Title: Amma, Tell Me About Shiva!
Written by: Bhakti Mathur
Illustrated by: Arushie Wig
Published by: Anjana Publishing Limited
Type: Paperback
Length: 36 pages
Age recommendation: 4-8/10 years
This is Sowmya’s detailed review:
The book opens to a now-familiar scene of Amma cuddled up with her boys. Shiva’s form is vividly described by the author (matted locks, snake coiled around his neck) as He sits high up in His heavenly abode and gazes upon Earth.
The latest stellar book to be added to Bhakti Mathur’s mythological multiverse is ‘Amma, Tell Me About Shiva!’ This book is about the blue-complexioned mightly Shiva who is a part of the Hindu Holy Trinity.
The author also lucidly describes the meanings behind Shiva’s various names. Do you know why He is called Neelkantha? Or do you know the name of Shiva’s divine dance?
No mythological story is complete without portraying the victory of good over evil! And in this book, we learn about how an asura named Bhasma manages to get a boon from Shiva and then wickedly tries to use it against Bholenath himself!
What follows is an incredible story of wit and bravado as another blue-complexioned God steps in to save the day!!
My 6 year old son, Siddhanth is old enough to appreciate the gentle rhyming scheme in the story and was thrilled to count all the words that rhymed. My 2 1/2 year old, Samvit was enamored by the vibrant colourful illustrations in the book.
Arushie Wig’s doe-eyed divine drawings bring alive the stories. The kids had a gala time recreating dance poses from the story!
Bhakti Mathur manages to weave another magical tale about the Gods and their triumph over evil. Her ability to distill complex mythological stories into simple shorter versions for young children is truly remarkable!
Just like Amma and her kids, my kids and I also cozied up to read this book multiple times. I’m hoping you buy this book and enjoy it as much as we did!
A SERIES MEANT FOR EVERY INDIAN HOME!
Abha has shared her detailed review in the kbc fb group. Excerpts:
My dad’s mornings always start with the Gayatri Mantra playing softly at home, and this time, my little girl started humming along. We picked up a Shloka book to go along with it, and mid-way through, she paused and asked, “Who is Brahma? Who is Shiva?” That was my cue. I pulled out our copy of Amma Tell Me About Shiva, because I know the timing was just right.
Bhakti Mathur beautifully introduces Lord Shiva — his appearance, his family, his personality — in a way that felt just detailed enough for her curious little mind. She had so many questions: about Ganga, the snake around his neck, why he looks so different from everyone else. With grandparents around to add their own stories, it turned into the richest family discussion.
Then came the story of Bhasmasur — and this is where the illustrations by Arushie Wig truly came to life. My daughter was captivated by the dance sequence, so much so that we ended up acting it out as a family! My dad played Bhasmasur, my little one became Mohini, and my mom couldn’t stop laughing watching them. It turned into one of those memories we’ll hold onto forever.
Here’s what this book gently teaches young readers:
- Shiva sees the good in everyone and gives second chances — even when he knew Bhasmasur was mischievous, he still granted his wish.
- Choices matter — making wrong ones eventually catches up with us.
- God protects the good-hearted, and always finds a way when we need help.
- A lovely thread on friendship shines through the bond between Shiva and Vishnu.
- It opens the door to real-world curiosity too — Ganga, rivers, nature, waterfalls — blending mythology with learning.
- It sparks interest in other gods mentioned along the way, like
- Ganesha and Parvati, making kids want to know more.
This was our first book from the Amma Tell Me series, and the format — a mother narrating the story to her child — resonated so deeply with my daughter. Two moments melted my heart: right at the start, and again near the end, when she looked up and said, “Just like us, Momma.” That’s when I knew — this series is here to stay in our home.
A very smart book indeed!
Swagata has shared an exciting review in the kbc fb group here. Quoting her:
The book arrived on Day 2 of the flu. Asmi, soon to be four, was exhausted after a bout of really high temperatures, and it honestly couldn’t have come at a better time. She is very fond of stories; particularly mythological stories, and especially stories about Shiva: the crazy God, the happy God, the Dancing God. Curiously, though, she didn’t have a book about Shiva of her own so far. So we settled down with this one and finished it, or rather, savoured it, in one go.
But perhaps I should let her review it first.
Me: So, you know I won this book in a contest? This is the prize. Do you like it?
Asmi: Then is it yours?
Me: No, it’s for you. How do you like the book?
Asmi: It’s a smart book.
(She was recently called a “smart child” at preschool, so “smart” is currently her highest form of praise ;))
Then she looked at the illustrations more carefully.
Asmi: But… Shiva doesn’t have the third eye in this picture.
More thinking.
Asmi: Maybe these bhoots have stolen that eye from him when he was sleeping in the smashana.
Well, I concur with the reviewer. It is a very smart book: smartly written by Bhakti Mathur and delightfully illustrated by Arushie Wig.
Of the enormous treasury of mythological tales surrounding Shiva, the story of Bhasmasura is a particularly clever choice for young children. For one thing, it comes with a wonderful dance drama built right into the story. (While reading it aloud, I naturally turned that part into a full-fledged performance.) And it has now become something of an inside joke between my daughter and me: every now and then, even in public, she will suddenly begin the Bhasmasura-Mohini dance moves and I will join in 
.
But what I liked even more was the idea at the heart of the story. Shiva’s willingness to believe Bhasmasura may make him seem gullible, but the story leaves room for a rather lovely lesson: there is no shame in trusting people. One can continue to have faith in honesty, sincerity and hard work even while knowing that, occasionally, such faith may be taken advantage of. I particularly liked encountering that message in a children’s story, where cleverness so often seems to mean learning not to be fooled.
So yes, in the words of my almost-four-year-old reviewer: “a smart book indeed.” Beautifully told, wonderfully suited to being read aloud, and responsible for some much-needed laughter during two rather miserable flu days.
And, as an unexpected bonus, it has also left us with a family dance routine.
Highly recommended.
Kiran shared her review in the kbc fb group here. In her words:
Bhakti Mathur’s eye for detail while describing Shiva and his surroundings is so profound that my 7 year old son Adi, who was listening the story immediately wanted to read it by himself. The illustrations by Arushie Wig added cherry on top.
Adi just couldn’t stop giggling at the point where Lord Shiva is being chased by Bhasmasur. After finishing the book he made his father run for his life so many times that it became uncontrollably hilarious, especially with “overacting’ skills of his Papa.
There are so many stories about Shiva but the author has presented the Bhasmasur story in such a great way that the young readers would remember it forever without even realising it. Highly recommended for all the parents who want to introduce their young ones to our Gods and culture in a fun way.
Nishidha shared her review here in the kbc fb group. Excerpts:
We read “Amma, Tell Me About Shiva!” together, and it turned out to be such a lovely way to learn, explore, and enjoy stories from Hindu mythology.
What caught my son’s attention first? The colours and illustrations! He kept looking at the pages and saying, “Oh, this is cute!” His absolute favourites were the three little goblins playing the drums and flute.
But beyond the beautiful illustrations, he picked up some wonderful stories and ideas about Shiva. He learned why Shiva’s throat is blue, and how Shiva stood up for humankind and embraced those who were considered different or misfits. The Bhasmasur story was particularly interesting for him — and he absolutely loved the dance moves that came along with it!
As a parent, I really appreciated the book’s large, readable fonts and child-friendly presentation. I loved the colour palette too. It feels dramatic and captivating, and really draws you into the stories. The language is easy enough for children to follow, while still introducing them to new words and vocabulary — which I always appreciate in a children’s book.
Most importantly, I felt the book does a wonderful job of introducing children to what makes Shiva unique, while also explaining the significance of Mahashivratri. For us, this wasn’t just a book we read — it became a little conversation starter about Shiva, mythology, kindness, acceptance, and the idea of embracing those who are different.
A lovely addition to a child’s bookshelf, especially if you want to introduce Indian mythology through stories that are colourful, accessible, and engaging.
Are you a fan of the Amma, Tell Me About series? Did you enjoy the reviews and the vibrant illustrations of the book? Be sure to order the series from Amazon (kbc affiliate link),
CLICK & ORDER NOW!The entire Amma Tell Me About series by Bhakti Mathur is one of the most loved and recommended series in the 4-8 years category. It also comes in The Full Amma Tell Me: Ten Book Set which usually works out more economical. There is another interesting series called Amma Takes Me Places: A Box Set Edition which also is very popular!
Amma Tell Me About Shiva!
Amma, Tell Me About Ganesha!
Amma, Tell Me about Ramayana!
The Amma Tell Me Krishna Trilogy – The Complete Krishna Trilogy!: Three Book Box Set
Amma Tell Me About Krishna!: Krishna Trilogy Part 1
Amma Tell Me How Krishna Fought the Demons!: Part 2 in the Krishna Trilogy
Amma, Tell Me How Krishna Defeated Kansa! (Amma Tell Me: Krishna Trilogy, Part 3)
The Amma Tell Me Hanuman Trilogy
Amma, Tell Me About Hanuman!: Hanuman Trilogy Part 1
Amma Tell Me How Hanuman Crossed the Ocean!: Part 2 in the Hanuman Trilogy!
Amma Tell Me about Hanuman’s Adventures in Lanka!: Part 3 in the Hanuman Trilogy
Disclaimer: Sowmya, Nishidha, Abha, Sritama, Swagata, Kiran and Priyanka won this book as a prize in the #kbcAmmaTellMeAboutShiva Contest powered by Anjana Publishing Limited and kbc.
