bhajju Shyam, a celebrated and award-winning artist from the Gond tribe in central India, was commissioned to paint the walls of an Indian restaurant in London. He spent two months in the city, and it was the first time he encountered a western metropolis. The book that emerged from his journey is a visual travelogue that both mimics and subverts the typical colonial encounter. With radical innocence and great sophistication, Bhajju brings the signs of the Gond forest to bear on the city, turning London into an exotic jungle, a clever beastiary. The London Underground becomes a sinuous snake, Big Ben transforms into a rooster crowing the time, and an airplane -- the first Bhajju ever encountered -- is compared to an elephant miraculously flying through the air. It is rare to encounter a truly original vision that is capableof startling us into reexamining familiar sights. By breathing the ancient spirit of wonder back into the act of travel,The London Jungle Book does just that.… (more)
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A beautifully re-designed edition of a book published 10 years ago by Bhajju Shyam, a celebrated artist from the Gond tribe in central India who traveled to London. He spent two months in the city, and it was the first time he encountered a western metropolis. This chronicle of his journey is a fascinating, unique visual travelogue that features folkloric paintings representative of his culture. Although a picture book, this is not one likely to appeal to most children. ( )
  Sullywriter | May 22, 2015 |
This is a gem of a book, published in 2004 in association with the Museum of London. Bhajju Shyam is an artist from the Gond tribal community in central India who was invited to London to paint a mural in an Indian restaurant. It was his first time out of India (first time on a plane) and he records his impressions of London in paintings which combine images of his native Gond culture and modern British culture. His first-person commentary on his paintings is also precious.

For example, he pictures airplanes as a huge bird of prey that swallows up the humans "who line up to be let inside like insects outside a termite hill". The next image of the plane is of an elephant leaping into the sky -- and it's labeled "the miracle of flight".

Other headings are "There is Another World Below Us" (the Underground), "The Comfort of the Familiar" (the red number 30 bus is like a dog to him, a faithful and loyal friend who helps him get between work and "home"), "Everything Happens in Restaurants" (because the English don't tend to invite people into their homes), "Pubs Set English People Free" (hilarious observation that English people are like bats -- they wear black and they come alive at night (in pubs!)), A Cow in a Gallery (his impressions of Damien Hirst's cut-up cow in the Tate), etc. The book ends with him going back to his village and becoming a storyteller, a bard. ( )
  UWC_PYP | Nov 1, 2007 |
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Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Bhajju Shyamprimary authorall editionscalculated
Mohanty, Rajamain authorall editionsconfirmed
Rao, Sirishmain authorall editionsconfirmed
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This new and fully re-designed edition of the now-classic book marks the tenth anniversary of Bhajju Shyam's momentous journey to London, U.K. Bhajju Shyam, a celebrated and award-winning artist from the Gond tribe in central India, was commissioned to paint the walls of an Indian restaurant in London. He spent two months in the city, and it was the first time he encountered a western metropolis. The book that emerged from his journey is a visual travelogue that both mimics and subverts the typical colonial encounter. With radical innocence and great sophistication, Bhajju brings the signs of the Gond forest to bear on the city, turning London into an exotic jungle, a clever beastiary. The London Underground becomes a sinuous snake, Big Ben transforms into a rooster crowing the time, and an airplane -- the first Bhajju ever encountered -- is compared to an elephant miraculously flying through the air. It is rare to encounter a truly original vision that is capableof startling us into reexamining familiar sights. By breathing the ancient spirit of wonder back into the act of travel,The London Jungle Book does just that.

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