Title: Gita for Toddlers
Author: Riddhi Khaitan
Illustrator: Kompal Rana
Publisher: Wonder House Books
Format: Board Book
Length: 46 pages
Age recommendation: 4-7 years (3 years+ for smallies interested in mythology!)
A book that manages to make something vast and profound feel intimate, playful and accessible.
Swagata has posted her review in our kbc fb group here with some inside pages. Excerpts:
“The Gita has always held a special place in my heart, not merely as a religious text, but as a poetic expression of something much larger than ourselves. I have always been drawn to its core philosophy, and I have wanted to pass some of that on to my daughter as an inheritance.
She is soon to be four and, much like me at that age, her acquaintance with the Gita so far has largely been limited to “Yada yada hi dharmasya…” I had no idea how one could possibly introduce the vastness of the Gita to a child so young. And then this book made it possible — almost like magic!
The first stroke of brilliance is the decision to imagine Krishna in his childhood, Gopala avatar. This Gita does not come from Dwarkadhish Krishna on the battlefield, speaking to a devastated Arjuna. Instead, it comes straight from little Bala Gopala, who is almost like a friend accompanying the young reader—sometimes helping them learn to ride a bicycle, sometimes showing them the beauty of sharing. The image of little Gopala immediately makes the teachings feel lighter and more accessible, and sets exactly the right mood. It is a wonderful idea, complemented beautifully by Kompal Rana’s delightful illustrations.
The book truly shines in its simplicity. My almost-four-year-old could actually read most of the pages by herself! It talks about Krishna being within each one of us, accompanied by such a lovely illustration that my daughter now frequently looks into the mirror, points at herself, and says, “Krishna!” So yes, message received!
Another illustration shows Krishna helping a friend with a bicycle, which was an instant hit with my daughter, who is just learning to cycle herself. The book talks about sharing, about putting in your best effort without constantly waiting for the result, and gently touches upon the core philosophy of Dharma, all without ever becoming too abstract or slipping beyond the reach of a very young child.
I would definitely recommend this book to parents of toddlers and preschoolers looking for a simple, warm and age-appropriate first introduction to the timeless philosophy of the Gita. It manages to make something vast and profound feel intimate, playful and accessible, and that is no small achievement.”
Reassuring & Magical!
Kimeera has shared her review alongwith inside pages here in the kbc fb group: Quoting her:
I will first start with the illustrations, because they are just too cute! Children will love rifling through he book, because first, Little Krishna! Second, the art!
The author has done a great job breaking down the Gita for young children in this book. She has included some of the more age appropriate ideas and messages of the Gita and stated them in simple language. The accompanying illustrations from Krishna’s life connect to these ideas and messages in subtle ways.
The parent/adult reading this to the kids should be prepared to connect the text to the pictures, and make it interesting. Krishna’s childhood is full of naughty-cute adventures, and this book can be a segue into those stories. Or even vice versa, if the kids are already familiar with these stories! Give examples from real life, or talk about problems that the kids are actually facing. It could be anything from separation anxiety to new school blues to playground tantrums. A few shlokas from the Gita are also quoted and give the children the first feel of the actual text.
Even before the author goes into the Gita’s message, she explains who Krishna is. And this is the most endearing part of the book for me. Reading those words, talking about them to my younger son Achintya who is 4 years old, and seeing him smile was magical! The thought that there is someone who is our friend and always stays with us and watches over us is just so reassuring. And I think the book is hugely successful in evoking this sense of reassurance in kids too. It is Spirituality 101 for children!
All in all, this book is one must have if you are looking to introduce young children to Krishna, the Gita, or spirituality in general.
Simplified for young children!
Sritama’s shared her review with inside pages here in the kbc fb group. In her words:
“Bhagavad Gita is a spiritual dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna in the battlefield of Kurukshetra. In this book, the Gita has been simplified by the author in an age appropriate way to be understood by very young readers.
I was dumbstruck after reading this wonderful book. To be honest, before I started reading it, I was a bit sceptical about how the book would be. I had no idea about how a serious thing like Bhagavad Gita can be simplified to be understood by so young kids. However, my view completely changed when I was few pages into the book. I read it aloud to my mother and my 5.5 year old daughter, Aadya and frankly speaking, all of us just loved it. By omitting the violence and also not going into too much details, the author has highlighted important values and also imparted a sense of safety in the young minds. In case of children’s books, a good story is not complete without its illustrations and I must say in this case, the illustrator deserves as much praise as the author. The teachings and verses would not have been fully understood if not for the splendid illustrations.
Aadya liked the beautiful explanations and the illustrations. She liked the fact that the Sanskrit verses have been translated into English for her to understand.”
If you enjoyed these reviews and wish to buy this magical book from Amazon (kbc affiliate link),
CLICK & BUY NOW!Disclaimer: Swagata, Kimeera and Sritama won this book as a prize in one of the WonderHouseWedenesdaysOnKBC contests from the publisher via kbc.
